Enter December

So now once again we are going into December with only a short time before winter break and some more family time. I can't wait! We are staying home this year until the day after Christmas and then heading to PA. This year Juliette seems to be developing some snooping skills even though she still believes in Santa. She found a set of elf toys in one of Nana's bags and is getting a little too curious. Today I quickly shut the closet door where some of her presents are and she wanted to know what was in the closet. I told her coats and clothes. She laughed hysterically and asked to see inside. I told her no and she kept trying to sneak around me to get a peak inside. Little stinker.

Thanksgiving

Last Tuesday Nana and Pop Pop came to have lunch with Juliette before break. She got to pick friends and..shocker...picked Ryan and her other friend Elizabeth.

 

We went to the Melting Pot for dinner that night. It's a fondue place that we love and only get to go to about once every other year or so because of the cost. Juliette loved the dessert the best.

 

Thanksgiving time!

Licking the beater from the mashed potatoes.

 

Very carefully placing marshmallows on the sweet potatoes

 

Pop pop's big job of carving the turkey

Santa Train

Every year since she was itty bitty I've tried to get tickets to go on the Santa Train. One year it got canceled, one year I was going to take the day off to get tickets, but Juliette got sick, last year we had a last minute chance to go, but she was having tummy issues and we couldn't go. This year I was determined to get us on that train, so I took a day off and got my butt down to the visitor's center on Caroline Street at 7:30 for the tickets to go on sale at 9. I was shocked I wasn't the first one in line :(. I was glad that I wasn't the only one who had brought a chair! By the time the place started selling tickets that line snaked around the parking lot three times. It was nuts. I got six tickets for the 10am train- three for us and three for the Keeners aka Bestie Ryan and his parents :).

 

 

 

 

 

Almost there!

 

Victory!

YES!!!!

Since this is about our whole family I can post this :). Josh got me a ticket to her June 22 show in D.C. Fourth row center baby with a backstage pass!!! Best. Christmas present. Ever.

 

 

Frozen Party

Al the kiddos are doing Frozen parties and Juliette's friend Anna had an awesome one. Her mom set up the house into craft stations with the girls' names on each bag. Juliette made a bracelet, necklace, snowflake ornament, snowman, mittens, a frame, and more. It was a great afternoon. All the girls could come dressed as a princess so there were Annas and Elsas all over with a Rapunzel and Sofia thrown in too!

A little early

When we got back from seeing the lights Juliette was in a very Christmas mood and begged Josh to set up the tree. Of course he got it out for her! While I was in Richmond with Kelley, Juliette put all the ornaments on the tree. She loves Christmas!

 

Christmas lights at the fairgrounds

Josh heard about a drive through light show down by Kings Dominion at the fairgrounds for the VA State Fair. It was amazing. The lights were synced up to a radio station's music. It was well worth the drive. Then we went on a horse drawn carriage ride around the fairgrounds and saw Santa. He even let Juliette put her name on his good list.

 

 

Looking pitiful in the cold and waiting for the horse to move :)

Party time at Chuck E Cheese

Julie's birthday was at Chuck E Cheese again this year so off we went to the rat place at 10 am.

 

 

 

Daddy shows no mercy at air hockey.

 

Juliette was pretty good at Fruit Ninja

 

Frozen cake!

Movie night

Cedar Forest had a family movie night a few weeks ago so we got all dressed in our pjs and headed to the gym. Juliette loved being with her friends from Girl Scouts and eating popcorn in the gym.

Fashion plate

This is nothing new- Juliette loves wearing dresses and posing :). She will ask me to take her picture and strike a pose with her hand on her hip or something like that.

Besties

Juliette's friendship with Ryan is so cute to watch. Their eyes light up when they see each other. Ryan waited for us in the parking lot one day so they could walk into school together. And Juliette wrote about sharing her pizza  with Ryan. Adorable!

 

Of course they had to stand next to each other for the Veteran's Day parade. Her other friend Luna is in the background in the purple shirt- the one who looks about a foot taller than all the other kids! :)

 

 

 

Fall break is ending

Tonight is the last night of Fall break and it's been a great one! The weather has been amazing and we managed to avoid the Thanksgiving snow we were supposed to get. Josh got the outside lights hung today and we've had some great time off. Nana and Pop Pop left yesterday, but hopefully will be coming back in a few weeks for Christmas if the weather cooperates. Juliette has loved spending time with them and I think secretly loves being teased by Pop Pop.
Other than Thanksgiving, it's been a quiet month for the Longs. Juliette loved making her Santa list and visiting with him a few times. On Friday she saw a man walking around the mall who obviously was used to being called Santa. Come on when you have a full white beard, wear a red shirt, and are on the husky side you've got to be used to kids coming up to you and he was awesome with Juliette. He got down on his knees in the middle of the mall to get on eye level with her and talked about why he sent her elf back to the house and asked what she wanted. Bless his heart. And oh yes, Elfie has returned. Oy. I love and hate that thing. So here's our month in rewind.

It's our new tradition to go to the opening weekend of the holiday celebration down on Caroline Street in the city. Once again Juliette loved looking at the windows- of course she found a Frozen one, seeing Santa, and looking in the stores. I think her eyes nearly bugged out of her head when Santa walked into the toy store while we were in there!

 

She found Yoda!

 

Her to favorite windows- Frozen and the village.

November

I can't believe it's already November. Juliette gets her first report card soon. Yikes! Right now she's got a little UTI and was crying on Friday when she had to pee. Poor kid. But after only a few doses of medicine she's feeling much better. Anyway, November means lots of fun getting ready for Christmas. She's already putting things on her Santa list. The first thing last year was a Hercules book. This year it's the movie Peabody and Sherman. She watched it with Toby and James camping and loved it. We'll see what else gets put on the list. I know she wants more games for her Inotab too. I'll have to let Santa know they are on sale at Target this week!! :)

Belvedere with Scouts

 Last night was a special event at Belvedere to celebrate the founder of Girl Scout's birthday. We met up with the other girls and had a fun night of roasting hot dogs, S'mores, a hay ride, walking the corn maze, and singing songs. Yes, it was bitter cold with the wind.

Hay fight!!! Mommy it's in my mouth!

Hay ride with Miss April. Juliette loves April and follows her around everywhere.

 

posing in the hay barn. For some reason when I edit pictures on my phone it doesn't show up so her eyes are glowing!

 

Hay fight with Sarah!

 

Taking her turn leading with the flag in the corn maze. She earned a fun badge for going through it!