Christmas Manicure

Jeneric received nail polish for Christmas! She found one volunteer for a pint-sized manicure.







And Grampy wants to know if Grandpa is next!

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The winner of our Holiday Card Donation Challenge: Doctors Without Borders. We're writing a check for $77.60. Thanks to all who voted, commented and enjoyed our blog this holiday season!

Christmas, one more time

In Minnesota, Christmas can extend for days as we meet up with all of our friends and family. Here, we meet up with Great Grandpa.

Toddler Wily found several remotes that she recommissioned as cell phones. We did have to take out the batteries as eventually she figured out how to turn the tv on. and off. and on. and off. and on....


Jeneric had a blast helping Great Grandpa open his presents.


And eventually Toddler Wily got in on the action.


One last picture - just because it's cute. Santa left matching owl pajamas for Jeneric and Toddler Wily - a big hit.

Cut-out Cookies, part deux

Christmas is certainly about cookies. Toddler Jeneric was a big help with cutting out cookies and decorating...








until she discovered that those sprinkles were nothing more than sparkly sugar.

Christmas is...

Decorating cookies...


(and stealing a few!)


Santa...
(tracking Santa with the help of Norad)


(leaving cookies for Santa (and carrots for the Reindeer) and getting a thank you note from the big guy himself)


Presents...






And family...




(even the pets)

The family that does Wii Fit together...

can have an extra cookie or three. Happy Christmas!

A 21st century Christmas

We recently Skyped with some grandparents. They asked about our Christmas tree and instead of sending a digital image, we just carried the computer over to the tree. Anyone else reminded of the episode in The Big Bang Theory were Raj is carrying his laptop all over town, talking to his parents?

Our girl, Stretch

Toddler Wily is a bit of an explorer. For the first time ever, we had to gate off our Christmas tree. As you can see, next year, we'll have to think a little more creatively!

Mmm, tasty little gingerbread people

In true holiday tradition, the Wily Jeneric family baked a batch of gingerbread people (as an aside, it is challenging to find a simple cutter for a gingerbread man!). Our recipe came straight from Cook's Illustrated and is quite delicious.

Jeneric didn't want to help with making the dough, but she was ready and willing to help with the cutting out.






Toddler Wily just clowned around!


One little person lost his arms en route to the cookie sheet. Jeneric was nonplussed and explained that this one was just different and perhaps a little shorter than the rest.


The verdict? Outstanding! and, More please!

The Skaters' Waltz

The great thing about toddlers and Christmas is that they don't remember the year before. Toddler Jeneric's favorite Christmas decoration is exactly the same as Toddler Wily and Jeneric's (and Eric's, too): the music box with the skater.




Jeneric so loves the music box that she's working on her own interpretive dance.

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

The tree has been up and lit for over a week and finally - finally! the Wily Jeneric family found time to decorate. As is tradition, the girls put their new ornaments on the tree first: a lion for Jeneric and an elephant for Toddler Wily.

Fluffing the tree

The title about says it all, don't you think?

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Christmas movie season. Yes, we're revisiting this topic since we received so many suggestions (both here and on Facebook). In no particular order, the suggestions:

Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Nightmare Before Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
The Polar Express
Miracle on 34th Street (the original)
Frosty the Snowman
Home Alone
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Mickey's Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol (with Patrick Stewart)
Christmas Eve on Sesame Street
The Toy That Saved Christmas
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas
Elf

Yeah, just a few more than our queue can handle. So let's get a little more input - vote for your 3 favorites on the above list. Number them 1, 2 and 3 where 1 is the movie you must see every year and 3 is a good movie you often see annually. We're going to tip our hand and say that we're saving a few movies for down the road, including 'A Nightmare before Christmas' and 'A Christmas Carol (with Patrick Stewart)'.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

The Christmas movie season! Okay - not quite yet, but it's time to get our Netflix queue in order. Toddler Jeneric has reached the age where she'll sit through most of a movie. It's time to introduce her to a few Christmas classics. So, dear readers, reach back into your memory and tell us: What were your favorite holiday movies growing up? What movies should Toddler Jeneric watch this holiday season? Let us know in the comments!

A green Christmas

Having narrowly escaped an epic storm system, the Wily Jeneric family spent a lovely 10 days in an unseasonably warm Florida.

We started off simple, with a dip in the pool (do note the lovely hair clip Eric is sporting):






And followed that up with a concert and Christmas parade.

Look at all those beads! Are they shiny enough to distract from her pox marks?


More beads, please! and candy, too!


Listening to smooth jazz Christmas carols with Grandma & Grandpa.

We hung some ornaments.




Baked a few (dozen) cookies.

Those cookie cutters make the best animal shapes ever!


Yeah, I convinced Grandpa to share the beater. Yum!

We visited the penguins at the zoo:


Fed a giraffe or two:


And communed with the fishes.


There were presents on Christmas,


And swimming, too!


For Boxing Day, we hit the beach:


Then we hurried home, quick as a snail:

where someone slept as we waited on the tarmac in Fort Wayne, Indiana (an unscheduled stopover on our return flight).

Although the sun and sand are gone, we're keeping our spirits high with our own kind of aquatic fun:


To our friends and family,
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a peaceful New Year!