SANTA

We visited Santa at Fidelity Bank in Dyersville this morning. Santa always has candy and goodie bags waiting for all the kids club members. Kelly LOVED it.....of course.....as she has been waiting to give her list to Santa for awhile now. Molly cried! After sitting on Santa's lap, the bank has cookies, milk, and juice for everyone. Molly enjoyed her cookie and a carton of milk while we were talking to some friends. On her own, Molly says....."thank you Santa CANDY!" I think she liked Santa after she had candy, a cookie, and carton of milk in her hands!

Kelly and SANTA!

Molly's 5 seconds she was with SANTA!

Trying to have Kelly hold Molly to get a picture with both girls and Santa....Molly still didn't know what to think!

Both girls showing off there candy cane filled with CANDY!

25 Days of Christmas - Day 9

We have been celebrating the 25 days of Christmas in the Snyder house.....and Kelly has been REALLY excited about it! My college roommate (Molly Hoover) made us Christmas presents every year while we were in college. Molly was always very creative.....and still is! :) This felt tree was one of those presents and it has been hung up every year since I received it.....apartments in Dubuque and West Des Moines....and of course our house in Dyersville. Kelly LOVES it and wants to put the ornament on the tree every morning. Here she is putting day 9 on the tree this morning before school. She is dressed and ready to school.....but she couldn't wait to get her hair brushed to put the ornament on the tree.

Holiday family tradition....year 2

Last year we watched POLAR EXPRESS with Kelly and she loved it! Grandma Peggy gave her a bell on a pretty ribbon necklace and she still wears it at times. Grandma also had the book (as Kelly borrowed it last year and never returned it) and we have read it at least 50 times over the past year. Kelly knows the story by heart! Well, Polar Express was on ABC Family this weekend and Brian taped it.....both of us knowing we would have a family movie night....and include Molly this year! Tonight was the night. We were finished eating by 6pm and started the movie. Both girls sat and watched the entire movie---non-stop! (and we still had Kelly & Molly asleep in bed by 8:15pm) This will definately be a family holiday tradition for many years to come. Here are the girls favorite quotes from the evening.....

KELLY - "I wish I could ride a train to see Santa and the Elves at the North Pole!"

MOLLY - "GO SANTA" -- as he is flying away after the first gift of Christmas is given!

So, as I was laying with Kelly in bed tonight she says to me.....

"Mommy....I really hope Santa brings me a bell this year....wrapped up in a pretty box....but not one on a necklace.....just a pretty one that I can hold like the little boy. I REALLY hope you and Daddy can hear it too! Do you think Santa will bring it to me?"

PLAYDATE after school

Kelly and Sophia have been friends for over two years now. Sophia comes to our house every morning before school and they get to walk into school together.....they LOVE IT! Sophia gets to our house in the morning and has between 15-30 minutes to play before we need to get out the door. Most days.....the girls are just getting into playing something, and I tell them it's time to go! Yes, they do get to be together in the same class from 8am-3pm....but sometimes you just have to have a playdate at home.....where you can play longer. Today was the lucky day! Molly and I picked up the girls at 3pm and headed right home. By 3:10pm, Sophia and Kelly were all excited to play.....for 2 hours! We started with decorating sugar cookies (that I had already baked)...and they got to eat one of them for their snack too. Then it was craft time! This consumed at least an hour....as they were having so much fun! Then it was time for a dance party.....and of course a playdate wouldn't be perfect in Kelly's eyes if they didn't get to dress up and be a princess! Both girls had a great time.....as did Molly....as she got to participate in everything but the dressing up like a princess!

Best friends decorating sugar cookies together!

Kelly concentrating

Sophia working on a cookie to take home!

Molly started off with the right idea.....

...but it quickly turned into this.....

....and then sampling the M&M's.....

...and finished something like this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Craft time! All three girls loved all the foamie stuff, stickers, glue, markers, etc.

Two four year olds who love craft time!

Kelly is having so much fun having Sophia over to our house!

DANCE PARTY in Kelly's room!

Two princess by the pink christmas tree!

So peaceful

Molly and I have been out and about two days in a row......

**Yesterday due to her 2 year old doctor appointment and we ran a lot of errands.

**Today because we had to go back into Dubuque to get her glasses fixed, and we ran some more errands.

It has been REALLY cold outside! Molly enjoys her time with Mommy....and is a pretty good little shopper! We got back home today just in time for lunch. Molly ate (if you count yogurt and a banana lunch)....and while I was cleaning up and checking my computer.....I came out to find a peaceful little girl snuggled up, asleep in the chair. If you look closely, you will see she even set her glasses on the table!!!! YEAH MOLLY! We have been working with her to set them on tables.....verses the floor, hidden in toys, throwing, etc.

Sleeping kids are soooooo peaceful!

My TALL little girl

Molly had her two year doctor well-check exam today. Everything looked good....we just need to start a multi-vitamin with her....as she isn't the greatest eater in the world. Here is how she measures.....with Kelly's 2 year measurements too!

MOLLY ANN -

HEIGHT - 36 1/4 inches - 98%

WEIGHT - 28.2 pounds - 70%

HEAD - 47 1/2 cm - 70%

KELLY MARIE -

HEIGHT - 35 inches - 60%

WEIGHT - 30.4 pounds - 95%

HEAD - 47 3/4 cm - 75%

5:47am - "Mommy, Daddy, St. Nick came!"

Yes, that is what Brian and I woke up to this morning! Kelly has been waiting, and waiting for all the FUN Christmas and the holidays bring! She knew Molly was having a birthday first....and then we could get out all of our Christmas decorations, our tree, St. Nick would come, we could go visit Santa, make Christmas cookies, etc. Sure enough, St. Nick visited our house last night...right on schedule.

Sidenote.....Kelly watched a movie at school this morning about St. Nicholas and how he became a Saint and how generous and Christianlike he was. As I volunteer at her school on Mondays...I came in at the end of the movie....when her teacher started talking about it. The kids seemed to REALLY get the meaning of St. Nick after the cartoon type movie. Kelly said to me afterwords, "Mommy, I want to give presents and do nice things to people to make them smile like St. Nick does!"

Here is Miss Kelly.....wanting her picture taken before 6am!!!!!!

Kelly with her new Princess stick-on earrings and rings.

Kelly showing off all her stuff......St. Nick LOVES the Dollar Tree!

Molly woke up at a more reasonable time (7:15am)....and Kelly was pushing her to open up her filled stocking of things.....Molly was excited (as you can see on her face)...but big sister Kelly took the stuff off the window faster than Molly could even blink!

Kelly helping Molly open her stocking.

Molly holding her Elmo fizzy bath tablets!

Molly thinks St. Nick is fun too!