Daddy's Girls

The whole family woke up together Christmas morning to see what Santa had brought us at the deer camp. He was very good to everyone this year.  Lilli's favorite toy is her baby alive doll, Bella, and I think Katie's is her baby Einstein music bench.  It was so fun to watch the girls with their cousins and very cool to all be together. It was the first time since the Christmas before Lilli was born that all the McCormicks were together Christmas morning. These cousins always have so much fun together.   Everyone but me, Matt, the girls, Yaya and Cap'n had to leave before lunch Christmas Day so Lilli said she was very glad to have a sister now so there's always another kid to play with.  I'm Glad for that too. :) It was a very Merry Christmas! 

We had a nice weekend celebrating Christmas with our Baton Rouge family.  We had two nights of getting together for delicious dinners, cookie decorating and of course present opening.  It's always Matt's favorite trip down there of the year because he and Ryan get to go woodcock hunting every morning.  The birds weren't there yet but that was ok because Matt says he's happy any time he's in the woods with his gun. They did get one! 

Between shopping, Christmas plays and parties, taking the kids to do "festive" things and planning our family get togethers where there will be more than enough to go around, we sometimes take what we have for granted and forget not everyone is as fortunate. A few years ago my aunt started a food pantry though her church.  It has grown to help lots of families are there are a lot of volunteers involved but it all started with her idea and her getting the grants to get it going.  She and my uncle and Dad and Nana all volunteer there several times a week.  This morning we were able to see it in action as we helped pass out 400 turkeys, fruit, potatoes and groceries to make a complete Christmas meal.  It was very moving to see how many people turned up to help and how many families were really in need. And just from the neighborhoods near the church. I felt so thankful to be able to be a part of it and especially for the chance to show my girls what the season is really about. 

We met all the cousins at the mall again yesterday so that we could get a picture with all 4 of them together with Santa.  Lilli and Austin are at the ages where it takes them a few hours to warm up to each other to play nice each time they get together.  By the end they are very sweet but when they first saw each other yesterday I had to ask Santa to remind them that he's watching and they needed to share. :) You would never know it from this  Love these kids! 

We went to a birthday party for Jesus at First Friends this morning. It started with the preschoolers singing Christmas carols in the sanctuary  And that was followed by cake in their classrooms.  Each kid got a new book as a present from the school and they each had a present to give the moms and dads too, an ornament with their handprint. It was very cute and we're so fortunate that we are able to be at all of these performances.  I realized as I was writing this that I never posted about her Thanksgiving program.  It was also the preschoolers singing a few songs that was followed by a potluck lunch. Lilli was a pilgrim I'd told her to smile big :)   

The girls and I met Yaya at Mall St. Vincent this morning to continue our tradition of meeting for pictures with Santa and lunch at Piccadilly.  I can't believe we have been doing this for 4 years.  Katie did much better than Lilli did her first year.  It probably helps that her sister was sitting right next to her. We got a few smiles but she mostly looked confused and wanted to play with his beard and buttons. . When Santa asked Lilli what she wanted for Christmas her reply was "ugh, I just came here to take a picture." Haha. She did finally open up a little and tell him what she wanted (a baby alive doll) and what Coco, the elf, has been up to.  I love that this has become a tradition and that my girls will remember doing this with their Mom and Yaya forever.  Here's a look back at the last few years:   2010 2011 2012  

Tiffany had a Christmas party for some of Aubrey's friends yesterday afternoon.  There were 5 little girls. 4 of them all go to church together and also Ella, from dance was there.  They had fun decorating cookies  Emily, Carrigan, Aubrey, Lilli and Ella They also decorated Christmas trees and ornaments that the got to take home.  No Christmas party for 3 year olds would be complete without a gift exchange. They were all really sweet passing out the gift they brought to the person that drew their name and thanking each other.  Lilli got 3 new puzzles and a Cinderella ornament so she was very happy!  They all had time to play too which went well most of the time.  Between this party and Pancakes with Santa yesterday I feel like we had a great start to our Christmas season this weekend. 

Lilli, Katie and I braved the cold this morning for a trip to the Jubliee Zoo for pancakes with Santa.  Despite it never getting over 30 degrees, it was a great morning. We had reindeer pancakes while waiting on Santa  Then Santa showed up and each kid had a chance to take a picture and visit with him.  It was nice because there were only about 10 kids so they got to spend as much time as they wanted talking to him.  After that everyone was ready to warm up so we headed inside where they each got to choose their own "friend" to stuff.  Cassie, Dillon, Lily and Luke met us there too. Lilli and Lily both chose reindeer for Christmas.  We also got to do the things we do on a normal trip to the zoo like giving baby deer bottles, feeding the goats and sheep and taking a hay ride to see the big animals. They have horses, cows, a camel and a zebra.  Of course my phone died at the start of it so I didn't get any pictures of Katie laughing during this.  She had never seen big anim