Happy 5th Birthday to Margot!

The craziness of the holiday season continued with Margot's 5th birthday on December 28. We just had a small celebration at home with me, Brodie, and Margot because her big birthday party is next weekend. We ate some cake (chocolate, with chocolate frosting), opened some presents (a scooter from me and Brodie was her big present), and spent the day doing things that are fun for Margot. We went to the candy store and let her compile a bag of candy from the loose candy bins. She went to tap dancing camp for a few hours in the afternoon with her friend Emma (now she wants to take tap in addition to her weekly ballet class). Brodie made pancakes for breakfast (still a favorite for Margot). I made Margot's specially requested dinner: broiled salmon, green beans, and latkes. Latkes! She actually asked me to make latkes! I'd never made them before, but I pulled the recipe from the Gourmet cookbook and they were delicious!

Happy birthday Margot!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! This was the first year we didn't travel for Christmas and it was wonderful having the family come to see us. Margot slept in until 8:30 on Christmas morning; this was the first year we didn't wake HER up. It's been a whirlwind of family and meals and visits and more, but I'll be slightly sad when the excitement dies down (I'll also be slightly relieved).

Merry Christmas to all!

(I like this photo because it captures Margot's astonishment at having received two of her most requested items from Santa - a sandbox and a make-up kit.)

Visit to Santa

On Sunday afternoon, Margot went to the movies with me, a few of her classmates, and their moms. (We saw The Princess and the Frog.) On the way up to the theater, I noticed a "Santa throne" in the mall below (a very small mall, so I was happy there wouldn't be a line). After the movie, I saw Santa was sitting in his chair, and so I took Margot downstairs to see Santa.

It turns out that this Santa was a 'signing' Santa (yes, that's right, 'signing' and not 'singing.') He was deaf, and was supported by an organization for the hearing impaired. He spoke not a word to Margot, but his elf asked Margot questions - which she answered - and then the elf signed to Santa. Santa signed back, and the elf translated.

Margot didn't notice anything amiss and asked no questions about it. She was just happy that she got in her three Santa requests: a wooden castle, "a make-up kit for kids," and a small sandbox.

Snowy Fun with Aunt Teal

Teal came to babysit Margot yesterday since I had to work. She and Margot tubed in the backyard - narrowly missing the iron sculptures left behind from the previous owners - and built this lovely snowman.

And here's the snowfall photo...

December 19, 2009. 20 inches of snow.

A month in review

Here is a quick catch-up post. In the past month, Margot has:

Celebrated Thanksgiving with her cousins Declan and Madeleine (here she is with Brodie that day)


Enjoyed the first snow of the winter 2009-2010 season


Selected her Christmas tree (yes, that's snow in her hair - two years in a row that it snowed on the day we got our tree!)


Posed for tree shots with Portia


Celebrated her fifth birthday at school (since she is the only December birthday in her class, she got the celebration all to herself)

Witnessed a 20-inch snowfall in DC (something she probably won't see for another 5-10 years)