That's a funny hat, Eloise

Upon first meeting E, everyone comments on how serious she is, and asks if she's always like that. We always reply, "Yes." because she is, when we're not at home. At home she's a big goofball. She will do anything for a laugh and if she gets one, she won't stop. She's a troublemaker too, storming into Max's room while we're trying to get him to sleep, running away from a diaper change while belly-laughing and hitting Max with whatever's available when we aren't looking. Her biggest laughs always come from putting something on her head, and waiting for us to say... "That's a funny hat, Eloise", and she waits there with the biggest, most mischievous smile. When we do say it, she busts out laughing and then does it again, and again. So, here are a few of the "hats" and costumes Ellie has put together in order to get us laughing, she may have a future in comedy.

Wearing someone else's unders gets the biggest laughs

look at that smirk!

Silly Boop.

Bookworms

We're big readers around here, novels, magazines, comic books, newspapers, the whole nine. It's one hobby we can all enjoy separately or as a family, especially when Matt reads and does the voices. They're pretty spectacular. It's how we spend lazy afternoons, early mornings, and the hour between bath and bedtime.

Max mostly "reads" on the iPad, and has all his favorite books memorized, which he now reads to E. If we haven't seen them in a while it's because they've raided the bookshelves, not because they're shaving the cat or lighting the couch ablaze. We won the lottery in the kid department. E has even started choosing which books she was us to read at bedtime, which is just. the. cutest.

Luckily for us, we have a house full of books, a million (maybe not even an exaggeration?) on the e-reader and a library at the top of the street, happy babies, happy household! I snapped these pictures a few mornings ago, which is why the littles are still in their pjs, this is what they were doing while I was making them breakfast. Usually when you have little ones, and it's quiet, you should be worried, but not this time. They can keep you on your toes sometimes, in the best way possible.

O Christmas Tree

We put our Christmas tree up already, we're now those people. I also have all of my shopping finished, Christmas cards addressed and started some wrapping. I am on. the. ball. this year. Yes!

I grew up with fake trees every year, my mother was convinced I was allergic to Christmas trees, so we had a phoney one. Matt's family had a real tree, dragged from the woods behind their house. Luxury. So, our first Christmas together, we had this teeny little apartment and a four foot, fake tree. We used the same tree the next year. Jump to two years later, with a baby and a new place, we got a real one. A big, glorious, bushy, REAL tree! Oh man, I had no idea, they are a game changer. It was the most beautiful tree I'd even laid eyes on. We went to a cute little Christmas tree farm and the old men that worked there must've been elves because they picked it out and they did good.

Then, we moved again. To a new city, into an apartment building that didn't allow real trees. So we put up old faithful (the four footer) and my Mom gave us hers, a six foot, relic from my childhood. It felt wrong to go back after that one magical year with a real, live tree. This one was sparse and old and looked like a poser. So, this year we got a new one. It's pre-lit (hurrah) and seven and a half feet. Definitely an upgrade from last year, but still not quite right.

Anyway, once we bought it the kids immediately wanted it up, hence why it's up in November. Matt worked in the city for a few days this rotation, it was like heaven, let me to you. The littles and I put the tree up while he was at work one day, and impatiently waited for him to get home to decorate it. It's a bit top heavy since E is into everything. We never had that problem with Max, he knows he's allowed to touch the decorations with one finger. That's it. Ellie doesn't follow rules though, so no ornaments on the bottom half it is!

Best part of Christmas, for me, is the tree (and the food). Here's our tree...isn't she majestic?

More pictures, after the jump...