A Great Studying Helper

Here's December helping Daddy study Hebrew flashcards.

Here's December distracting Daddy from studying Hebrew flashcards

December ringing the Christmas bell we have hanging on our doorknob...only she likes to rip it off the door and ring it by herself

Spying on our neighbor, who has just arrived home

December is getting more insistent when she wants something. Lately if she wants you to do something, like put in a Baby Einstein movie, she'll get the movie, bring it to you, then grab your hand and pull you toward the dvd player. For the past couple of months, we have been trying to get December to sit with us during church. We begin the service with her seated between us, and we make her last for as long as we can, and then we take her to nursery when she starts yelling out loud for the fun of it and scrambling under the pews. Yesterday, though, even before the service started, she took my hand and started pulling me toward the direction of the nursery, saying "Djo! Djo!" (which means, "Toys! Toys!"). She really wanted to go play in the nursery! What happened to my little girl who would scream and fake-cry when Brad and I picked her up from her nursery time, as though punishing us for abandoning her there?!?

Brad has three exams this week -- the first one starting tomorrow. He says his ones on Wednesday and Thursday will be his hardest ones, one of which is Hebrew. As soon as he gets home from his one on Thursday (around supper time), we leave for our looong trek toward the colder places. :)

Playing a Christmas Song

For the past few days, December has really loved to sit and play at the piano.

Here she is trying to play, "What Child Is This?"

We watched Samuel again today while his parents went for a dentist appointment...the babies wanted to dance (again, December wanted this more than Samuel), so it was pretty cute. There wasn't even any music playing this time! December has really been into Ring Around the Rosie since Mom taught it to her, so I think that's what she's trying to do with Samuel here.

Tonight one of the seminary couples in our apartment complex is having a Christmas party, so we're going to go to that, which will be fun!

Big Shoes to Fill

December has liked putting on our shoes lately and trying to walk around in them.

Doesn't it look like she's got skis on her feet? Here Brad is helping her walk.

This picture was taken a couple of days ago, when she went and found two of my shoes (two different ones) and strolled around the apartment, playing happily. They'd often fall off, and she'd respond, "Uh-oh!" then go back and slip the shoe back on -- and continue on her way.

December napping yesterday. I don't get many of these shots because I don't dare sneak into December's room while she's sleeping, in case I wake her up. But yesterday, we had a shopping date with Naomi and Noah, so I needed to wake her to go pick them up...so I decided to get a quick picture of the sleeping December.

I got out December's hat that she got from her Uncle Jeff and Auntie Erin in preparation for packing, and she wanted to put it on herself (this says alot about how much she likes the hat -- usually she wants nothing on her head).

Brad finished his second exam this morning -- YAY! Only three more left to go. I've been having fun working on Christmas presents, and December's been having fun doing whatever it is she finds to do...currently that is pushing her bear around in a stroller on the front deck.

The Doll Needs a Snack

December is a born Mommy. Whenever her friends come over to play, she is constantly making sure they take drinks out of their sippy cups, or she is hand-feeding them snacks, or getting them their blankets, etc. The following is something I hear every day, coming from December as she plays: "Baby? Bayyy-beee?? Ohhh, dere baby! Baby, dee? Dee. Boh, baby. Bohhh. Dere baby. Cuh?? Baby cuh? Cuh. Nana. Baby -- nana." (translation: "Baby? Where's the baby? Ohh, there's baby! Baby, eat? Eat. *brings doll to high chair and gives a great lift, setting her in...pushes the chair in closely to the table* Bowl, baby. [she calls plates "bowls"]. Bowl. *sets the plate in front of the doll* There, baby. Cup? Where's baby's cup? There's cup! *sets the cup by the plate* Baby -- banana.") It's pretty fun to watch her flutter around her doll, getting everything the doll needs to have a proper snack.

Here is December having a real conversation on the phone with Justyne -- she just sat and talked on and on to Justyne! I was so shocked that she was doing that! Usually, she runs away from the phone and giggles while I try to chase her down and hold the phone to her ear.

Getting out all of the toys and deciding to play with Barbie.

Noah and December playing together at Noah's house. Matthew and Naomi had invited us over for dinner on Friday, and the kids like playing together...

Well, they usually like playing together, anyway. This was taken just before December hit Noah in the face with her feet, and his lip started to bleed :(

December posing for the picture. It was the weirdest thing -- I bent down to take the picture, and December looked at me, and then struck up this pose. Silly girl!

Brad's into his Reading Days now, and he's reading behind me right now as I type! His first exam is on Thursday, and it's his Greek one. The weather here has been chillier than usual, and this morning we turned on our heater for the first time. When we woke up, it was 60 degrees inside our apartment (15 degrees C), and December's hands were little blocks of ice, so we turned it on for a little bit. BUT the nice thing is that it has warmed up with the sun shining, so right now, outside it is 70 degrees -- much preferable!