Holiday fun!

We had a really wonderful holiday season with Katie. While she wasn't quite sure what Christmas was all about, she had fun playing with her Little People nativity and trying to squeeze as many animals and people inside the barn as possible. (It's cold out there!)

She also learned that Santa says "Ho, ho, ho!" and she loved the lights on the Christmas tree. Every morning she asked us to turn them on, then said "Oooooh!" She was very good about leaving the ornaments alone for the first few weeks, but later they were too big a temptation to resist. She also helped Sri put the angel on the top.

We kicked off the season with luminary night in our neighborhood, the highlight of which is a carriage ride through the streets to see all the lights. Katie neighed at the horses, "bow-wowed" at the driver's dog who was riding along and had a great time.

We also celebrated the season's first major snow by building a snowgirl. Well, Sriyesh did most of the building while Katie cheered about the snow and gave instructions. (See the video in the last post for more fun.)

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at home in Bryn Mawr this year so that Santa would be sure to know where to find us. He did an excellent job, bringing Katie exactly what she wanted -- an Elmo chair. Katie has been introduced to the character in her new class and we're told she spent most of her first weeks in the class sitting in an Elmo chair there. She loves to chant, "Elmo chair! Elmo chair!" anytime it's within view.

Later, Katie played with the dreidel she made at daycare while decked out in her Christmas finest. (We've always been an interfaith family... if only Sriyesh and I knew more words to the song than, "Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel...")

Christmas night, we headed out on the long drive down to NC while Katie and Betsy (and sometimes Anne) slept in the back. Thatha, Achi and Priyesh were waiting for us with a magical house full of lights and more great presents, including another Elmo (she gives him a kiss in the photo below), a fabulous kitchen and the best raincoat ever. Katie refused to take it off for several hours.

Santa also came to visit on the 27th on his way back to the North Pole to spend some quality time and deliver one last gift for Katie and some family friends.

We made time for a couple of basketball games during our swing through NC; Katie was enchanted with the band and the Ram (although she kept mooing at him) and enjoyed wearing Daddy's trademark blue hair.

Finally, we picked up Anne's mom and headed to Shelby to celebrate the new year with that side of the family. Katie was reunited with her cousins and their dogs Allie and Binkie and had a great time running around Darwa's house -- after opening MORE presents, of course.

All in all, a wonderful second Christmas filled with fun for Katie and our family.

Please check back soon for more photos in this album:

Christmas 2009