Tidbits

Here are a few tidbits of fun we've been up to:

Going to the pool.

Playing hide and seek in the cupboard.

Making graham cracker houses.

Sneaking grapes off the food table at a baby shower.

Trying on Sarah's new Belle slippers (and walking quite well in them, actually).

Christmas

We've had a fun Christmas holiday in South Carolina, with warm weather and lots of family. Clara was overwhelmed by all the Christmas morning excitement, and this is one of the few moments that she was really happy--while feeding Sarah's baby with her new bottle.

Clara enjoyed playing on Tate's new little horse, while Tate pushed around Sarah's shopping cart and Sarah played with Clara's train.

We spent Christmas Eve at Mauri's house, where we had a little program and scattered reindeer food in the yard. Sarah and Clara enjoyed doing that.

Zoo Lights and Gingerbread Houses

Clara made (or was actively involved in making) her first gingerbread house this week. A woman in our ward brought over a gingerbread house kit, which Clara loved. She especially enjoyed eating the gingerbread tree and snowman that are missing from the front yard, and licking the icing off her fingers.

Allison, Clara and I went to Zoo Lights at the Hogle Zoo this week. We went early, so there weren't many people there, which was wonderful. Clara loved seeing all the colorful lights and the animal lights that moved around.

Clara also rode the carousel for the first time; she was excited that we could ride on the animals. I'm sure Allison would feel left out if I didn't include any pictures of her (on her elephant that you can't see).

The Nutcracker

Last night we saw The Nutcracker performed by Ballet West. The ballet is based on the book called "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King," written by E.T.A. Hoffman. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky was commissioned to write the music for the ballet in 1891. The first showing of the ballet was in 1892 in Russia and this production made it's way to Western Europe in the 1930s and to America by 1940. The first full length, American Nutcracker was performed by the San Francisco Ballet.

The performance was great, and the Capitol Theater is a beautiful, old-style theater, which added to the atmosphere. I haven't seen a ballet or heard a live orchestra in a while, and this didn't disappoint. It was so fun to see The Nutcracker and feel the magic of ballet, the costumes, the set, and the beautiful music.

Growing Up

Clara is 19 months old now and is such a joy. She keeps getting more fun and funnier every day. Here are a couple things Clara is doing these days.

Clara:
* is learning about Santa, reindeer, snowmen & Jesus' birthday
* knows most of her "ABB's" (ABC's)
* knows that Dada starts with 'D'; Clara and cat start with 'C'
* is learning her numbers
* loves "riding" her Radio Flyer bicycle around the living room
* enjoys looking at pictures of Jesus and the temple
* likes to fog up the window with her breath and have us write letters in the fog
* loves going to the nursery at church, where she is always happily coloring when we come to get her
* loves to hang upside down
* likes to "say" her prayers