December Daily: Dec 8, 9

I've got no photos for Thurs Dec 8.  I had a busy day at work, and then a certification exam (well, 1/5 of a certification) on Thursday afternoon that I just barely passed.  I'd been keeping up with the class, but knew that whenever I took the exam in December, I wasn't going to have enough time to study.  December's just like that.  So I got it over with, and got home a little early... which was nice, because my parents got here on Thursday!  I've been missing them a lot lately... perhaps finally starting to understand all that they went through to raise us... and looking for some commiseration.

So they got here on Thursday and the girls were all excited.  They were playing outside when I got home.  We had dinner and just did the usual stuff.  I may use a Trader Joe's candy cane Joe Joes box for Dec 8, or I may use a picture from dinner on Friday...

My parents kept the girls on Friday Dec 9, and then we all went out for "bah beh cute" for dinner.

J checking out pictures with Papa

R impressing Gramma with her white bread mustache.  Almost as classy as the pig in the corner, which I have been informed is the "mommy pig."  Best BBQ around.

Then we went on a "'venture" to a small town that has a holiday festival every year.  I had read about a "holiday train spectacular" in the newspaper, but it didn't really explain what it was.  Didn't quite know what to expect, but my train lovers were thrilled...  A store set up with a bunch of different model trains.

"So.  Hard.  Not.  To.  Touch."

E with Papa 

We checked out some of the rest of the festival, too.  There was a Victorian crafts thing in the town museum where the girls "made" a cornucopia to hang on the Christmas tree.  Of course, they don't want to hang them on the tree.  Actually, now that they've eaten the candy out of them, they've pretty much forgotten about them.

We went to see the "ice" rink, which is really just plastic.

You can see Julie's cornucopia.  And skepticism.

We watched for a few minutes, and I didn't think the really got it.  But apparently, while home with my parents this week, Julie and Emma have been standing in buckets in the kitchen and "skating" around.  I really do admire their creativity.

Loving this one of Gramma and Julie that night, too.