Gingerbread Houses

After a weekend with about twelve cancelled plans (slight exaggeration) because of a sick little lady, it was really great to gather as friends for something a little bit Christmasy. Last night we went straight from our santa date to the Troupin/Nixon household for some gingerbread house decorating.

Clara was really into it.

For about twelve seconds. Then she decided it was more fun to play with the frosting and scour the floor for dropped candies. The discarded candy + santa's candy cane probably contributed to the fact that she stayed up later than ever before last night.

The others had a slightly longer attention span. The adults, of course, finished it off. And then we watched Polar Express. For about ten minutes before heading home for Clara's early bed time. She didn't sleep because of her sugar high; we should've stayed.

Despite all this, it was great to gather with friends. We had a lovely evening.

Santa

We went to visit santa today. And Clara actually liked him. She did scream for a few seconds (we missed our photo opp., sadly) and then she was over it. He asked her if she wanted a baby doll. To this she replied "yesss", which is a good thing. Her grammy has one under the tree, ready for the Claranator.

But it wasn't santa that Clara was thrilled to see. It was the stuffed polar bear. I wish we would've known. Taking a picture with the polar bear is free.

Goodnight Moon

This Christmas we decided it was time to get a flip video recorder. We called it a joint gift. Until now we've recorded small bits and pieces of Clara's first 1.5 years of existence via the digital camera. I don't think we'll regret this purchase. It's about time, really.

Our first official video? Clara reading her favorite night time story with daddy. Oh, how her little voice can melt a mama's heart.

The Little Things

One of the most interesting parts of parenting, I think, is watching our child discover what she loves. I know that we can push her towards things, but I swear to you it does absolutely no good unless she has the desire to pursue something herself.

Take throwing balls for example. Wouldn't it be great if she could play catch? We thought so. Of course we've taught her. She can put her hands up and catches the ball quite successfully. She can throw pretty well too. But despite our efforts, she will not do it more than once. She simply is not interested. We have tried, trust me. And then there's elmo, or her bike helmet, or pickles, or her tutu. These are all things we've exposed her to, but becoming slightly obsessed with them? That was all Clara. She certainly has a little personality of her own.

Even when it's surprising - or different than we expected, it is so fun to discover what brings her joy. Here are just a few fun things we've done lately that she's loved...

Spending time with cousin Eeya, of course.

Wearing her bike helmet + tutu + climbing inside her toy chest + being with her cousin. What could be better?

Helping daddy string the Christmas tree lights.

Watching daddy set up the toy train set from his childhood.

Checking out the light display at a park by our house.

Playing with friends at Mobias, especially "Pawker & Giffin" (two of Clara's four boyfriend obsessions, along with Levi & Andrew). And enjoying sweet little Hollyn & Amy too.

Riding the "choo choo tain" at co-op, to the music room (that + snack are Clara's favorite parts, by far!)

And that's what we've been up to lately. The little things. You can't get much better than that.

Picture Time

My dear friend Andi took some Christmas pictures for us this year. We (or rather I) kept going back and forth and back and forth and back and forth about whether we should get professional family pictures taken this year. Let me just say that I am SO happy we did it. I mean, come on. When do you ever regret getting pictures taken? My point exactly. Especially when they turn out at lovely as these. I love the way she captured our family and especially the Claranator. Check out Andi here. She has even more pictures from our little photo shoot on her website. Thank you, Andi. You are amazing!

Give Some Love

Tis the time of year. To grab your cup of hot cocoa and cozy up to the fire. To blast those lovely Christmas tunes. To bake the heavenly goodies and eat way too much (if you're me, at least). To gather with friends and celebrate the season. To buy a hat and change a life.

That's right. It's time to give the gift of love. If you know me, you know I love Krochet Kids. This is obvious because a) my brother-in-law helped start it but more importantly because b) they are doing incredible things in the lives of women in northern Uganda and c) their products are amazing.

If you are struggling because you want/need to give a gift but you want to give your money to a meaningful cause, look no further! Just peruse the above website and make your selection. Or stop by our house where we have eighty hats waiting to be sold at Jono's office and our church. If you order online, just type in "Jonathan.Hook" in order to receive a 15% discount. That's basically the same thing as getting free shipping!

Enjoy choosing your product! Consider yourself warned...it might be challenging to pick just one!

Elmosong

If you want a little glimpse into life at the Hook home these days, just check out the following video. And then imagine a little girl running around the house saying elmosong (all one word, or so it sounds) all day, asking to watch it. We're trying to regulate to just a few times a day, but it takes some serious resolve. It's good to know that of the 21,117, 019 views, we have contributed to about 87 of them.