Merry Christmas!

This year we decided not to send our Christmas cards. It's sad because I've enjoyed doing them the past couple years. But we plan on sending the "We Have Moved" cards soon anyway. Then I realized that just because we're saving on stamps doesn't mean we can't have a digital Christmas card. So here it is.

The Young Family 2008 Christmas Card:

Christmas is Wonderful!

"Christmas is wonderful!" That's what Eleanor told me today. She's so right. I'm starting to get into the Christmas mood lately. I know, it's about time. It's been tough this year with wanting and trying to get into the new house. But last week I finally came to the realization that it's not going to happen and I'm surprisingly quite fine with it. It's actually is a relief to know where we're going to be and not have to rush to get packed, moved and unpacked.

So, we're getting into the Christmas spirit here at 107 S. Detroit Street. To make up for the fact that we don't have a big tree (yet?!?!?! - maybe this weekend) I got out the 3-foot fake from the basement. It's in Eleanor's room and she loves it! She got so excited about decorating it that while I was stringing on the lights, she decorated her dresser :)

And last night we wrapped a few presents. I've cut back on gift buying this year and feel great about it. The girls will get a couple gifts each but mainly we'll enjoy the holiday by spending time together. The girls are both at an easy-to-please stage and Matt and I both realize the gift giving is best left for the kids. It's really nice! But I digress, we were wrapping gifts last night, Eleanor and I, and Eleanor LOVED it. It was one of the sweetest things. She was singing Jingle Bells and helping with the taping. She kept saying cute things like, "This is fun!" and "Wow, this is going to be the best party!"

My iPod's loaded with our favorite Christmas songs to sing along with and dance to (Eleanor's got some great dance moves). After nap time, we'll make Christmas cookies. And quite possibly see if we can give that last lonely Christmas tree at our local nursery a home. Matt and I have to be the luckiest people in the world. We get to spend the holiday season with two the the most beautiful, happy, and healthy little girls. Christmas is wonderful!

Eleanor the photographer

Eleanor's been playing with our camera for a couple months now. At first she was just hitting buttons and once in a while we'd get a lovely picture of the carpet fibers or her finger with blurry objects in the background. But lately she's really gotten the hang of it. Turning it on and off, getting her subject in the display (not necessarily centered), and taking the pictures. Here's some of her work:

Pinkie Pie

Her favorite subject, Carolyn (and her feet)


See, what did I tell you?

Carolyn (and quite a bit of countertop)

Carolyn again

Cute Carolyn Pics

Carolyn loves to swing, can you tell?

Carolyn lounging on daddy's boots.

Fall Clean-Up

I'm so late on my posting - forgive me, I've been so busy.

The girls and I took charge on the fall clean-up since Matt's been busy siding the new house. Eleanor actually grabbed a rake and tried helping, but as soon as I got a pile swept-up, she decided she liked jumping in the leaves better. And who can blame her.

Eleanor in the leaves with cousins Katie and Joy!

Carolyn was also "helping" by sitting on her blanket and being good. That is until she got a hold of some leaves and I kept having to run over and sweep them out of her mouth.

We raked until it was dark which is 6pm. Matt pulled in and started helping. I ran inside to get dinner going and I heard Matt startup his leafblower. Eleanor asked me where daddy was and I told her he was outside blowing leaves. She looked at me and asked, "Like this?" and rounded her lips and blew out. So literal those kids :)

Happy Halloween!

Saturday was Buchanan's big Halloween/Trick-or-Treat day. After nap time, we ran out to the Riverwalk for Trick-or-Trail. I had never been so I'm walking down this path wondering where all the candy is with Eleanor asking the same. Turns out we were a little too late. But it was a pretty walk anyhow.

I asked Eleanor to put her arms down and tried to get Carolyn not to eat the leaves. You know, looking for that perfect Halloween picture...

All I ended up doing was boring Eleanor and Carolyn kept eating leaves.

So we left the trail and got ready for the real Trick-or-Treat!

Carolyn all set to get some candy. The girl was a trooper, skipping her nap to join in the fun!

As we made our way down to the Police Station, Eleanor shouted "That's my favorite dog!" So we had to get a picture with him.

Eleanor running to the next house!

Eleanor was great. She picked it up quick last year at 1.5, so now that she's 2.5, she's an old pro. And many of the people handing out candy just loved how polite she was. She'd go to each house and say, "Trick or treat", get her candy, then say "thank you!" She doesn't always use her manners, but we're working on it. She made up proud that night!

The biggest blow-up ever! If you look down on the ground, you can see my tiny ladybug and ity-bity chicken.

After an hour of running to the houses, we headed home to hand out our candy. Eleanor handed out all the candy herself and absolutely loved it! I think she thought she was pretty special with all the kids coming up to HER saying trick or treat.

And I know she was by far the smallest (and cutest) candy passer-outer :)

When all the candy was gone, we went inside to check out Eleanor's loot. Carolyn really wanted to check it out!

Biter Biscuits

Now that Carolyn is getting so big, 7 months old now, we've been experimenting a little with her food. Nothing crazy, but she did get her first biter biscuit the other day. I set her in her highchair, put on her bib, handed her one, and thought "this'll keep her busy while I unload the dishwasher".

Boy, did it ever. Just 1.5 minutes later she had it everywhere. Tip to parents, don't give your baby biter biscuits unless you plan on giving them a bath afterwards!

There's a New Puppy in Town (or two)

After my birthday dinner celebration with my dad, Jackie, Hanna and Emma, we went back to the Ohlund residence for cake and ice cream. We had also heard that during their recent trip to the Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, OH they purchased the newest addition to their corgi farm - little Lewie. Eleanor was excited to meet him. Plus Emma claimed to have a surprise for her back at the house.



Once at the house, the girls ran upstairs. As I got Carolyn out of her car seat, I heard them asking Eleanor "Which one do you like better?" What, no they didn't. Did they buy a puppy for Eleanor? I was freaking out. But once upstairs, I saw what they were talking about. Not only did they buy Lewie the corgi, but they also bought Nelson the miniature long-haired Dachshund. They are crazy about their dogs! Eleanor loved them. And they were both very sweet to let Eleanor carry them all around.

Eleanor & Lewie

Eleanor & Nelson (and Fannie and Mabel)

Carving Time

We carve a pumpkin the other night, Eleanor and I while Carolyn napped. Eleanor was happy to watch while I handled the carving knives.
When we were finished, I got a candle and lit him up. Eleanor wanted to know if we could sing him Happy Birthday. (It's that 2-year-old thinking again. Candle = Birthday. Duh) So we gave him a quick birthday shout-out and Eleanor of course had to blow out the candle.

Search for the perfect pumpkin

Last Sunday I took the girls to the pumpkin patch to pick out pumpkins. We had fun finding the perfect pumpkins, petting the farm animals and swinging on the tire swing.

Traditional "The Patch" picture

Eleanor loves the tire swing. If you look behind her, you can see the jealously written all over Carolyn's face.

Eleanor thinks she may have spotted that perfect pumpkin. Carolyn's eyeing the larger pumpkins across the way.

Eleanor lovin' on the goat.

No Stools = No Power

Yesterday I awoke at 5:30am to Carolyn's monitor beeping. The receiving end beeps when the main unit in her room is not sending a signal. We had lost power. Looking outside I knew why. Our backyard looked like a war zone as Matt so eloquently put it.

Trees with leaves + heavy icy snow = fallen branches + power outages

So, we got the candles lit. Matt got ready for work and with no daycare and no heat, I prepared to take the girls to my dad's for the day. When Eleanor woke up, she ate her cereal by candlelight. I asked her if it was fun to eat in the dark. She responded with, "No stools?" After wondering what she was talking about for a second, I remembered that in order for her to turn on the light in her bedroom, I put a little step-stool under the switch. So, to a 2-year-old, if you haven't turned on the lights in the house it must be because you don't have stools to reach the switches. :)

Deb's Wedding

My step-mom's cousin Deb got married on Saturday. We attended the reception - all four of us. We weren't holding our breath that we'd be able to stay long. We just played it by ear.

Carolyn was such a trooper. She was supposed to take her 3rd nap on the way to the reception but chatted the entire drive. She got so tired made obvious by her constant eye-rubbing and red eyes. But she never cried (except when Cousin Linda was holding her and started laughing too loud).

And Eleanor was pumped up by us telling her about how she'd be able to dance at the wedding. That girl loves to dance! Once the music started, there was no getting her off the dance floor. You wouldn't have known it was her first wedding reception the way she picked-up on the chicken dance and hokey-pokey! Even Carolyn in her exhausted state watched Eleanor in awe and just laughed and laughed :)

Eleanor was so excited that her friend Brody would be at the wedding. All day she talked about how she was going to dance with him.

When the music started for the Chicken Dance, Aunt Julie asked Eleanor if she wanted to dance. Of course she did. Julie took her out to the dance floor. I'm embarrassed to say I had my doubts, but Eleanor proved me wrong and quickly had the dance down!

Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah (twist, twist, twist, twist). I told you that girl can dance!

Riverfront Park

Saturday was just a beautiful day. It was close to 80 degrees so I took the girls to the park in Niles. Matt and I took Eleanor once last year and she loved it. So I knew she'd love it even more this year.

As we walked toward the play area, I noticed the leaves changing across the river. The perfect spot to get a picture of the girls.

Eleanor was by far the smallest kid out there. Even the younger kids were bigger. But that doesn't hold her back one bit. That girl has no fear.

Eleanor loves to swing 'super high'. Even Carolyn was able to partake.

I think she like it :)

I know Eleanor did!

Carolyn is 6 Months Already!

Our little baby celebrated her half birthday on Friday. I really can't believe it's been 6 months already since she came into our lives, but then again I don't remember not having her in our lives either. It's a funny thing.

Little facts about Carolyn:

• What Carolyn Loves: Her big sister, playing on the floor, eating
  
• Carolyn's Favorite Food: Everything she's ever tried (peas, squash, sweet potatoes, bananas, apples, peaches, rice cereal, breast milk, etc.)
  
• What Makes Carolyn Giggle: Everything Eleanor does, getting tickled on her belly
  
• Carolyn's Exercises: Rolling over, toe-touches while on her back, arm and leg extensions when excited

Our girls! This captures them so well! Eleanor loves to hug on and get in Carolyn's face. And lately Carolyn's been good at grabbing her (usually her hair) and her tongue always seems to be out when she's happy.

The rest of the pictures may be view at Picture People.

Congrats Abbi & Andre!

One of my IU girlfriends got married Saturday in Indy. Abbi and Andre were married in the Capitol Building which was a very beautiful and unique venue. Cocktail hour and the reception immediately followed at the Artsgarden which is a seven-story glass enclosed structure located above the intersection of Illinois & Washington streets.

The happy couple, Andre & Abbi

Our group, front: Matt, Tara, Kelly, Darren; back: Jan, Michelle S, Michelle K

The girls: Caroline, Michelle K, Michelle S, Tara & Kelly

Matt & I on a much deserved night out away from the new home construction and the girls

If I remember correctly, Matt and/or Darren or both, trying to be funny told Jan, our German friend, that it is US custom to take the large slotted box. If he took it outside, they would meet him. Taking the cash, while giving him all the checks. Looks like Jan got busted :)