The Malones: Mondays with Crosby and Jane Claire

At 11:24 am, Crosby Fox turned 3 years and 51 weeks old!!! At 1:03 pm, Jane Claire turned 38 weeks old!!! I am NOT liking these numbers. One more week until Crosby's first number changes to a larger one. And Jane Claire is getting awfully close to dropping the weeks and moving to "year". Oh heavenly day...

On Wednesday, we attempted a playgroup gathering to make Christmas cookies. Of course, the girls were much better at sitting and participating. The boys were too busy playing to stop and decorate! At least that was the case with Cros. That was until it was time to clean up! Then he was ready to partake in the activity!! Of course. I think he managed to ice 3, put sprinkles on one and then promptly eat it! I can't say that I blame him. He gets it honesty!! Would you just look at this crew...

They are all getting so big!! And then we add the little ones in the mix...

What a special group of friends. Kara was able to gt a sweet one of the boys before they took off again. Crosby, Lucas and Dean...

Katie dropped Harper off at the very end of the party while she had her hair cut. So I loaded up the gang and headed to their house next for a bit. Lots of cousin loving that day! But it didn't end there!! We celebrated Christmas with the Lipscomb crew that evening. So we headed to Columbia when Katie got home. Let the Christmas festivities begin!!!!

Sweet, sweet cousins...

And to think Cosby was the only one there last year!!!

In some ways it seems like these girls have always been a part of the mix! It is hard to believe they were tucked away safely in our bellies this time last year. So precious...

I wanted to take a picture of the spread. I found a picture of a beverage that I did NOT take. Pretty sure that was my smarty pants brother!!! ;-)

Of course Crosby couldn't wait to finish dinner and get to presents. He was pretty proud of his new car...

Jane Claire loved her baby doll!!

And then the Toy Story theme started. Talk about one happy kid...

Harper getting her baby doll...

Mom looking pretty serious about opening her gift...

Dad showing off his unwrapped present. He was totally shocked. For the record, I had planned to get a gift bag. Never shop for Christmas bags with your spouse. Mine suggested we just stick this in a garbage bag and tie a bow around the top! "Like he will care." That may be true but I wanted that bag. Had Dad not unpacked my car without my knowledge, hence finding his unwrapped gift, it would have been IN a bag...

Anyway... ;-) Crosby was thrilled with his Lego Toy Story set...

Me with a much needed new pair of pants...

Dad with a lap full of stuff looking pretty happy...

Blake got a few new pieces to add to his wardrobe. He was quite pleased himself!

Jane Claire was more interested in climbing on boxes!

Good thing Justin was there to catch her when she fell off!!!

After we opened gifts, we had cousin bath time! Yes, all 3 were in there are the same time. You can see Crosby kissing on Jane Claire's head. Which he does all day long...

The girls had their first tea party afterwards! ;-)

Our family picture. And of course I had the weird red eye thing still going on...

Pop and Gee Gee with Crosby and Jane Claire...

Pop and Gee Gee with Harper...

We had a great night hanging out with the family! Of course it had to come to an end due to bedtimes and having school the next day. I am not sure why I suggested celebrating on Wednesday night when Crosby had his school Christmas program the next morning at 9:15!!! Yikes!! Thank goodness my kids are pretty flexible. To make life a little more hectic, it was POURING down rain by the time we arrived at the church. Luckily we all made it on time and managed to dry off! Crosby looked so cute standing on the stage. He scanned the crowd until he spotted us. I caught him waving, which was pretty adorable...

I caught Charlotte mid wave too!!

All the little ones on the stage. They could not be any cuter rocking baby Jesus...

Jane Claire loved watching the big kids...

She even started dancing! Good thing we go to Otter Creek... ;-)

Jane Claire and Lulu...

Me and Crosby. I had a hard time getting him away from his snowman donut!! Clearly I didn't! And, yes, the red eye was still in full force. Lovely...

Pop and Jane Claire...

Santa made an appearance in each classroom. I am pretty sure Crosby changed up his wish list this very moment!!! He started asking for "Big Buzz"!!! You gotta give Santa a little heads up boy!! At least it would be received the day after and not by Santa...

Sweet little friends. Crosby and Addy adore each other...

She made a few requests of Santa herself...

Crosby's whole class with Santa. Sweet kiddos...

Crosby and Mrs. Fisher...

On Saturday, we participated in the Leiper's Fork Christmas parade. Animalia had a float so we took the whole family out to participate...

Me and my babies...

Sweet, sweet Nugs has been having a few health issues. We really wanted him to be a part of the parade this year...

One of the employees dressed in a dog costume for the occasion. Crosby was very excited to wear the mask himself!!!

Today is CHRISTMAS EVE!!!! We decided to bake cookies to give to the garbage men and Mrs. Linda, our mail lady. Crosby has always love garbage trunks. His love has increased since, you know, Toy Story 3 came into his life!!

We headed out to Animalia because Aubrey and Michele had a special Christmas gift for Crosby...

Aubrey heard about Crosby's love for instruments. Aubrey has a love for instruments too!! They gave Crosby his very first REAL instrument!!! A ukulele...

Crosby will have an awesome teacher in Mr. Aubrey...

Maybe he can join him on stage one of these years!! ;-)

We wrapped up the day in Christmas Pjs, of course!!! It is CHRISTMAS EVE afterall!!!

Christmas is so magical with these two little ones in our lives...

It makes the Jesus story all the more real to me...

To imagine Mary and Joseph traveling until they could go no more. The time had come. He would be born in the lowliest of places...

They would meet their son and feel a love they had never known before. And to think that he was THE SON. The ultimate Christmas gift. We are so very blessed by the gifts we have been given...