THREE!!!

After last year's low-key event we decided to throw Nora a little party this year.  Many of her friends are back home in the States for the Christmas break.  And it's a good thing!  How would we have managed many more??!?

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A bit of food, a few balloons, a mountain of cupcakes 

and a roomful of totally crazy toddlers makes for a rockin' party!

All attempts at a group shot of the kiddos were thwarted despite much coaxing from kind parents.  

The kids in the photos below were the cooperative ones!!  : )

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday dear Nora!

Happy Birthday to you!

Turns out everyone just wanted cake.  Duh!

Happy Birthday sweet silly girl!  We love you SO!!!

Funny side note:  We sing a song with Nora before she goes to bed each night.  For her birthday she wanted us to sing her 'Happy Birthday' which we were happy to do but on a whim we decided to teach her the version about smelling like a monkey and looking like one too.  It was the first time she had heard it and she thought it was very silly.  You should know that Nora is getting very excited to meet her little brother.  After we leave her room at night she often sings songs or talks to her stuffed animals and dolls and we hear her telling them things (in a very grown-up, matter-of-fact sort of voice) that we have been talking to her about throughout the day.  Lately that often includes things about what it will be like to have a little brother.  But on her birthday we hear this to the tune of 'Happy Birthday'...

"Little bru-u-u-ther,

Little bru-u-u-ther,

Little brother smells like a monkey,

Little bru-u-u-ther!"  

Oh boy.

Christmas Goings-on

There has been a lot going on here in the Edsall household. Deanna is officially done with work (and ever-growing.)  Soon our newest addition will join us…but hopefully not too soon. There are, of course, lots of Christmas goings-on about which Nora has been very excited. Last weekend we took a trip to a palace to visit Father Christmas (I know…it should be Santa Claus) and yesterday we visited Oxford Castle for a Christmas market, complete with carousel and pony rides. The pictures describe it better than my words could.

Nora on the bus to the palace. She's not excited at all.

Here is part of Blenheim Palace on a beautifully cloudy (but very cold!) day. 

We took a little novelty train from the palace to the pleasure garden which boasts the world's second largest hedge maze.  Here's a small part of it.

Nora the red-nosed toddler.

Priceless. Nora was super pumped.  When Santa asked her what she wanted for Christmas she answered, "A baby brother."  Santa was obviously unsure how to respond but I reassured him that we were working on it.  He seemed rather relieved.

A little family photo.

She can be such a cheeseball!

Here is Nora at the Christmas Market riding the fastest carousel I have ever seen.

Nora on Bo-Bo. (Deanna may have been as excited as Nora.)

Riding a pony at Oxford Castle.  She loved it!

Saying good bye to her new friend.

And here are a few more classics for you to enjoy.

Classic bubble-hat.

Nora, comparing her belly to Deanna's a couple of weeks ago. According to Nora, there's a little
girl in her tummy.  We randomly hear, "Ow!" throughout the day.  Which is most often followed by, "My little girl kicked me again!  She's so wiggly!"