Joy To The World Pt 2

See that? That is concentration and dedication to a drumstick. The glossy eyes, the running nose. All bets are off. 

 Echo meeting Santa was so darling. She pet his lapel and smiled at him, and he assured us he knew just what she wanted for Christmas. Pro tip: Meeting Santa 2 weeks pre Christmas on a Thursday at 4 means no lines at all!

A trip to Disney with The Hills! It was so nice to go to Disney with our flock of children. Slow paced, lots of snacks, E clutching a fry like it's about to run away from her, and of course her little head on Spaceship Earth, snacking on her bonnet string. The thing is, even if people are totally ok with you going at the pace of a snail, parking the stroller, feeding the baby snack after snack, changing bottoms, taking turns on ride, this whole lifestyle of parenting and family and obligation- even if they are 100% at peace with that, I still feel guilty that we are ruining their time. So going with other people who are also shackled to their beautiful children gives everyone peace of mind.

 So while we loved the Jacksonville Historical Society's Gingerbread Extravaganza, some grinchy volunteers soured our experiance a bit. The actual houses were amazing though!

This version of the old Jax downtown library was my favorite. I still remember going to that branch as a child and watching a movie in the little theatre. It seemed like a wondrous place, and seeing this really reminded me that the smallest things can be magical for children. Going on walks, pretending at parks, participating in story time at the library, watching the train table in the lobby - simple little things can be so much  more to a child and can stick with a person their entire life.

Echo's favorite thing is to giddy-up! Whenever she's happy, which is quite frequently, she's positively bouncing and bubbling over. The teeth. The two bottom teeth.

We said goodbye to our dearest Uncle Joel, Echo's favorite mode of transportation, this month. She looks so grown in the photo in her hodge podge jammies. Little rosebud pout.

Favorite Christmas gift alert! Santa DID know what Echo wanted for Christmas, by way of her Cammie :). No baby Mannings were hurt in the production of this photo. I mean--- look at Ben's muscles, he can take it. Ben and Echo have been the same size ever since he turned 4 months and she turned 9 months :)