Andersonville Adventures: 3 yrs 11 months

It's hard to believe only 1 month until Josephine turns 4! She just gave up her blankie. In the last week she said she doesn't need her cute green, soft, velvety blankie any more when she goes to sleep. I was a little sad. One night she said, "Mom, you can sleep with blankie tonight. I'm trying to sleep without it." She brought her two blankies in our room and that's that. I guess she's growing up. One night lying in bed with her a few weeks ago she said "I'm going to be with you forever and take care of you. If you die and I'm holding you will I go to heaven with you?"

It's been a month full of activities but not too much. Just the right amount without being overly scheduled. We went in early Dec to see the Velveteen Rabbit put on by the SF ODC dance company at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. It was so well done and so professional compared to what I thought it would be for $15 tix and great seats. When I read about it I didn't realize it was the ODC dance company. We went with cousin Paige and Kelly. Josie and I loved it. It's such a sweet story. Kids and adults were in the production so that was fun to see. In the middle Josie whispered to me that she wished she could be in the performance. After we walked through Yerba Buena gardens and then got a bite to eat the SF Soup company in the Metreon. It was a little hairy getting to SF and getting parking but Josie and I made it in the nick of time. Even though it was general admission we still got great seats.

That evening we met up with Kaira's family for the San Carlos night of lights. The street was blocked off and they had a section of snow; jumpy; music; crafts; etc. At 6pm they turned on the Christmas lights over the street. We had dinner at a nice Italian restaurant just as it was starting to sprinkle (with rain of course).

The next night Rich had his company C'mas party that he invited all his family to. We got dressed up and had a night out in San Mateo at a very nice steak restaurant. Josie and Paige did great considering we were there until after 10. It went a little later then expected. Uncle Bill was there to entertainment the girls. Luckily Josie slept in until 9ish the next morning.

An early C'mas present for my dear friend and colleague Jennifer. Baby Alina arrived on Dec 9 (almost two weeks late). We're all so happy she's here and perfect as can be. I got to cuddle with her when she was 8 days old.

Josie is the happiest it seems when she's playing or working with daddy. Here she's helping him put in our new kitchen window. It's been a long 5 1/2 yr wait for this window.

Fri 12/13 Josie babysat Ashlyn with me. Of course Josie thought she was babysitting. Ashlyn is a cutie and was happy as a clam. At one point she was on my lap in Josie's room as we were all reading a book together and Ashlyn fell asleep. Josie really wanted to sit on my lap and wanted me to put baby Ashlyn to bed. We talked about what it would be like to have a baby sister and she'd have to share mom. I think it made her think twice about wanting a sister. :-) She is not getting a sister by the way.

One of Josie's favorite places. We went to the library a few minutes early for a Christmas sing-along and she hopped on the computer.

Little miss snuggle bunny loves to come in our bed and sleep. She likes to burrow a little hole to snuggle in.

Sat 12/14 we dropped off some Toys for Tots and Santa was there. Josie asked for two things: a pink elephant and La La Loopsy. Never heard of La La Loopsy.

Next we hopped on the BART at the Millbrae station and rode into the city.

We got off and walked to Union Square. There were massive amounts of young people dressed like Santa and his elves. It was a gorgeous day. Josie wanted to wear the sweater Aunt Mil made for the nephews with little Volkswagen buttons.

After walking around and seeing some C'mas windows we hopped back on BART and went one station south and then walked to Davies Symponthy Hall. We saw a great production of Peter and the Wolf with John Lithgow as the narrator. We sat in the front row of the side balcony. The seats were great and it was fantastic. Before the story the youth orchestra played excerpts from the Nutcracker and Josie recognized those songs. Lithgow also told another musical story about going to the symphony next to the zoo. Very cute. We both loved Peter and the Wolf. We've listened many times in the car. Since then I found at the library a dvd of a youth ballet performing Peter and the Wolf. Josie loved it and watched it twice in a row and then we put the music on and acted it out ourselves.

It was so fun to ride BART in and have someone to walk around SF to see all the C'mas sights and then go to the sympathy. Such fond memories of doing stuff like that growing up in Chicago. I was telling Josie we were city girls and she said dad isn't a city boy. We decided he was a country boy. She said she was a city girl and country girl. Dad was happy about that. :-)

City Hall across from Davies Hall before the show and after.

Davies Hall was decorated with tons of trees sponsored but many different organizations like the Boys and Girls club etc. Lucile Packard Children's hosp. decorated theirs with sick teddy bears some needing Oxygen and others with band aids. Josie had fun checking out all the trees. Front row seats in the side balcony were great. Bought the tix the day before. Half price tix for kids.

Fri 12/20 Kaira and Ashlyn both came over. Ashlyn fell asleep right away in her carseat in my room for 2+ hrs. Josie helped Kaira open her C'mas present, a new sleeping bag. The girls keep talking about having a sleep over so now Kaira is ready. Josie has Katie's old one and sleeps in it every night on her bed.

After having a pretend sleepover the girls were ready to decorate the gingerbread house. Adriana across the street had an extra one from her gingerbread party. It came out super cute and the girls had fun.

Then it was dress up and dancing time. They are such cute friends together. Video of them dancing.

The next day Gram and Papa arrived and Karen, Luke, & Katie. Josie has been going to choir practice to get ready for her performance in the church services on 12/22.

Josie's progression on video. Luckily she got past screaming the words "but they said to sing really loud" and she didn't pick her nose during the performance.

Josie did great during the 9am service. The 10:30 service she didn't want to do it. She managed to get up for half the 2nd song and the 3rd song. Sanctuary was jam-packed. She did go back for the 5pm service and it was super casual with not too many people and she did a good job for that one. Gahaus and Grandpa Rich came to watch during that service. She did such a great job memorizing all the songs. Choir practice was fun but a little two long for the young ones.

After the evening service Gram stayed home with Katie and Josie and Eric, Karen & I met up with Luke and my dad who were already at Windy City pizza in San Mateo with a bunch of other Chicago Bears fans. Too bad the Bears got creamed with a capital C but it was fun. When they did manage to score a touch down everyone broke out singing the Bears song. Brought back memories.