I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'LL BE SNOW...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

LOVE, Brad, Bridget, Finley, & Reagan (& Santa)

Every time we ask Finley if she's been a good girl this year she tells us "no." Also, she calls Santa "Santahn" veeeeery close sounding to "Satan." Hmmmm. Between that and this photographic evidence it's easy to tell who's getting coal. I was a little nervous that Reagan would be upset but she was pretty much all smiles - she usually loves watching me make a fool of myself. Finley on the other hand had this exact look in every picture. She wasn't afraid of him she was just acting super grumpy. Oh well. I guess it makes for a funnier picture. Buck up kid! This guy brings you FREE candy and presents! He's kind of a big deal.

FINNERS AT TWO AND A HALF

Here is a little bit of what Finley has been up to. 

She still takes a bath every night. With lots of bubbles.

We cut out naps a few months ago, but she only recently got fully adjusted to a non-nap schedule. Occasionally she's just had too much fun and falls asleep in random places for a bit. The upside to no naps? She now goes to bed at 7:30 and wakes up at 8:00 or so the next morning. That makes me a happy mama! Now if only Reagan could follow suit.

Finley loves sitting in Reagan's things - which to be fair used to be her things so I can see how it's confusing. But a few weeks ago I found her sitting in Reagan's bouncer while Reagan was in it - Reagan was none too pleased. Plus she was forcing a binky in her mouth which is not how you go about making Reagan happy. (Notice Finley in a diaper. This was pre-potty training. As of two weeks ago there are no more diapers during the day! Hooray! Kinda of. It's still a work in progress.)

And this picture is to document her engineering mind. These are those bag clips from Ikea. I was cooking dinner and she was playing with them on the floor and all of sudden she says, "Mom, I'm making diamond shapes." And I looked down to this. Whaaaaaaat? I definitely did not teach her that - so thanks nursery, or Disney, or Sesame Street, or whatever/whoever taught her what diamonds are and how to make them. I'm clearly underestimating what she can learn. She must truly think my potty training dance is idiotic.

BIG PEOPLE FOOD

So Reagan started eating solids about a month ago. We started with the old stand by - rice cereal. She was NOT a fan.

Very skeptical.

Sure! The two-year-old can do the feeding! Now I can finally watch my stories and eat bon bons. Which is what Brad thinks I do anyway.

And here is what happened after the first few bites. You would think we were torturing her! And all cereals were a no go. We tried: rice, brown rice, and oatmeal. 

Finley's hotdog looked mighty appetizing!

Which gave me an idea! I'm a smart mamma. I figured out that this lady has a sophisticated palate. She just wanted the real stuff. So far she's eaten all sorts of veggies and fruits, but she's most partial to the bananas.

She's also figured out that bath time comes right after eating time. So now when I lift her out of the highchair after eating she starts shaking with excitement. I'm starting to smell a routine! Let's just hope this leads to her sleeping through the night again. I miss my 9 hour sleeper!

THIS IS WHAT I'M LOVING RIGHT NOW

*This Barr Brothers song. And here's a sweet live version, check out all their crazy instruments.
*And this song. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but Finley makes me play it over and over. I love watching her dance and sing the final note with her hands up in the air. Sometimes motherhood is so satisfying.
*This hanging map tutorial. I made one for my bedroom. It's so gratifying to make something quick, easy, and cheap that turns out awesome (if I do say so myself).
* This trailer. My life might actually be complete now. Please don't mess it up. I'm talking to YOU Anne Hathaway.
* This kale shake recipe. Although I usually just throw in whatever I happen to have on hand. Sadly this is the only way I consume green vegetables most days.
* This crock pot soup recipe. Brad even said, "Wow this is actually good". That says so much about my attempts at trying new recipes. You have no idea.
* This quote. I'm going through a phase where nothing seems to be finished. Ever. And it's driving my crazy. So I'm trying to relax and enjoy the present moments. Man I'm deep.
* This print. It's not a product you can order so my goal is recreate it for Finley. We sing that song every night at bedtime.
* This show. I've told Brad at least ten times that in another life this is my profession.