This is Not What Melissa & Doug Had in Mind.

I made this picture extra large so you could see the drawing on our beloved Melissa & Doug easel.  (This is the only easel we own so I have nothing to compare it to, but it is fabulous -- keeps all three of us entertained for hours.  I would highly recommend it!)

When Mom's the easel assistant, we draw shapes, letters, numbers, seasonal-themed items (Christmas trees, snowmen, Rudolph, etc.).  Dad, on the other hand, uses the easel to quiz Fawn's knowledge of hunting and fishing terminology and know-how.  Don't get me wrong, Fawn loves it!  "Daddy draw a big buck" or "Daddy draw a hunter" are common requests.  And, he can tell you everything about this picture -- from the tree stand (as opposed to a shooting house, of course), to the bow and arrow, to the blood-trailing beagle ("just like Hank").  I just don't know if I should laugh or cry...but I knew I had to share.

The Tale of the Lost Christmas Toy.

Yep, lost.  Never arrived.  I'm okay though -- no consolation needed.  I was able to locate a not-quite right but definitely will do (with even some bonuses of its own) replacement.  And, to top it off Amazon gave me a refund.  I will definitely be a repeat customer.  But, I've learned a lesson -- have packages delivered to Buck's office. 

I must say that my dealings with the local USPS, while friendly, have been somewhat odd.  On multiple occasions, I've called seeking an update on the lost toy.
Me: "Can you confirm it was delivered to the right address?"
Postwoman: "Yes ma'am.  I asked the delivery man and he said he delivered it to a brick house on _____ Road."
Me: "Okay." While thinking, every house on my road is a brick house.
Postwoman: "I talked to him and he's going to stop by your house today and show you exactly where he put it."
Me: "Sounds great. Thanks."
Postwoman: "We will continue to check the returned package shelves and call you with an update."
At which point she takes my cell phone number.

This conversation has repeated itself since December 9 with the following results: (1) no visit from any post office delivery worker and (2) no return phone call.  I'm admitting defeat and simply cannot spend any more hours worried about it or having the same deja vu conversation with the post office.  Post office: 1, Belle: 0.

Baby #2 Update.

After a slight early labor scare this week (which turned out to be nothing, no worries at all!), all is well with the growing bambino.  (Sweet Buck has updated his Christmas list:  "I'll tell you what I don't want for Christmas...this baby to get here before Christmas.")  He or she is measuring about a week and a half ahead (as this pregnancy has from the beginning).  I knew I looked HUGE!  I'm still holding my own in the great Buck vs. Belle weigh-in -- while I'm too modest (and vain) to reveal actual numbers, I've still got some poundage to give before I throw in the towel on this one.  And, this baby is helping my efforts -- he or she is so high that I can't really eat much right now in any one sitting anyway.  I've heard friends talk about this, but didn't experience it at all with Fawn...so something new in this pregnancy.

Heart rate is 142.  This is how things went down at the doctor's office.
Nurse: "Oh, you don't know what you're having."
Me: "We're excited about the surprise."
Nurse: "Sounds just like a boy to me."
Seriously?!?!  I mean, while I respect her humble opinion and am grateful for the kind care received, who says that to someone who clearly wants this baby to be a surprise.  Too funny!

Still no baby names.  I think we are getting close on both the boy and girl side, but nothing is decided.  And, if you know me, you'll know I'm a pretty terrible decision maker.  So, even if I "settle" on something there is a greater than fifty percent chance I will change my mind in the next eight weeks.  Yep, eight weeks til chaos.  Oh, and excitement, love, joy, miracles, and siblings!  Can't wait!

Super Fawn.

We're finally into dressing up.  Fawn has a handful of dress up accessories -- fireman hat, cowboy hat, clown nose, reindeer antlers, and a superhero cape and mask (a precious Christmas gift last year from my sister-in-law, that Fawn has admired but never worn...until now) -- but generally just looks and doesn't ever want to play dress-up.  I'm not pushing it, but I know it's a stage of play and development that will come at some point, so I keep them visible in his playroom.  Well, it turns out he does in fact like being a superhero.  He put the cape and mask on for the first time last weekend -- too cute not to share.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

My mom is always encouraging me to save and freeze extra cake layers when I make birthday cakes.  She insists that they freeze and thaw wonderfully -- and she's right.  Not that I ever doubt her cooking tidbits, but I'm not so much a fan of frozen and reheated food.

So when our Advent calendar said it was the day to make a birthday cake for Jesus -- all we had to do was the fun part -- the decorating.  (I left a frozen cake layer on the counter the night before and when we woke up it was perfect for frosting and sprinkles.)

Fawn decided we needed three candles, I think because we're in the stage of attending 3-year old birthday parties.  He sang Happy Birthday to Jesus all by himself.  It was a fun, age-appropriate activity -- and I hope may instill some of the true meaning of the season.

Santa Claus.

We went to (of all places, I know) Bass Pro Shops to visit Santa this year, as we have the previous two years.  They really do have an awesome Santa -- and a great set-up to keep the kiddos entertained through the long Santa line.  We were there when the store opened and I still stood in line for about an hour before it was Fawn's turn. 

To say he was eager to tell Santa his wishes was an understatement.  He was thrilled when it was his turn and jumped into Santa's lap.  Despite this eagerness, the skeptical look was a permanent fixture on his face.

Then it was time to get down to business and tell Santa exactly what he desires this Christmas:

1. a Mickey Mouse fishing rod
2. a Pat the Hammer (from Handy Manny)
3. a small Lightening McQueen car (he's never seen Cars, so I'm guessing they talk about it at school?)

The goofy, yet adorable, half-grin is all we could get out of Fawn.  But, hey, it sure does beat tears!

Christmas Countdown Fun.

So, I realized the weekend after Thanksgiving that we had to have a way to countdown Christmas (and Santa's) arrival around here.  The first thing Fawn was asking each time he woke up from a nap or in the morning was "is it Christmas yet?" or "did Santa come?"  I'm thrilled he is excited about the season and seems to get it this year, but I felt like the source of constant let down..."not yet sweetheart."  Bottom line...we needed an Advent calendar and pronto.

I pulled out some scrap fabric to see if I could quickly sew a calendar for us this year and then decided that if I really wanted it done by December 1, I would have to do something much more simple.  Thanks to Pinterest (which I don't really use -- just afraid to get sucked into something else), I saw lots of cute and easy Advent calendars made in muffin tins.  They range from the super-fancy (think magnetic tape, scrapbook-looking, reusable) to the super-simple (cardboard circles taped over the holes).  We went with super-simple (I'll take a picture tomorrow when it's full again -- I used a big 12 muffin tin and plan to "re-fill" it tonight, though you can definitely use a mini-muffin tin and capture the whole season).  Red and white marker on white index cards cut into circles and taped on!  It fits great in my cookbook holder, so it's prominently displayed in our kitchen.

While it was suggested you could put a treat behind each number, I am currently anti-treats (we have weaned off the gummies/marshmellows that were potty training rewards and I'm not ready to start another candy high).  So I wrote a fun Christmas activity on the back of each card that Fawn gets to do (also a Pinterest idea...and I thought a great one!).  Some examples: make a Christmas sticker picture, read Christmas bible stories, go to the library to pick out Christmas books, make candy covered pretzels, paint Christmas trees with sponges, go to Zoolight Safari, watch a Christmas movie, go to McWane to play in the snow, decorate a birthday cake for Jesus...you get the idea.  Basically, things I would aspirationally want to do with Fawn anyway, but now schedule them ahead of time to make sure I have all the supplies on hand.  It's been fun!  Though this little guy is still eagerly anticipating Santa's big arrival (and trying very hard to stay on the "nice" list).