Christmas

Our tree is shedding needles and dropping ornaments, our recycling is loaded down with empty boxes, the playroom has been rearranged to accommodate the new toys, and all 3 of us took a 2 hour nap today.  I think it's very clear.  Christmas must be over.

Our Christmas holiday was fast and full, exhilirating and exhausting.  We started off on Sunday evening with the extended Sancken family Christmas, followed it up with a Christmas Eve celebration at the Bradfords with Zach's immediate family, enjoyed a cozy Christmas morning at home with our little family, and then rounded out the fun at my parents for the Walles Christmas bonanza on Christmas evening.

If you ask Staley what she got for Christmas, she probably won't tell you about her new kitchen and accessories or her princess castle or her new baby dolls or her bowling set.  Generally, she tells people that she got toothpaste and stickers.  We could have saved ourselves money and wrapping paper and the 4 hours Zach spent putting together the kitchen because the toothpaste, chapstick, and stickers in her stocking apparently provided enough excitement.  We started Christmas morning with stockings, and Staley didn't even want to unwrap her presents.  She just wanted to brush her teeth.  (Aunt Melissa must be so proud!)  With a little coercing, she did open her presents and has had a great time playing with her new toys.  When she finally walked into her playroom and saw her new kitchen, her eyes lit up and she exclaimed, "Look!  A kitchen!  A real kitchen!" She whipped us up a yummy Christmas morning breakfast of chocolate cake and bacon, baked together in a pot in the oven.  I'm sure she'll share the recipe if you ask.

Staley also got to experience the joy of giving this holiday season.  Zach took her Target and told her she could pick out anything in the store to get for me.  (Brave man.)  Apparently they walked up and down multiple aisles until Staley spotted a display of loofahs.  She immediately said, "This!  I want to get this!" as she proceeded to pick me out a very special orange loofah.  Being less brave than Zach, I took Staley to the Everything's $1 store and told her she could pick out something for Zach.  She immediately found a Cinderella puzzle that she thought Daddy would love...until she spotted some bubble bath in a heart-covered bottle.  We took that to the check-out, where she then changed her mind once again and decided that he would like some casino playing cards.  In the end, I think she picked a winner.  I will admit.  I got some nice things for Christmas, but my orange loofah may be the best gift of them all!

Spending time with family is always a highlight of any holiday.

Staley with her Bradford cousins

Staley and her two older Bradford cousins

Staley with her Walles cousins

Spending a little extra time with Uncle Ethan on Christmas Eve morning was another Christmas highlight.

Staley checking out her stocking loot.

Staley with her new Dora toothbrushes and Little Bear toothpaste.  Score!

Baking up a yummy Christmas morning breakfast.

My little chef (in her super-cute apron that Aunt Melissa made)

We had a very merry Christmas.  We move forward from another Christmas with special gifts and new memories and the joy of giving to others...and very clean teeth.  We wish the same for you!

Merry Christmas!

 

Joy to the world!! 

May you celebrate the birth of our Savior surrounded by those you love!

 

 

A Christmas Equation

Helping Mommy bake

 

+

cookie cutters

 

+

frosting and 'frinkles'

 

=

one happy little girl.

All I Want for Christmas...

...is a fever and a cough???

Unfortunately for Staley, that is what has arrived for her these few days before Christmas.  She woke early Friday morning with a fever.  Her fever stuck around all day yesterday, although couldn't seem to keep my little gal down.  She was her happy, active, playful self all day.  (Well, her happy, active, playful self that needed a 3 hour nap.)  And today, she woke up still hanging onto her fever and adding a little croupy cough to the fun.  Still happy.  Still active.  Still playful.  Just now happy, active, playful, fever-y, and cough-y.  Of course, today was supposed to be the kick-off to Christmas with Zach's family.  But because sickness is NOT what we want to be giving out for Christmas this year, our Sancken holiday celebration had to be postponed.  Not exactly the way we wanted to kick off our Christmas celebrations, but I'm not going to complain.  As I think about the children and families that will be spending their Christmas at the hospital, the individuals who will be alone this holiday season, those whose only Christmas list is to be healthy or housed or loved or safe, the families who have to face this Christmas with presents for their lost child still under the tree, all I can do is pray for them...and feel truly thankful.  I am blessed.  Our Savior has been born.  And no fever or cough or postponed celebration will ever change that.

Let It Snow

Staley has never experienced snow.  Last winter was so mild that we never had a true snowfall (and Staley probably wouldn't remember it anyway.)  She has several books that talk about the snow and the fun things to do in snow, so Staley has been enchanted with the idea.  She was SO excited about the snow as I was picking her up after work on Thursday evening.  "I getting snow on my coat.  I getting snow on my hat.  Mommy getting snow on her coat.  Mommy driving in the snow."  And since then, she has been asking to play in the snow.  So today we bundled up and headed out.

Ready to go.

(I do think the pink light-up princess boots from Uma may have bolstered Staley's extreme desire for it to snow.) 

 

I think the idea of snow might be a little more enchanting than the snow itself.  Staley's books expose the fun of sledding (we don't have one yet) and ice skating (not quite ready.)  They show large, perfectly shaped snowmen (snow didn't pack) and snow forts that look like castles (not going to happen).  Her very favorite snowy day picture is when Goose makes a larger-than-himself snowgoose.  (Again, my artistic abilities and the snow consistency made this dream an impossibility.)  Snow angels sounded like a good idea until Staley realized that she would have to lie down in the snow (decided against it).  We did make a few crumbly snowballs, but Staley's mittens made it hard to hold onto anything.  Although she still insists that she likes the snow, I'm afraid her 15 minutes of snowy day bliss might not have lived up to expectations.

 

First steps into the snow.

 

So this is what snow feels like.

 

Staley's winter wonderland.

 

 



Christmas Letter

Disclaimer:  Many of you have probably already received this Christmas letter, and there is still a batch on it's way.  However, because this blog is as much for Staley and our family to remember our day-to-day moments, I wanted to include our Christmas letter in the blog.  To keep you from thinking it was a waste of time to check a blog that is posting old-news information, I have included a new Christmas-y Staley photo at the end of this post.  Enjoy!  :)

The Christmas Letter 2012

A literary work by Staley

My life is very busy.  I have toys to play with, cats to pet, naps to take, Tupperware to remove from the cupboards, songs to sing, baths to play in, and I’m still expected to be in bed by 7:30 every night.  In the midst of all that I have to accomplish in a day’s time, now my mom expects me to write a Christmas letter AGAIN!  I know last year’s letter impressed a few readers with my grasp of the written English language, but now that I’m almost 2, I’m worried it will be more difficult to live up to the expectations.  But because it was either writing this or putting away all the blocks I just dumped out in my playroom, I’m going to give it a go.  (At least with letter writing, I get to play on the computer.  And trust me, I dumped out A LOT of blocks.)

We’ve had a very good year around here.  Last year, I was just a baby.  Now I’m a big girl.  I’m fast.  I’m adventurous.  I’m talkative.  I’m opinionated.  I’m social.   I’m happy (although, for the record, I’m always happier when I’m getting my way.)  I love playing with my friends and my cousins, reading books, pretending, swimming, playing toys, singing, and keeping Mom and Dad on their toes.  And, of course, I’m a huge Chicago Bear’s fan.  Mom likes to keep track of everything I’m doing, so she writes about me and puts pictures of me on our family blog.  If you want to know more about what I’m up to, you can check it out at http://ezsanck.blogspot.com.

Mom and Dad have lots of favorite things, but I am at the top of the list.  Mom still works 2 days/week at the Children’s Hospital in Peoria as a pediatric occupational therapist, and that gives me time to play with my friends at the baby-sitters.  Otherwise, we have lots of fun playing at home and going on outings together.  Dad works all week, so he just has to live vicariously through my stories of trips to the zoo, the pool, music class, the grocery store, and the library.  He’s sad to miss out, but he really likes his job as an accountant at State Farm and always finds time to do fun things with me when he gets home.  Dad also finished his MBA in June, so now he’s not in class every other week-end anymore.  That’s a bonus for me!!!  He’s still on the Eureka City Council, teaches an accounting class, fixes things around the house, and makes the best pancakes ever.

Jake and Elwood are my best friends.  They sleep a lot and stay out of my way when I’m running around, but I love to pet them and share my toys with them and give them treats.  I give them lots of love.  Someday maybe they’ll reciprocate.

I got to go to the beach for the first time this year.  We spent a week in Pentwater, MI with my aunts and uncles and cousins.  Sand is awesome!  Water is awesome!  Staying in a house with my cousins is awesome!  To sum up, Pentwater was awesome!  We also went to St. Louis, Chicago, and Madison, WI.  I haven’t met a zoo, aquarium, Children’s Museum, or hotel pool I didn’t like.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that by April, I’m going to be a big sister.  I love my baby dolls and I like playing with other kids, so I’m guessing I’ll like having a baby brother or sister.  I don’t expect life to change around here for me too much when the baby comes.  It’ll probably be like having a new toy, only better.  Right??

Well, I think that about covers what happened around here this year.  Hopefully Mom has picked up all my blocks by now.  I think I’m going to go dump them back out.  I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

With love,

Staley (and my parents too)

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Cutie