Christmas 2013

We've had a busy but very fun week! Christmas was really special this year with our girls, who were excited and bright eyed about every gift they were given. This year Santa assembled some things and had them out in the open which was super fun! We are so glad Grammie and pa were here for the night and that Aunt MJ arrived to join in the fun just as Stella was waking Claire.  Watching the girls exchange gifts they picked out for one another was such a sweet and special moment!   We were      lucky to be able to stay home this year so we just relaxed and enjoyed the day. We played candy lane  about 6 times and watched Monsters University. The girls also raced around the house on their new scooter (which is now in the basement...) and played tea party. We rounded out the week with a sleepover at Grammie and pa's with the Hooley's!  It was definitely a special holiday season at the Todd's house!

Gemini: Ice Storm 2013

An ice storm has hit our region so we haven't left the house in two days!  It's been nice to relax and have some family time.  Yesterday we made a rice krispie choo-choo train and the girls had such a fun time decorating it with candy and eating it too!  Today Stella started to learn how to find and circle words on a word-search worksheet from a coloring book.  She's doing such a great job identifying letters and this was a great way for her to practice!  Fortunately we have not lost power.  Mommy's good friend Stacy messaged that her husband Aaron has traveled all the way from Maine to Potsdam for storm duty because so many people are without power.  We hope his work is finished quickly so he can return home to be with his family for Christmas!  We are looking forward to it at our house - Stella has been counting down the days and we are all excited!

Christmas Tree, Santa & Snow!

This week we decorated our Christmas tree and Stella thought it was so much fun.  Her excitement continued as we opened each box of decorations.  This weekend we went to a basketball game to watch Daddy's game and afterward the snow started to fall.  It snowed and snowed!  On Sunday afternoon we spent some time with Grammie and Pa.  The girls had fun playing games with them after a fun-filled adventure to Morley for a sled ride with Santa.  Both girls enjoyed playing in the snow waiting for their turn.  Claire really loved singing carols along the way.  We finished out the weekend making some homemade wrapping paper for some gifts for cousins.

Snuggles and Travels

We've taken a few weeks off from the blog because life has just gotten in the way!  Our evenings largely consist of snuggles on the couch before bed and lately once we are settled in not much else is accomplished!





We were fortunate to have the chance to travel to Ohio over the Thanksgiving holiday to be with the Hooley's.  The girls had such a fun time playing with their cousins!  We also stayed in Erie on the way home for the night and had some fun splashing around in the hotel pool.  Claire thought that was 'awesome' and told us so!

Relaxing with the girls on
Thanksgiving Break

In November we also spent an afternoon at an enrichment program sponsored by the North Country Children's Museum.  Claire had such a fun time playing with homemade dough and playing circle games with the other kids.  She's not shy and jumped right in!  Stella liked making foot prints on paper with paint!  (Fortunately she hasn't asked to do this at home!)










With Christmas just around the corner we put on matching dresses and went to the Canton VFW to see Santa for a few minutes.  Santa gave Stella a Dora board game and she thought it was really neat he knew she loved Dora!  She asks to play the game every day too so he really did a super job picking a gift for her!

Stella and I ready for the Christmas Cantata at Church