A Jigsaw Puzzle

Katie and my sister decided to work on a jigsaw puzzle for the holidays.

I love doing puzzles with Aunt Jennifer.

Dance Class

Katie is still loving tap class. This December, parents were invited in for one class, but it wasn't quite the same as most years. Usually the class learns a holiday dance, but between the teachers and the students, flu hit hard, so they weren't able to learn the whole dance. It was still fun to watch even though they were still learning.

We started with some warm-ups.

Sometimes we practice one at a time.

My teacher has to get close to listen to our taps to make sure she hears the right sounds.

Click here for our holiday dance practice.

Peek-a-Boo!

The cats always entertain us in some way or other.

Mr. Limpet loves bags!

An Ugly Christmas Sweater

Katie had to design an ugly Christmas sweater for Cleopatra as part of a school project.

I liked how my sweater turned out!

Holiday Nails

Katie wanted to have festive nails for Christmas, so out came the fingernail polish.

I liked how they turned out!

The North Pole Village

Katie always likes to help put up my sister's North Pole Village. It's quite the undertaking every year but always worth the time.

It always feels like a lot of work when we're first starting.

While Aunt Jennifer continued with the work, I took a dancing break!

After arranging all the houses, we fill the village with trees.

It was a family affair!

In the end, we have a huge, festive village!

Ugg!

It's so hard to keep a tree looking nice with two cats who love it.

The cats look at all the decorations as their own personal toys!

Time to Cuddle

It's always a good time to cuddle.

I can always take a reading break for you, Mr. Limpet!

Indoor Snow

The cats never went outside in the snow, but General Washington looked like he did.

General picked up all of his snow as he climbed through the flocked tree.

Early Snow

We had some early snow this year. It was just how we like it...not enough to be hard to drive in and it went away in a couple of days.

I love to watch the falling snow.

It always looks so pretty when it's fresh!

Homework Time

When Katie has any homework that she has to do on the computer, you can always see her motivation.

I usually start sitting up straight, and the more motivation I lose, the more I slide down into the couch.

Oh, Those Cats

As soon as the Christmas tree goes up, you know you're going to find a cat climbing in it or chewing on the branches.

We don't care as much when the cats crawl through the tree as when they chew on it. They sure love it!

A Handmade Ornament

Katie's school was one of sixteen schools in the state that was chosen to make ornaments for the governor's tree. Her school could only donate a limited number of ornaments. Katie worked so hard to come up with her design and do her very best work, and in the end, her ornament was voted as one of selected ones to go to the capital. However, when she found out she would never get her ornament back since it would be archived, she chose not to donate it. I tried my hardest to convince her that it was an honor and a rare opportunity, but she made her own decision to keep it. It now sits in a prized spot on our Christmas tree.

I love my ornament!

Hello, Kitty

The cats are always happy when we return from a trip.

Mr. Limpet stayed close to me after we returned.

Heading Home

You know it has been a full trip when you sleep most of the way home.

I slept so much that the plane ride home went really quick for me!

Yum!

One of the things we decided to buy on our trip was a Mickey Mouse shaped loaf of sourdough bread.

I thought the loaf of bread was pretty cute!

Magic

The castle just looked magical at night. I'm glad Katie got her picture with it.

I love Disneyland!

The Dapper Dans

One of our favorite things to see at Disneyland is the Dapper Dans. They are so fun!

The Dapper Dans entertained us with Christmas music!

The Ears

You might as well try on some Mickey ears while you're at Disneyland.

What do you think?

The Christmas Cavalcade

Every so often, Disneyland has a very mini-parade called the Christmas Cavalcade. It's always fun when you get to see it.

Who wouldn't be happy to see this?

The Flying Elephant

What's a trip to Disneyland without Dumbo?

What a great way to start a day!

Grizzly River Rapids

The nice thing about being in the parks late is that you can often ride rides without other people. Katie was so happy to get a raft without other people on the Grizzly River Rapids.

I chose one of the middle seats away from the opening to try to stay drier.

Live Streaming

Jennifer and Katie had gone to wait for the Little Mermaid ride, and they ended up right in front of a live streamer. As soon as Katie was off the ride, she grabbed my phone to try to find out who it was behind them.

As soon as I got my mom's phone, I found this guy in minutes!

Meeting Carl

Katie was with Jennifer when they ran across Carl from Up, and they just had to get a picture!

Carl welcomed us warmly!

We just love him!

More Shopping

You might as well try on what you can while you're on vacation!

What do you think?

Pixar Pal-a-Round

We decided to go on Pixar Pal-a-Round. Jennifer and Katie chose to go on a swinging gondola, while my mom and I went on a non-swinging gondola.

I thought I loved the swinging gondolas, but once it started swinging, I realized I didn't love them anymore!

The Big Chair

When we got back to the hotel, Katie got a quick picture in the big chair that was there.

I wanted the picture to be fast because there was someone there watching the whole thing!

The Christmas Castle

 What's prettier than seeing Sleeping Beauty's castle decked in Christmas lights?

The castle got extra sparkly when the sun went down!

Shopping

One of Katie's favorite things to do is shopping. While she was in Disneyland, she was on the search for a longer, light jacket to help keep her warmer.

This was the first jacket that caught my eye. I just had to find the right size.

The Christmas Parade

Disney's Christmas parade is always fun!

I was excited for the parade to start!

My dance teacher used to work in Disneyland and danced in the Christmas parade. She said the tin soldier's heads come off really easily!

It's always fun to be Elsa!

This guy made me laugh! He talked to the audience as he performed!

Ariel will always be the princess that made me love all princesses!

Of course, the parade ends with Santa!

Waiting for a Parade

Katie and I decided to watch the Christmas parade. You have to find your spot early if you want a good spot. We found a spot on the curb about an hour before the parade and snuggled down next to the trash can. It wasn't the perfect spot, but it wasn't bad. 

We just chatted while we waited for the parade to start.

Hanging Out With a Pirate

When Jennifer and Katie found a pirate from the ride Pirates of the Caribbean, they decided to get a picture.

Red was very nice and gave us a pirate lesson!

Pondering

When you're waiting on lunch, sometimes you just need to take time for some quiet pondering.

When you're waiting for food, it's a good chance to think about what you're going to do next.

On the Carousel

It was finally time to get on the carousel!

I chose a favorite horse!

The carousel is always fun!

King Arthur's Sword

While Katie was by the carousel, she tried to lift King Arthur's sword out of the stone.

I tried to get the sword, but it wasn't budging!

The Magic

While Jennifer and Katie waited to go on the carousel, they got to see Peter Pan and Wendy enjoy the ride! Just part of the magical experience!

Wouldn't it be fun to be seated with them on the ride!