Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas!! I hope you are having a wonderful holiday with your family and friends!

Walking In a (Dutch) Winter Wonderland

What a fun and exciting weekend!

On Saturday, Avery and Evan (and their mommy and daddy) came to visit and to spend a fun evening with us at Dutch Winter Wonderland. Dutch Wonderland is a local amusement park with lots of rides for little kids like us. For the holidays, they display lots of lights, sell hot cider and kettle corn, invite Santa to visit and open up the kiddie rides. The mommies made sure we would be warm by wrapping us up "A Christmas Story" style, but that didn't dimish our excitement. Evan and I couldn't wait to get out of the stroller and onto the rides!!

We didn't waste any time when we got to Dutch Winter Wonderland. Avery and I decided to ride the "Dukes Dozers" ride right away. Even all bundled up with 200 layers of clothes, we loved controlling the bulldozer and going around in circles.

Evan decided to ride solo. He wanted the bulldozer controls all to himself - such a boy!

While Avery and Evan went to have a snack, Daddy took me on the Crazy Plane ride. If you look closely, you can see me big pink furry hood looking out the middle window - Daddy is sitting next to me.

Mommy got a little nervous when she saw how high the plane flew. Mommy thought that maybe I wasn't really her daughter when I bravely and confidently stuck my head to look out the window the whole ride, even when we were really high in the sky.

Daddy couldn't resist taking me on the antique car ride. He stood in line for ten minutes to show me what his love of cars was all about. Once we were strapped in, Daddy said I immediately took control of the steering wheel and was delighted to drive around the track.

When Mommy saw the photo taken at the end of the ride, she knew she had to purchase it. Daddy looks so proud looking down at me as I steered - Mommy thinks I look like his little protege!

Avery and her Daddy were excited to say hi to Duke The Dragon, the official mascot of Dutch Wonderland. In keeping with my extreme fear of all things hooded, masked or bearded, I wouldn't even look at Duke (or Santa at the end of the night!)

After a few hours of rides, snacks and COLD weather, we decided to end the night with the train ride around the amusement park. I was completely exhausted at this point (notice my frozen expression - I was motionless from fatigue, not the cold!)

As tired as I was, I really loved snuggling close to Mommy and Daddy on the train, looking at all the lights and rides around the park.


Daddy tried his best to get a good photo of the Dixons in the seat in front of us, but we were a little too close. Avery, Evan and Big Jim, although cold, also enjoyed the train.


Amy thought the train ride was a nice way to finish the evening, too.

Thank you SO much for coming out to visit us Amy, Big Jim, Avery and Evan! We always have so much fun with you!!

I was SO tired from the fun night at Dutch Winter Wonderland that Mommy had to wake me at TEN THIRTY on Sunday morning to get ready for the next event. My friends Grace and Riley turn 3 on Tuesday, so we went up to Camp Hill to help them celebrate!!

Auntie Sherona had a great craft for us - we decorated our own snowflakes!! Erin and I were working hard to make our snowflakes beautiful while Genna's daddy worked hard at being silly!

Genna was very proud of her snowflake creation!

I, too, wanted to show everyone my snowflake masterpiece. Ta-dah!!

After a messy craft, Genna and I decided we needed to tidy up the kitchen a bit.

Grace and Riley were very excited to blow out the candles on their cake!

Can you tell that I LOVE cake?!?!?


Grace and Riley got a lot of great gifts, and Genna and I enjoyed helping the girls open them!!

Grace and Riley seemed to love all of their presents!!

Thanks for inviting us to your party! I hope I can be as wonderful a girl as you both are when I am three!!

And to end this blog entry, Mommy thought she would share a photo of my new funny face.

It sure is fun learning new tricks from the boys at school!!! :)

How To Decorate a Christmas Tree

Christmas trees are an important symbol of Christmas. It is essential that they are decorated properly.

Mommy and Daddy needed some help this year. They've tried to enlist help from Trixie and Emmet in the past, but Trixie just sits on the couch and Emmet tries to lick all of the ornaments. Now that I'm two, I am an able and willing elf.

Little did Mommy and Daddy know that I am an expert in tree decorating. I've seen Charlie Brown's Christmas special.

Follow these simple steps, and you will enjoy a beautiful tree that would envoke envy from even Martha Stewart.



When choosing beads, pick out the shiniest, goldest beads that you can find. Gather them all in one place on the tree for the most dramatic impact.











Gold beads can perform double duty - a tree decoration AND joo-wry (aka, "jewelry").




When Mommy and Daddy aren't looking, go bowling with the colored balls. It's fun watching Emmet chase after them!





When putting on the ornaments, choose carefully. Be very delicate when opening the hanging ribbon.





Before you actually hang the ornament, kiss it, hold it up to the branch you chose, make sure you are happy with the branch, then hang it carefully.

Hours later, after painstakingly choosing the perfect branch for each ornament, step back and enjoy your masterpiece.

The final step is to hope that Santa puts some gifts under your tree on Christmas Eve!

For those of you who are more visual learners, here is a quick step-by-step tutorial.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I have so much to be thankful for again this year. Of course I am very thankful for my wonderful family (my whole family and my "aunties and uncles") - I don't think a girl could possibly be more loved!!

I am thankful for Trixie and Emmet - they let me pull out their fur, yank their tail, play tug of war with them, and give them hugs and kisses and they don't complain too much!!

I am very thankful that my Aunt Jill's surgery was a success last week. I hope that you are feeling better soon, Aunt Jill!

I am also thankful that nobody was hurt in the fire that destroyed Jessi's newly finished, gorgeous studio (see "Sean's House of Divas" for photos and explanation.) Mommy, Daddy and I are SO sorry that all of your hard work was ruined, but we know that it will be even MORE beautiful when it's finished after renovations.

I am thankful for my cousin, Drew, even though he tried to squish me on Thanksgiving when I sat in his rocking chair!

I am thankful for my friend Noelle. I had so much fun at your birthday party last week, thank you for inviting me! I hope your third year is a healthy one!!

I am thankful for rock n roll. Here I am doing my best Rooney Doodle impersonation!

I am thankful for cupcakes.

I am thankful for my friend, Alyssa, who teaches me how to be a sweet big girl.

I am also extremely thankful for all of my friends (too many to post photos). Genna, Steven, Erin, Grace, Riley, Avery, Evan, Ben, Susannah...you're the best friends a girl could ask for!!

I am VERY thankful that Mommy and Gramma took me to see the Doodlebops in concert yesterday. I waited my whole life to see this show!!

I am also thankful that Gramma bought me the Doodlebop Pledge Flag. Now I am an official Doodlebop!

Presenting the Doodlebops - DeeDee, Moe, and Rooney!!

I danced my little heart out the whole show - luckily I had an aisle seat so I shook my groove thang in the aisle. I attracted quite a bit of attention in my DeeDee costume - I was hugged by random kids and had my photo taken by random moms. If I could write, I would have signed some autographs!

My new friend, Morgan. I enjoyed dancing with her, especially since she didn't block my view of the stage.

I am thankful for comfortable car seats - I was wiped after the show!!


I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Cookie, Cookie, Cookie Starts With "C"

Charlotte, Charlotte, Charlotte also starts with "C."

Coincidence? I think not!!

Last week, Aunt Sammi came over to spend the day with me. Instead of going to school, I got to play with Aunt Sammi all day. The best part of our day - we made COOKIES!!!

This is a little known fact, but the character "Cookie Monster" was modeled after me. They added some blue hair, lowered his voice and made him a boy, but his affinity for cookies was definitely inspired by yours truly!


I put on one of my many aprons ( a good chef must have an apron to match each outfit!), and Aunt Sammi and I went straight to work. She put all of the ingredients in the bowl, and I was in charge of mixing.

Who needs a Kitchen Aid Mixer when you have me?!


Cookie dough on my nose...I wonder if my tongue can reach it?!

After a long, arduous baking session - one that involved constant taste tasting - here is the
pièce de résistance.

Of course every good chef must test her recipe before offering it to the masses.

Baking cookies is fun, but it can be VERY tiring. My arms need a rest from mixing, and my belly needs a rest from cookie dough.

Did I get any chocolate on my face?!?

Thanks for a fun day, Aunt Sammi!!

CHARLOTTE'S SHOUT OUTS
Penn State - 31 Temple - 0

1. Defense - For the second straight year, you shut out Temple. Yes, it's Temple, but still...a shut out is a shut out!!

2. Dan Connor - you had 18 tackles and a sack. If you don't win all the defensive awards this year, it proves that those voters don't know anything!

3. Derrick Williams - You made 7 catches for a career high 104 yards. You're making more of an impact every week. Your patience is paying off!!

4. Rodney Kinlaw - You went over the 1,000 rushing yards mark in this game. You ran for 168 yards and a touchdown - high five!! You also caught 5 balls - you can run, you can catch...can you throw, too, and take Morelli's place??

5. PSU fans - because of you, Temple had its biggest attendance for a football game ever. Philadelphia was "Happy Valley East" for the day.

6. Illinois - I love you! You gave a great birthday gift to Mommy!!