December is always a busy month, but with both Chris and I home right now, we've been able to spend a lot of time together as a family. Chris's former work place, Metro Mold, has been down-sizing a bit as a result of a slow economy, so he's been on the job hunt. I am still at home on a child-care leave, but I'll be tutoring a few hours a week now. I'm also hoping to be able to do some substitute teaching in the Osseo district until Chris can find a job. In the meantime, we've been trying to organize and clean at home, as well as going out to holiday celebrations and spending time with friends and family.
In November, we went to Rochester for Thanksgiving. Pete and Paula made a wonderful meal and the cousins had fun playing together. Later that weekend, we drove to Brainerd to meet Chris's family at a hotel, so the kids got to enjoy a big water park. 
Sophia enjoyed her first visit to the Children's Museum. We met Amie and her kids, Eva and Zack there. Sophia loved the plastic frogs in the pond.
Daddy and Jacob went to the cabin with Uncle Pete and Michael in November. They had fun being outdoors and riding on the four-wheeler.
Sophia is not very enthralled with the snow. When we got our first snowfall in November, I bundled her up and took her outside. She mostly cried. It's the bundling up part that seems to make most toddlers crabby. Of course, Jacob immediately taught her that snow is eatable, so then she liked it.
Jacob was in a Christmas concert at church with the preschool class. He had fun learning three songs, but I had to bribe him with a gumball to put the angel costume on.
We were a little later than usual in setting up our tree this year, but it turned out okay because we got to have Jenny and Jackie over last Saturday and they were very helpful. One of our traditions is that each year we think of something we are very thankful to God for and we buy a special ornament to represent that person or thing. Then I make a page in a little scrapbook about it. Each year we look through the album and hang up the ornaments. Sophia and Jacob had fun with that!
I loved Jacob's innovative idea for snowman arms!
Sophia is starting to learn new words. I think the English language is starting to take root in her brain. She loves to meow like a cat and she tries to copy what we are saying. She loves to "sing" and dance.
