It's the most wonderful time of the year.

As for the title of this post, I sing that song year-round, usually editing the lyrics as needed. Admittedly, the first line gets its fair share of air time when I'm feeling sarcastic and it's time for standardized testing at school. Anyway, here is an even better song:

Tonight: Picking out the tree

Seeing Gabby get genuinely excited about holiday stuff really does make it the best part of the year for me. Or at least, I feel that way tonight. When I started pulling out decorations yesterday, she was grinning like mad. That might have been hard to do, come to think of it. Thanksgiving night, she busted her chin open and got her first trip to the emergency room. (May it be her last!) Please pardon the remaining dinner on the cheeks and the inevitably cruddy peeling glue over the wound. (I wait until right before bedtime before 'operating.')

The BooBoo: "I fell on a pedestal..." (base of a column) "...at Maw Maw's house..." (true) "...and I bumped my chin..." (to say the least.)

So here we are, through Thanksgiving, preparing for Christmas, loving the cookie baking and tree trimming and Nativity calendar calendaring... Things I wouldn't care about half as much if I couldn't do them with my three-year old. Frankly, it's nice to have something new to do with Mom-Daughter time.

The Cake: Three Years Old!

That brings us to the entirety of a month that we missed on the blog. I have no pictures of her in her Halloween costume. If you want to give me 40 lashes, get in line. My plan is to dress her up in it sometime soon and take some pictures.

Then came the birthday party. Linda made another amazing cake, and when Gabby saw it, she blurted, "ANOTHER ONE!" Last year, we had a penguin. This year, we had a bluebird. I was stunned to learn that such remarkably different birds pose for pictures with the same facial expressions. Gabby was pretty thrilled with the cake, the presents, and the face time with family.

Jumpin' Beans, Sittin' Beans

One of the reasons we chose to have a small, family party at Jennifer's in Raleigh was the proximity to a really cool place called Jumpin' Beans. It's basically a big room with the biggest inflatable jumper you've ever seen. What a cool way to spend your third birthday, right?! Maybe not. I should have known that a kid who refuses to climb past the first platform on the Chic-fil-A playground might be afraid of a giant inflatable jumper and slide. She did enjoy the tiny adjacent room meant for young toddlers, and one day, I think she'll look back and regret all the fun opportunities she passed up due to her inhibitions. Or maybe she won't be like me, after all.


Aunt Rach, Aunt Jenn: Good genes for Gabby Girl.

Candy Land: Now a daily ritual.

The Belly: 33 1/2 weeks, breech baby. That explains why he tries to climb out the wrong way a couple of times a day.