Putting up the Christmas Tree -- November 23

We ventured out in search of a Christmas tree on Friday morning.  There is a greenhouse near us where we got our tree last year, and we headed back there to find the perfect tree again this year.  

The part of the store where they keep the trees is cool, to keep the trees fresh. They hang the trees up.  Some of us compare it to a meat locker, and some others of us find that it makes it feel more like picking your tree in the forest.  It smells amazing, though, no matter what you think it looks like!

This is a picture from their website:

Hazel was quite the trooper for the whole affair.  We got the tree after her morning nap, and then proceeded to do tree-related things for the rest of the day.  We had to go to Target not once, but twice.  We ended up needing more lights because the tree was just so thick!

Hazel was super excited to play with her nativity set.  This was a baptism gift from her Nana and Grandad, and it's been hanging out with the Christmas stuff waiting until  this time of year.  She particularly enjoys the stable itself, although it is a bit difficult to wield.  

Hazel got to play with the branches that were removed in order to stuff the tree in the stand.  She had fun with that, although she has not otherwise expressed a lot of interest in the tree.

It's fun to have a real mantle to hang the stockings up on.  One of our Target purchases was a stocking for Hazel, which has since been embroidered with her name.  

In the end, it turned out very nicely.  The lights are pretty, it brightens up the house a bit in the midwestern gloom.  We can also avoid turning on the overhead lights in the dining room at supper time, which is especially nice because one of the fluorescent bulbs buzzes.  

We now have Christmas music playing most of the time, and are looking forward to the start of Advent!

Thanksgiving in Mora -- November 22

We drove up to Mora on Wednesday night, around Hazel's bedtime.  We got up early the next morning to start working on stuffing, turkey, and bread.  

Grandma peeled potatoes and did all kinds of other essential things to get dinner on the table. 

Right before dinner, Hazel made a trip out on the deck to cool down and have a little wiggle time.  She really enjoyed being outside, and pretty much giggled the whole time we were out there.  She was incredibly interested in the grain of the wood. 

It was very warm still in the early afternoon--as you can see, the baby was outside with no coat, no socks, and no hat.  

After dinner, it was cool and getting windy.  We headed out to fly our new kite.  Hazel likes to watch the kite, and listen to it flap in the wind.  It was getting much cooler by this time, and we were all bundled up in our winter clothes.

Thanksgiving was pretty much Emma's favorite day in recent memory.  

We stayed a few more hours after we finished flying the kite, but we had to hurry home to beat a snowstorm.  

A lovely day, much to be thankful for!

Almost Crawling...But Not Quite --November 19

Hazel really enjoys sitting, and she has pretty much perfected this art in the past few weeks. 

She will reach for things quite a bit out of her way, even slippery things (like books), or large things (like whoozits).

This particular pose is as close as Hazel has gotten to crawling, for the most part.  She will hang out there for a bit, but the idea of actually getting up on her knees clearly makes her a little nervous.  Sometimes she'll go up in a plank position, with her knees off of the ground.  That particular pose is also a little scary, because  it is tricky to get back down again without a little help.

Reaching Out --- November 13

Winter Coat Time -- November 12

It has been pretty chilly here the past few days, it seems that winter is finally close.  Hazel is beginning to transition from the adorable marshmallow bear suit to this contraption, which isn't quite as much too big for her as it looks like in the pictures.   Just in case anyone was concerned, the hood still has ears.  So, not the marshmallow bear suit, but maybe the robot bear suit?  The sumo wrestler bear suit?  

We haven't convinced her that it's a good idea to put this thing on yet, but we're working on it.  We have also been trying to convince her that wearing a hat when it's below 30 outside is generally better than not wearing a hat (by insisting that she wear a hat, of course).  Hazel has recently figured out how to take her own hat off, however, which has made this project a little more complicated.  Not a few tears have been shed over the horrors of wearing a hat.  We have attempted to demonstrate by wearing hats ourselves, but she remains skeptical.  

At the Conservatory -- November 11

We spent a nice Sunday afternoon at the conservatory looking at all the neat plants they have there.  It was a nice place to go on a very chilly fall day.  

Hazel was very interested, and she quietly enjoyed walking around.  She is a good people watcher, too.

Some of our favorites from this trip: 

The silk floss tree,  which is very poky, and a more than a little strange looking 

(above)

A sloth in the special rain forest adventure exhibit.  She isn't actually behind any glass, just up in that tree! (below)

At the Tennis Court -- November 10

Hazel spent some time in the Go-Pod watching us hit a tennis ball back and forth.  She enjoyed the experience, overall.  

She looked so small!

Breakfast--November 9

Hazel jumped feet first into the world of solid food a few weeks ago, and she's absolutely loving it.  This is what she looks like when she is plopped in her seat for breakfast in the morning.  Grammy Frieda made her this little kimono thing last spring, and it has come in handy when the house is still cold in the morning.

Breakfast is baby oatmeal, banana, almond butter, and a little bit of half and half or heavy cream.  Her breakfast tastes kind of amazing, to tell the truth.  We are trying our best to make sure that every bite is full of good things, and lots of calories.  

Hazel doesn't actually smile all during breakfast, but it's generally a pretty happy affair.  

We have modified Grammy Puccio's bumblebee rhyme:

"Bumblebee, bumblebee lived in a barn

carried a stinger right under his arm

and when he got there, 

he went...bzzzzz" 

(insert tickles here)

The modification has made cleaning up a little face fun for the whole family (usually, anyway).  The new version is:

"Bumblebee, bumblebee lived in a barn

carried a napkin right under his arm

and when he got there, 

he went...bzzzzz"

(insert wiping of face here, repeat bzzzing until clean)

In Which Hazel Helps Her Mama Make Cheese--November 8

This is Hazel as we complete the initial preparation for making a version a of ricotta cheese.  

 

Here, you see the beginnings of curds on a spoon.  Note the pumpkin pie in the background!  We had a busy day.

After our curds separated from our why (mostly, any-whey), we had to let it sit for 10 minutes.  We entertained ourselves with a goat on a stick.

And then there was cheese!  We used it in stuffed shells.  It was super yummy.

Canine Bonding Time-- November 7

Hazel and her whoozit, and her dog.

This is a look we get a lot.  She's always so interested in whatever we're doing!

Hazel and her Dad -- November 7

Playing with a wheeled giraffe.  This one doesn't squeak like Sophie, but he does roll. 

Reading about Max the dog poet in Ooh-La-La (Max in Love), by Maira Kalman.