What happened to November?

No, seriously...where'd it go? Our month got off to a rocky start with ear infections for both M and his daddy, but ended with a wonderful Thanksgiving with family. Throughout, I took about 10 photos and not one was good!

M playing with Uncle Morgan. (The shirt is from Provincetown and says "PEE town")

I've been thinking about what holiday traditions I want to start with my little family. Last year was J and my first Christmas together (for the prior 10 years (!) we gone to our separate families) but with a four-month-old we didn't have much time/sanity to think of traditions. Some of the ideas I like:

• Advent calendar - I like the experience/activity ideas that Uncommon Grace has listed
• Read a Christmas book every day of December - I've started our collection with The Tomten by Astrid Lindgren
• New ornament for each child - I like the thought of giving M a box of his ornaments when he has his own home.
• New jammies for Christmas Eve - I love new jammies... I'm thinking of these for M
• Hot chocolate and cookies on Christmas Eve
• Cinnamon rolls for breakfast - perhaps this recipe
• A long family walk after Christmas lunch then a cozy afternoon of Christmas movies

But back to the "where did the time go," question - when did this little lump:

grow up to be such a big boy:

An old vid of M enjoying his dinner, he's such a ham sometimes: