Merry Christmas

Every Christmas Eve, our family celebrates Wigilia (Polish Christmas Eve) at night.
For us, this is the only event, and it is one that my Mama has celebrated since she was very little. The food is 'meat-free' and includes pierogi, cucumber-dill salads, boiled potatoes, mushroom barley soup, crushed beets, shrimp, chruschiki (not sure I am spelling this one right--it is angel wings, fried crisps with powdered sugar), rye bread, and oplatki, which are Christmas wafers used to wish each other well.

Unfortunately, my Da couldn't make it since he had a migraine,
courtesy of a run in with Mama and some almonds, so he's not actually in any of the pictures.

Also, Rebecca ate all the oplatki beforehand, so we didn't have any.

This was the first time I could actually eat all of the food.
Here we are at the table:

I snuck some food in before everyone else!

Some fancy chocolates that I gave to Big Mom.
She always likes those very much.

My Auntie Rebecca introduced me to sauerkraut pierogi. Yum!

Teddy and me eating dessert.

Opening our presents after dinner

Lauren had to help me out with the wrapping paper

The only picture of all three of us kids

Another Lauren assist.

Teddy and me coloring

Trying out my new sofa lounger. So comfy!

Teddy liked my Thomas present for him

Playing with Lauren and Baba

Lauren and her new game set

Lauren hauling her new game set.
She wanted to play it, but my Mama said I would eat all the pieces.

Playing with Lauren on our new animals

Lounging after playing very hard

A fun party

Last Sunday I went to my friend Liam's 1st birthday party.
It was a lot of fun seeing my friends, some of whom I hadn't seen in quite a while.
(all that summer rehab and Grandpe's illness has really kept us soooooo busy!)

Here I am checking out all the toys

So cool to be 1!

This was the only shot my Mama could get of Kaitlyn
(Actually, it was really really hard to get any shots of us kids at all!)

We all said NO WAY! to a group shot!

Grace dancing!

Another attempted group shot

Grace was patriotic with her outfit and gift

Playing together...I was obsessed with the texture of Liam's hair

Grace and Liam together

Here I am trying to hug Liam (and dance, too!)

A visit from my cousins

This Thanksgiving, my Nan, my Aunt Kristy,
and all my cousins came to visit.

We had a great time hanging out and playing together!

All the cousins together!

Here we all are at the Garfield Park Conservatory
with my Da and my Aunt Kristy

Finley being supercute

We went to the Kohl Children's museum where I got my face painted

Here I am doing homeland security with my stuff.
(that's what my Da called me near the end of the visit)

Nan and us babies

Sophia and Emily

Hayley doing her best Susie imitation

Me and Aunt Kristy

Eating cupcakes with Sophia

Finley and Gravis the kitten

I just love Hayley! (and Sophia, and Finley, too!)

Making music with Finley

Eating edamame

Finley and Toby

At the conservatory

Susie and Hayley looking very nice

Playing in the plants with Da

The only picture of Mama (I'm ne ne-ing!)

Sophia at the conservatory

Holding hands with Sophia

Lauren and me playing pegs at the museum

Mom and me at the museum

Finley and Nan at the museum

Making music together

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year I went out to dinner with Mama, Da,
my Nan, Finley, and Auntie Kirsty!

Finley and I had a lot of fun jumping around the table,

so there aren't too many pictures, but here they are!