Happy Birthday Molly!

Molly is two! We can't believe that our little baby has turned into a big girl. Some things about Molly:
Molly has gotten really good at saying please and thank you. She loves to give kisses. Every night before bed she gives a regular kiss, an eskimo kiss, a butterfly kiss and a doggy kiss. She learned the doggy kiss from her cousin Katie. It is just licking the face. Molly is very particular and things must be a certain way. I guess she gets this from her mom. She is very mechanical and loves to figure things out. She loves playing with the Russian nesting dolls we brought home from Ukraine and is very good at turning off the tv with the remote. She likes to go, go, go. She is not a home body at all. She is good with association. She will see someone's car and start naming all the people in the family. When we say prayers, she will start naming people. It is really cute. She also tries to sing along when we sing to her

Molly getting a big birthday hug from her cousin Ben. I am so glad they get along so well.

Molly helping daddy bake her birthday cake. She holds the cord and "helps" move the mixer. When we say we are going to make something, she moves the chair over so she can get in on the action.
I feel so bad for Molly having a birthday right before Christmas. It is hard to know what to do to make it special. I know that she doesn't care at this point, but I still want to make it special.

Molly LOVES buses. She points out all the buses as we drive, most of which we don't even see. Her favorite movie is a bus movie and we can't go very long without getting to sing 'The wheels on the bus'. In the car, she will make different animal sounds for the animals she wants on the bus. There are always a lot of sheep, pigs, and snakes on the bus. She will sing the animal noises and 'all through the town'. It's pretty cute.
I decided to make a bus cake, because there is nothing Molly appreciates more. It seemed a little daunting at first since Molly woke up sick and was feeling miserable all day. Maybe I should learn not to procrastinate. With the help of my sisters, it was actually really fun to make this cake. And Molly even knew what it was!

Molly's favorite book!

Getting ready for Christmas

This will be our first Christmas at home together as a family. When Molly was born we were lucky enough to spend Christmas in the hospital and last year we were in Washington. We decided to make an advent calendar this year. My mom would always make one growing up and I loved them. She would usually make a tree, but Molly loves snowmen so we decided to try that out. Molly loves it and it is the first thing she wants to do in the morning, after watching elmo of course. It is hard to keep her to one a day, but she's pretty good about it. She is really good at sharing her candies.

Molly helping daddy wrap presents. She was really impressed with his wrapping skills.

Molly loved putting up the ornaments, but especially her elmo ornament. He got put up many times and in different places.