Maple’s First Birthday and Irvine Park Christmas Train

Can’t believe we’re only six days away from Christmas! Catching up on some beginning of December events…

Maple’s First Birthday party was a a chic Winter ONE-derland party and the birthday girl was stylin’ on her big day!

This year flew by! We were so happy to celebrate sweet Maple.

Parker was a wonderful co-host and helped all the kids at the craft table.

The beautiful decor, dessert table and macarons were to die for… Maple is already such a foodie!

After celebrating Maple’s big day, we took our annual ride on the Christmas Train with the Kagels and Gerins.

Christmas Train in years past:

Let’s get this party started!

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Noah is a little outnumbered by all his girl cousins.

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Looking festive with their hot cocoa.

The line to see Santa was crazy ridiculous, and the Gerins/Kagels made the right call by heading back on the train to do some activities while we waited in line so the girls could talk to Santa. It was Meredith’s first time seeing Santa, after all, so we stuck it out for the picture opportunity, even though our time was probably better spent elsewhere. It may have helped that Santa had called them on the phone (I signed up through our city to have “Santa” call one night and ask the girls if they were being good sisters and ask them to clean up their toys!), but this was the first year the twins actually wanted to talk with him in person.

Samantha and Amelia kept themselves entertained while we were waiting.

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Meredith was jealous and kept trying to figure out how to get up that tree.

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Meredith’s first time seeing Santa!

First: nonchalance.

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Second: Confusion.

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Third: Betrayal!

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The progression of Meredith’s reaction is classic:

Once we hopped back on the train and got some food in her belly, Meredith was in better spirits, having forgotten the terrifying old man with whom her parents so negligently left her. She watched the girls win the inevitable inflatable animals at the carnival and giggled as Noah and the twins ran around the park chasing each other. Baby Hailey was so cozy and snug in her Baby Bjorn while Meredith chilled and took in the lights from her stroller.

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We can’t escape any holiday activity without getting roped into cookie decorating by the twins. It’s like they have an internal sensor that starts beeping whenever we’re within a three-mile radius of sprinkles and toxic food coloring.

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I have no idea how those three little bellies could consume such massive amounts of sugar, but they gobbled those monsters up like it was nothing.

Next year, Meredith and Hailey might get a bite!

Lots of love,

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Silly Christmas Videos

We’ve been having fun making silly videos this Christmas! Thanks, Santa, for the bribing opportunity. The girls are obsessed with these!

Amelia’s video:

Samantha’s Santa message… remarkably similar to Amelia’s…hmmmmm….

Our slightly frightening family video:

Lots of love,

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