Nine days in a row at home!

Our daycare closes for two weeks each year - during July 4th week and during Christmas week - so I took some vacation days and had an entire nine days (including the weekends) at home with my girls. It was awesome.

Here are some of the things we've been up to:

• Christmas cookie making: The fourth annual sister cookie making night expanded to a new generation to include the girls this year. They actually had a really good time eating the raw dough and sprinkles. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZlh4R9c158 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXUKtbS5-Qk



Cookies!

• Pedicures and dance parties: Brooklyn is obsessed with the polish on my toe nails (Darren got me a pregnancy spa package for my birthday so I had a pedicure, facial and massage, which was amazing.) She wouldn't stop pointing to my toes so I got out the polish and did hers too. She was so excited. Then I tried to do Bailey's. She screamed! Not a nail polish fan. I got two toes done on Bailey. The girls are also obsessed with spinning in circles to the Frozen soundtrack and Taylor Swift videos so we did a lot of that that, too. And I totally caught Darren dancing with them to T. Swift. 



Brooklyn top, Bailey bottom

• Family parties: We did a Christmas exchange with Darren's family before Christmas, Christmas Even with my family and Christmas Day with Darren's extended family. So many nice gifts! The girls really started to get the hang of opening presents too. (Watch Christmas morning time lapsed in 25 seconds). They had a lot of favorites but really loved the fold out couches from Darren's sister, the kitchen set from my parents and the twin cabbage patch dolls from us.



Couches

• A visit to the farm: Darren's grandma lives on a farm. The girls got to see cows up close. Bailey wasn't a fan of the dark barn, but both girls liked watching the cows eat outside in the daylight. 



Cows!

Outdoor walks: We had really unusually warm weather for December.We let the girls walk around outside (which more of a frantic run). They even pushed their baby doll strollers for a bit. Super cute.

Twins pushing twins!

Zoo: We also took advantage of one of the warm days to take the girls to the zoo with our zoo pass. Highlight of the trip was seeing both tigers out and hearing the one tiger roar (loudly!) several times.

Zoo

Botanical Gardens: We went to the all aglow at Botanical Gardens on Christmas Eve morning. Saw the lights, the Christmas trees, the ginger bread houses and all the flowers. Girls really liked the canopy view in the main indoor exhibit. 

Canopy view

Double engagement - Both my brother AND sister got engaged on Christmas Eve! This made for a super fun celebration that night. Girls even got to enjoy the champagne toast (with sparkling apple juice).

Double engagement!

• Swimming - We also took the girls swimming at my aunt's apartment. They haven't been swimming since this summer so it took them a bit to warm up to it. Lots of splashing!

More pictures from Christmas!

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