We have been chosen in our hometown to be the Grand Marshall's of the Christmas parade.  The kids are pumped about throwing candy out of a truck bed. A friend of mine and her husband had banners made that have the picture of the book on them.  They are beautiful.  She said she was going to help me with the signs for the parade, but I was thinking cardboard, glue and glitter.  Such a sweet surprise to see my children's faces on a banner, so large, I can scarcely fit it into a picture on my camera.  I took the girls and Adam to Chili's tonight - I just didn't feel like cooking. On the way home, we had a sing-a-long (all four of us) to that song, "just the way you are".  I just felt completely happy. Those moments are fleeting - happiness, pure happiness like that.  Some friends of ours got us an elf on the shelf.  Her name is Crystal.  She made us breakfast yesterday morning to which the three who still believe in Santa were completely amazed by.  "How did she open the donuts? the milk?", "where did she get the plates, the cups?" Then they started to ask her for bigger favors like "can you put Christmas lights on our house?" I thought, Oh Lord, I have really started something here.  I had her in the bathroom the first night and Adam refused to go in there.  He said, "mom, she is creeping me out." He is so funny. Emma has learned how to do three cartwheels in a row.  Poor Allie is trying to master one, but her cartwheel relies on only one hand, so often she falls and hurts her wrist, or her feet.  I cut the girls' hair tonight and it looks extremely cute.  They love it, and Adam couldn't tell them apart.  I am literally, typing this as Emma is singing Christmas Carols and Allie is rolling around on the floor trying to make herself dizzy.  What a Wonderful Life I have!