Alathea Live

Facebookers, see http://wbsenglish.blogspot.com to view these videos of Alathea:

We're really enjoying the new skills Alathea's exhibiting lately (at 11 months).  The first video shows a sweet thing she does to whomever happens to be on her level.  

The second video may be a fluke because most of the time she couldn't choose the right animal, but Daddy's continuing to work with her on it... :-)

Festive Timeline

We enjoyed celebrating Christmas with Lucy, a Taiwanese student Wes met through one of the Christian Unions with which he works.  Here are some of the things we did and ate: 

 December 23

Helping Daddy Roll Out the Dough

Decorating Her First Christmas Cookies

Christmas Eve

Our Little Tree

Lucy Made Chinese Food

Following Betsy's Family's Tradition, We Opened Stockings

 

Christmas

Opening Presents

Sleeping Beauty on One Side

Belle on the Other

 

 

We Enjoyed a Traditional Christmas Dinner at Friends' House, Complete with Crackers to Pop Afterward (the Gold and Red Cylindrical Objects)

Bread Sauce, Ham, Chestnut Stuffing, Turkey, Cranberry Sauce, Roasted Potatoes, Stuffing, Brussels Sprouts, Sausage, Bacon (and We Brought the Green Bean Casserole)

Christmas Pudding (Fruitcake) for Dessert (and Sweet Potato Pie from Us)

Pulling a Cracker

Putting on Crowns from Inside Our Crackers

 

 

Boxing Day (December 26)

Tortilla Soup

Budding Artist

I've begun to be impressed by some of Sophia's drawings (for all the wrong reasons, I'm sure the child development experts would say).  One reason is that I can actually recognize some of the subjects!  For a long time now I've been presented with millions of pages of multi-colored scribbles to appreciate--and I did try to appreciate them as I hesitantly asked, "And what is that a picture of?"

 

My photograph of this picture is wanting, but I liked this landscape with trees, a sky the color of sunrise, sunset, or, knowing Sophia, that could be a rainbow, plus green grass atop brown dirt.

And this one Wes and I were both really proud of.  This is a Christmas tree with ornaments and presents underneath.

Jesse Tree

I've found an Advent Calendar I'm really enjoying using with Sophia this year called, The Real Christmas Tree. With it comes short daily devotionals to use as you count down the days to Christmas.  One of the many activities the author suggests is making a "Jesse Tree," which is the real Christmas tree.  (See a picture of ours below.)  With it we're tracing Jesus' family tree, including people like Adam, Ruth, and Josiah.  We're also learning promises God shared with His people centuries before Jesus' birth about the coming of His special king.  

There are two other calendars in this series.  For more info: thegoodbook.com (US) OR The Good Book Company (UK)

 

Almost Twins

Here they are in your matching outfits, Mom!  Sophia thinks matching with her sister is pretty neat.

 

 

Winter Wonderland

From our back window Wednesday (by Friday we had nearly 1 ft. of snow)

Nearly 2 ft. long icicle outside our back window

Another view of "great-great-grandpa" icicle, as Sophia calls it (as opposed to the medium-sized "mommy" icicles or smaller "baby" ones)

Arctic fringe framing our view

This picture doesn't do it justice, but the sunset and snow were a beautiful pair.