This post is really only about Minnie, but I did throw in an aside about Dorothy and Cooper

 

I felt so RUSHED this year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We didn't even light the menorah one single night. Wait no, that's not true. We did light it one night-- the night of our annual sibling gift exchange-- but it was WAY past sundown. I didn't have my holiday ish together enough to ebven buy candles!

I blame my university for not having a fall break AND ALSO the extreme lateness of Thanksgiving.

ANYWHO. I resolved that this year, I would be ready early for all of the things, and V-Day is up first. Not only do I have everyone's gifts purchased, but I also have cards and candy AND Minnie has already made her school Valentines. I even have 2 extra boxes of pre-made Valentines to take to school when I volunteer in class this week for kids who might not be planning to make them at home.

They're just so stinking cute.

She made bespoke cards for each person and wrote lobe Minnie on the back. hen she put them in little treat bags with stamps, a heart-shaped pop it for their back packs, and a couple teeny containers of Play-Doh, plus confetti. Then she wrote the recipient's name on a cute little heart tag. I love them!

Can I just say, apropos of nothing, that Santa hit it out of the park with the Barbie Dream House? Minnie has played with t every single day, and her 2 BFFs also each got one and love to go house to house playing Barbies.

It is so cold here that my tween and teen are WEARING COATS and GLOVES. Wow.

The Clorox wipes in the foreground here are perfect. Cold and flu season indeed. Minnie was delighted her entire ballet class and is thrilled to be dancing a Tinker Bell themed number for the recital.

Also thrilling? She has been nagging and nagging for a chore chart, and her dreams have finally come true. I gotta take a picture of her making her bed-- it is too much. She also insisted I add "dust" to her chart, and she uses a Swiffer duster VERY SERIOUSLY.

Her laundry folding! IS SO CUTE I can't stand it.

And she told me I could put reading on her chart and she will do it every day, but it is NOT a chore. I FINALLY GOT A READER YOU GUYS. IT ONLY TOOK 4 PRIOR ATTEMPTS.