What?! 3 days until Christmas??!

Yes, I know I am way behind on my blog posts, but this whole coming home a week before Christmas has me a bit out of sorts!  Ciera and I finally decorated the tree last night, I had put it up the night before and I took out some house decorations after the kids (wow that's so cool to say!) went to sleep, but the major decoration bin (with the big stuff in it) is behind about 6 other bins in the basement, and I just don't feel the urge to move all that stuff to get them out, so they can be out for 5 days.  So it'll be a low decoration year this year, Ciera has not noticed as we have the important stuff out...the tree and the stockings!
 
I kept Ciera home from school/daycare today as my brother and my mom were supposed to come out to meet Tienna, they didn't end up coming much to Cieras' disappointment, but after lunch I dressed both girls up in Christmas outfits and we trekked over to Woodbine Mall to see Santa.  What a great Santa, we were there for Ciera's first Christmas/Santa picture and I will be going back there every year now.  He is a very nice man and the setting is very nice, I was getting tired of the green and white striped chair at Bramalea City Centre.   We got there about 12:30 and there were only about 4 families in front of us, BONUS!   Tienna was a bit fussy so she was drinking her bottle in the stroller, we got to our turn and I plucked it out of her mouth, she started to cry, so I jiggled her (she loves this!) and plunked her on Santa's lap.  Ciera, who has never actually sat on Santa's lap of her own free will, actually got up and sat on his other knee.  I think it was the pressure of "uh oh if my baby sister can do it so can I", and she actually smiled this year, not a great smile but a smile none the less.  We got out stuff together, moved to the cash desk, paid and were handed our pictures!  What service, no "please come back in 30 minutes" right then and there, how great is that.  We were in and out of the mall with our pictures in under 45 minutes, heck I think the drive there and back took longer!
 
The result is posted here......I'm hoping to do a home shot tomorrow evening (hoping for both kids in good moods, evenings do not seem to be Tienna's happiest time!) for my now very late Christmas cards, but better late than never I say!  Hey, I can always say I'm celebrating the Russian orthodox Christmas this year and that I am right on time :-)
 
Poor Tienna, not a great time of year to be trying to get into some sort of routine, but she is going with the flow pretty well.  Here's hoping next week we can get into a predictable routine.
 
I seem to be having some sort of luck lately, perhaps I should be out buying lottery tickets.....we went to the OHIP office yesterday to get Tienna's OHIP.  The Service Ontario web site said the Brampton office was experiencing higher than normal volumes so I decided to head to Milton, a 30 minute drive.  I got there, parked and walked into the office.....I was stunned...I was literally the only person there who was not staff!!!   I had every piece of paper they could possibly want to see for the adoption and the only one she asked for was her immigration form.  No issue on the waiving of the 90 day wait period, done, in and out in under 20 minutes!  Awesome!!!!
 
Ok, I'm off to do yet another load of laundry....I've added one tiny person yet seem to be doing a whole heck of a lot more laundry how is this possible?  She's not even a messy little person...I don't get it.  This whole time of day usage sucks when you are actually at home during the day and then I'm off to bed.  I've been up REALLY late (1:00/2:00/3:00) the past 3 nights and tonight I am pooped, I fell asleep giving Tienna her bedtime bottle...in my defence it was dark in her room and she was warm and cuddly!
 
I will catch up on our trip home post over the next few days.....in the midst of wrapping Christmas presents!!