Fun with Chippy the Elf!

Hi there and Merry A Week Away From Christmas!!

I wanted to share our pictures of our new elf, Chippy!  He mysteriously appeared on our doorstep on December 1.  Inside the box, there was a typed letter from Santa, explaining that this elf would travel nightly to the North Pole to report on BC's behavior for the day.  Each morning, he is in a new place and we have to find him.  So fun!!

 Reading the book and naming our new elf 

 Chippy also suffered through December's ROUND ONE of sickness

 Gone fishin'!

 He reads, too!

 Chippy, the ar-teest!

 Just hanging around...by a candy cane hook ... the next night, he ate his and left one out for Bear Cub

 He floated in from the North Pole with a really cool balloon!

 Late night cards

 Dental hygiene is important for elves, too!

 Check-up night!

 Christmas movie night!

We've had ROUND 2 of sickness ... fever has been gone now all day, so hopefully BC is on the mend!  Chippy's note helped!

 

 

We have until the night of Dec. 24 with Chippy ... and then he'll fly home to the North Pole with Santa.  He'll be back again next year!  :)

More pics!

 Showing me what he wants for Christmas while at IKEA.  I've been taking pics of him with everything he has asked for...it's a handy tool to look back on!  Makes shopping easy!

 Bear Cub's November family project from school - dress up a turkey to fit in with your family.  We are a University of Florida family, so Go Gators and Gobble, Gobble!

 Over Veteran's Day, we flew up to Indiana to enjoy a visit with BC's GREAT grandparents!  We had a wonderful trip...got to experience some beautiful Fall weather and then even a dose of winter on the morning that we headed home!  Fun!

 All smiles with his Great-Grandma S  :)

 A fun dinner out with Aunt Julie and Uncle Tom

 Exploring the corn fields at Grandma and Grandpa C's house was an adventure for him!

 He spent HOURS doing this...trying to catch (and successfully doing so) the goldfish in their backyard pond.  It was catch and release, no worries.  :)

 Why not swing in the snow?!?!  Brrrr! 

 Scooping up the snow so he could taste it.  He said it tasted just like a water popsicle! 

 Good times with G & G C

 He brought home some adorable Thanksgiving crafts! 

 Zoe was chilly one day after a bath.  She stayed like this for a long time!

 This sweet girl celebrated her 10th birthday!  Happy birthday, Zoe Belle!

 This is "Hunting Rattlesnake"  - the kids got to come up with their own Indian name...how perfect for BC!

 Yes, he would LOVE one of these for Christmas, but he will NOT be getting one.  Santa doesn't deliver snakes...might freak out the reindeer.  ;)

 Bear Cub chose another gorgeous tree!  He's a pro!  We are loving the decorations...makes the room so cozy and warm at night.

 Enjoying a beautiful after Thanksgiving day at the park with pretty Mimi.   :)

 Car ride to cousin A's first birthday!

 Smiley baby cousin G!  She is gorgeous and makes the CUTEST, loudest noises when she's happy!

 The beautiful birthday girl! 

 Bear Cub LOVES his cousins! 

Fall pictures! FINALLY! :)

 Looking super cute in his Halloween PJs! 

 Poor Zoe...I like to make her "sit like a person" just for photo opps

 Proud of his October school proejct!

 Lovin' life at "Repticon" - a BIG reptile convention at the Fairgrounds

 For the NON-snake lover...this place would be a NIGHTMARE.  There were snakes in these little containers EVERYWHERE. For BC, well....it was a dream come true!

 These little girls' parents are reptile breeders.  I think one of these girls may be BC's future bride...  Look at the snakes they're holding!

 He was THRILLED to bring home another fence lizard, which he named, "Repticon" or "Rep" for short.

 Pumpkin picking!  BC found the perfect one...it took awhile for him to find one with no "lumps, bumps, or dents," but he DID IT!

 Love, love, love my handsome boys  :)

 Time to carve!  (Notice the vining plant off to the left...that's a pumpkin vine from LAST year's carving...seeds got buried and sprouted back in the Spring!)

 BC wanted to make the pumpkin look like Zoe, so he drew this on to help with the carving.  So cute...but we had to change the design, just a tiny bit.  ;)

 Finished product and pretty Zoe-like, I think!

 BC with one of his fave cousins - Miss A!  We went on a nature walk together and she was very into holding his critter container. 

 What a pair.  :)

 Our new patio furniture! 

 BC's "character parade" on Halloween day at school.  It was SO cute.  The kindergartners paraded around the cafeteria for the parents, in costume, holding the book they were dressed up from.  He was the frog from "Ribbity, Fribbit!"

 I was a helper at his afternoon Halloween party - so fun!

 And...the cutest frog EVER!!

 Hoping to get some tasty flies when trick-or-treating!

 Ready to go!

 "Zoe" all lit up!

 Waiting patiently for his name to be called at the Awards Ceremony.  He earned Honor Roll (so proud!) and Perfect Attendance.  Go Bear Cub!

One quick smile for mom ... and his pretty (and absolutely WONDERFUL) teacher in the background!