Christmas is coming

Now that Thanksgiving is over, Christmas is coming at our house. Monday we spent the day in the kitchen. For breakfast we made homemade biscuits and they were so yummy. I let the girls help knead the dough. They liked that, but were mad when they couldn't keep going. Then we made sugar cookies. They picked the cookie cutters they wanted to use and took turns cutting them out. After baking we decorated them with icing and sprinkles. My patience was running short and I felt bad for not letting them be more creative, but we got through the process nonetheless.
Alex found some papers I had printed out when I was planning our Christmas program for church and has been carrying them around for 2 days. She has a green twistable crayon (the best crayons ever!) and has been 'working' diligently at it. She has underlined sentences and calls it her homework.
More and more often I find the girls in their room reading books. They sit on Emma's bed and go through books and 'read' them to each other.
I've also noticed that Emma's play is getting more imaginative. She was at her little kitchen the other day and playing with the coffee maker. She's done that a million times, but this time she was making the coffee maker noises while she 'made coffee'.
Both girls are really becoming more conversational. Speaking more clearly and in longer sentences. Vocalizing their though processes instead of just repeating what they think they should say.
Alex will be fitted for braces this week. We realize she doesn't need them for her feet, but she does need some stabilization in her legs to help her balance. So, she will be getting braces again very soon.