Santa Claus is coming.....

Well, he actually arrived a little early for a visit with local neighbors and friends recently, and the royals had the pleasure of hanging with Mr. and Mrs. Claus for a short while. It was an exciting day at the Morning Travelers playgroup (http://www.morningtravelers.org), although the day became even more exciting when Mr. and Mrs. Claus dropped by to check on the kids and determine which ones were 'naughty' and which ones were 'nice.' Fortunately for Tony and Wendy, their kidlets received goodies from Santa Claus---which generally means that they've been good. :)

Alec gets a 'high five' from Mrs. Claus...although all he wants to do is eyeball Santa and get that gift he's holding.... (one track mind...)
Aramis fares better and is surprised when Santa gives him a gift! :)

The crowd begins to gather.....

Abby is fascinated by the man and woman in red. She thinks Santa is pretty darn hot!

She tells him that she wants "a doll house and books...."

...and to make certain that she gets what she wants, she lays a big 'ol smooch on Santa. (We're pretty sure it'll work...). :)

Happy Holidays to everyone!!!

Sniffles, stuffing and sweets.....

The last two weeks have been a complete blur in the kingdom. After packing up our royal chariot for a trip south to Arlington, Raleigh, Charlotte and Richmond for the holidays, we were off on one wild adventure. The royals enjoyed a brief visit in Arlington and our nation's capital, and quickly ventured south to Raleigh for an Avery Family visit, at which point, the health of the royals turned south as well. The sniffles began and the photos below prove how one microscopic bug can take out an entire family (or two for that matter....). So, back into the car we went on our trip back home to avoid infecting anyone else. After a very quick visit in Richmond (where the kids spent hours in front of a closet mirror....) to say HI to Uncle Chuck, we arrived back home just in time for a delayed Thanksgiving feast and holiday preparations. The royal kidlets put together their annual advent calendar (above) and we're putting final touches on our holiday decorations. WHEW! We're now preparing for our next travel adventure--and hope that we've kicked the 'winter bugs' so that we can fully enjoy our next trip...sans sickness!

King Tony and Prince Alec asleep in Raleigh....things move pretty slow down south. :)

Aramis and Abby take over the Avery's new Genevieve Gorder-designed couches. They are not only beautiful and stylish--but totally comfortable--as you can see..... :)

Cutie Cole Avery has a little lunch....he's adorable!

"Craft night" included the making of advent calendars. Since we have one gifted to us by Big Brother Erick and his family a few years ago, we now help other families create their own to enjoy this festive favorite! Fun, fun, fun!! :)

The entire 'Kid Crew' in Raleigh--dining around the island, chatting away and talking about plans for the day. And so it begins....coffee talk! :)

Alec and Abby posing in the closet mirror post-bath. We enjoyed some sweet accommodations during our travel and the kids just loved checking out new places! :)