Shopping with Isabella

Now I know it was crazy but I decided to take Bryce and Isabella to Target two days before Christmas, ALONE. This was the first time I had taken both of them alone to any store, and I picked the one store that gets me in trouble. I knew I was a major sucker for Isabella, but I wasn't sure what would happen when I was outnumbered. How much would this trip cost me? We went to get their cousin, Katlyn a birthday and a Christmas gift. Upon hearing this, Isabella voiced her concern seing that Target is her store "OK, just to make sure, we are getting me a gift as well right?". I told her we would see, but we are going to get her cousin a gift first. After a painstaking one and a half hours of changing my mind 7 times, calling my sister for advice, and fighting the aisles with the over-sized cart that had the extra cab for kids that I somehow assumed would make shopping easier, I was successful with phase one. Now I had to pay the price. Ok Isabella lets pick out something small for you and Bryce. I am not sure if small triggered Isabella to look for the most expensive small item in the toy store or what but I think she was checking out the prices before she picked anything. I got out with only spending an extra $10. Thank goodness they didn't have the Barbie Dreamhouse she has been asking for.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, what have they done to you?

Oh the new Gallahan tradition of decorating the Christmas tree. Tammy turns on the Christmas music to set the mood. Isabella gets dressed for the occasion (this year her Jasmine princess dress, last year Sleeping Beauty). Pull the tree out of the box and proceed to decorate. Now let me give you some advice on how to decorate when you have a two year old, at least when that two year old is Bryce. Pretty simple really keep all valuable decorations out of arms length. We invested in plastic ornaments last year. Win - no bulb was broken, however a few were eaten. Loss - the  bottom quarter of the tree was emptied. This year would be different, Bryce was a year older surely he would leave the tree alone. So we proceed to decorate. All goes well Bryce and Isabella beautify the tree. The next day the poor tree didn't know what it had coming. At first just a few bulbs disappeared, then a few more, then a couple more and in no time the tree was stripped of its dignity. Oh well it makes taking the tree down go faster.