You've come a Long way, baby

Today Larkin, Layne and I were ladies who lunch with Santa Claus. 

It was the Junior League's A Christmas Affair Lords-a-Leaping and Ladies Dancing brunch, complete with gingerbread house decorating, the Nutcracker ballet and pictures with Santa.

Many thanks to Devon, who gave us her tickets because she thought my girls would love it. She was so right!



We were excited to meet Baby Anne, Ha-Ha and Matt there. Here are our sweet girls, dressed up holidays-style:



Gingerbread house decorating was fun, although Larkin and Layne kept asking when they got to eat the candy. Once we all agreed we should show Daddy a fully intact, decorated house, we could focus on the decorations.





Then Ballet Austin performed the Nutcracker, and the girls were front and center in the audience, completely enthralled by the dancers.







When we finished watching the ballet performance and decorating our house, it was time to wait in a very long line to have the girls' picture taken with Santa. (Unfortunately we weren't allowed to use our own cameras.) 

After hanging back for a moment, Larkin climbed onto Santa's lap and asked him for a hamburger and french fries for Christmas. 

Layne absolutely refused to sit on Santa's lap, squirmy arched back and all, even when we bribed her with a candy cane. 

For their picture the girls sat on the chair and Santa peeked from behind. It was cute, and hopefully the photographer got something decent that I'll want to order.

Baby Anne, on the other hand, sat perfectly on Santa's lap. Ah, 9 month-olds. 

And once Matt saw the gingerbread house in all its glory, it was fair game.