Christmas Gift Guide #1

One of my favorite gifts to get as a kid was a new book.  I didn't get new books that often, so when I did I took it all in.  The smell.  The way that the pages were so crisp and unwrinkled.  Don't get me wrong, I loved visiting the library (and I still do) but there was just something so special about having my own 'for keepers' kind of book.

Everyone's seen photobooks for documenting your vacation, a baby's first year, etc. I'm doing a little twist on the photobook for my kids for Christmas. 

That's right!  I'm making a photobook about my two kids and their journey together.  In the past I've made a twist on my daughter's favorite book, writing a version called 'If you give a Lu a Cupcake' which resembled the stories by Laura Joffe Numeroff.

This time though I wrote the girls a book about their relationship. Here's their story:

The Adventures of Pancake and Waffles

"When I was a little baby in Mommy's tummy, my aunts called me Pancake,"  Lu said.
"And who's in Mommy's tummy now?  Another Pancake?"  Daddy asked.
"No, No, Daddy.  That's Green,"  Lu said.  Lu thought Daddy was being absolutely silly.  Everyone knew that she was Pancake.  Daddy even made up a song about her. 
"My name is baby Lu, my aunts call me Baba Lu.  Sometimes they call me pancake too, but I'm just a baby, I'm just a baby, I'm just a little baby Lu..u.uh!"

"Ah, but you aren't a baby anymore Lu,"  Daddy said.  "There's going to be a new little pancake in the family."

Luwasn't sure too sure about that baby .  "She's not going to be Pancake, that's for sure,"  Lu said.

But then Mommy said something even worse than the baby being called Pancake.  "The baby could be a brother!"  Mommy said.

Lu cried.  "But I want a sister!  Not a Pancake, and DEFINATELY not a brother!"

Eventually the time came to find out.  Lu was getting a baby sister!

"Hooray!"  Lu said!  She gave Mommy's tummy a kiss, and then she shook her finger at Mommy's tummy.  "Stay away from my toys."  She said.

"What are we going to name her? "  Mommy asked.  "She needs a real name, not like Green or Pancake."

"Her name's Ellie."  Lu said.

The baby in Mommy's tummy got bigger and bigger, but one thing didn't change.  Lu was adament.  "Her name's Ellie."

And it turned out, it was.  "Lu, meet your sister.  We will call her Ellie."

Lu loved showing off her baby sister.  "This is Ellie,"  Lu would say, "I named her."

"Do you think that we should call her pancake?"  Mommy asked.

"No.  She looks more like a 'Waffles' to me."  Lu said.

"I think that's perfect," Mommy said.  "I love both my Pancake and my Waffles."

At first baby Ellie didn't do much.

But pretty soon, Ellie was giving Lu big smiles.  Noone could make baby Ellie smile more than her big sister.

And it wasn't long until both girls realizes that there was them, and then there was Mommy and Daddy.  Lu and Ellie realized they were a team.

And Lucia realized that she had a lot to teach Ellie.  Lucia couldn't wait for Ellie to get bigger.

So she tried to speed the process a long a little bit. (picture of Lu watering Ellie with a watering can).

Then she started with the teaching.  Tummy time was first.

It wasn't long before Ellie realized that Lu had some pretty cool toys.

And that Lu was a little bit crazy, but that being crazy was also a lot of fun.

They dressed up together.

Bathed together.

Swam together.

Rocked out together.

Did art projects together.

And even yelled "gol" together.

One thing was sure, there was always and adventure to be had.

And with a sister, there was always someone around to play with.

Even if Ellie did want to hoard all of the toys.

Pancake and Waflles learned a lot in their adventures.

Both girls learned that Daddy was awesome.

And Mommy was pretty ok too.

But most ofall, Pancake and Waffles learned that sister love was a very special kind of love to have.

And there was no better friend than a sister  to embark on life's adventures with.


I can't wait to see what the girls think when they open their new book this Christmas.  This might just be a new Christmas tradition.  I think that I'd like to read more about the Adventures of Pancake and Waffles.  What do you think?