Katie's big day.

As the sleet and snow fell Thursday, kids all over the Metroplex were hoping beyond hope that Friday would be a snow day--but not at our house! Friday was the third grade field trip to see The Nutcracker at the Bass Hall, and Katie had been looking forward to it for months. We were delighted that the roads were clear, school was in session, and the trip was made. How nice for Katie and her classmates to get gussied up and go to the ballet!

Another long-awaited event finally arrived Friday night. For years Nana has invited her granddaughters to help her trim her Christmas tree. The tradition started with Cara, the oldest granddaughter. Since Cara's grown and working in Cleveland, the tradition now includes Katie and her two cousins.

They eat dinner, trim the tree, visit a family friend and have a sleepover. Because this was a girls' night, we took Ryan to see Flushed Away while the girls played. He did get to put one ornament on the tree before we left for the theater:

(You'll notice Ryan's mad multitasking skills: Game Boy and tree-trimming at the same time!)

We loved the movie (my name has a cameo--just get a good look at the cast on Rita's dad), and we even got in a little trip to Best Buy while we were out.

Soon after we returned home, Nana called because Katie wasn't feeling great. Her sleepover was cut short, but Katie still had a great time celebrating this annual tradition.