cookies and hot chocolate

Christmas Eve we made sugar cookies to leave for santa. Kyle came over and helped.












This is the face of a girl who has been eating red and green sprinkles right from the jar :)












Serena didn't feel well all day, but we were glad she joined us for some decorating and hot chocolate.











Kyle helping Serena with her cookies.













Ricky's friend Tara came over too.













She helped Iris make cookies.













Iris decorating a cookie













what we left for santa :)

christmas cookies 1

Serena was sick this christmas eve :(
but that meant that my helper for making cookies is Iris:)















She and I had alot of fun, I had to keep my eye on her though because she kept wanting to take bites :) It reminded me of making a birthday cake for ///////////gabe when Serena was two .She was helping me frost it but she was taking her butter knife and licking it clean almost faster then I could get the cake frosted :) must be a two year old thing :)

dry ice

Its Christmas eve and we found a box on our doorstep. Yummy beef kabobs from gramma
(thanks) and a homeschooling plus, dry ice.
We had a great time pouring water over it and watching the effects.

christmas tradition

we only have a few traditions so far, adding more every year, but letting each child buy an ornament for the tree was something I thought we might have to forgo this year but happily when we went to w/m I saw many of them were just a dollar. Maybe I was wrong about how much they have been in the past but
i was thinking they were 2-4 each. any how I was so glad we found them :)
I picked Xavier's its a little hard to see but it is a clear prism with pictures of snowflakes in the middle. apparently its delicious ;)


Serena wanted a" disco ball" hmmm how does she even know the phrase disco ball, I am not sure, but I love the ornament.











Iris picked this old fashioned looking one. A bell with a bow. it reminds me of my grandmothers antique ornaments.











Here is group photo. Rickys are the ice skates
He is camera shy :) I put Xaviers on a piece of construction paper because it all but disappears on the table.

turn my back for a minute

look what became of my little boy!!













oh what a mess













who ever could be responsible for dropping flour all over her little brothers head?












She looks so cute and innocent doesn't she,
unfortunately the evidence says otherwise ;)
Mommie just cant turn her back!

Breaking news

While I was working on the gingerbread houses post, Serena lost her first tooth :)
She is excited to be getting a visit from the toothfairy!!

gingerbread houses

WE had a nice time making gingerbread houses.
This is serena as Jordon, Kyles friend :)












Getting ready to assemble.
I just didnt have the time to make real gingerbread, maybe next year, but we really enjoyed using graham crackers.










KYle and Jordon came over to help the girls build houses. I am very glad that they did.












Kyle asked Serena what style house would you like? modern? Victorian? hee hee, "I want a castle " she said. uh oh











they set to work














Ricky is busy working ona more traditional stlye house.I was impressed with his knowledge of gingerbread house making. He knew how to put supports in so he could make a nice tall house.











Jordon helps Iris. She is very patient with our Iris who is a little more interested in eating the candies then constructing a house.











I think its great!













A close up













Now here is Ricky's finished house.













Serena gets a castle :) good job Kyle.

tree decorating

This afternoon we decorated the tree.
Iris had a great time discovering all the ornaments and trying to get them to hang on the tree. She isnt much taller then Xavier so many of the ones she hung were taken down by Xavier as soon as she turned her back to get a new ornament :)







This is Xaviers first Christmas. He was very surprised to see this tree being brought in and eyed it suspiciously until we started putting ornaments on it, now he likes it :)










Serena is getting so big. She is into more then just getting the ornaments on she wants them to be just so.











She also wants to decorate other places in the house. here is what she did around the computer.
thats my chatroom where I do housework races with my fly-friends :)










This is the village my grandmother made.
I set it up but Serena said that it was missing people and asked if she could add some, I think its a nice touch.










and there they are. I tell you , geting picture of the three of them looking at the camera is almost a christmas miracle

gingerbread men

We had fun making chain gingerbread men :)
we have our tree to decorate today pictures soon.

Xmas coutdown

WE made an advent wreath of sorts.
The girls painted toliet paper tubes that had been cut in half. then we glued then to a piece of posterboard . a cotton ball was placed in each and then a a couple of pieces of candy to be had each day til christmas eve.
the original directions didnt call for the pieces of construction paper, but we had to have numbers :).

Thanksgiving

We had a very happy thanksgiving. We went to our local UU church and had dinner with some of the members and guests. The weather was an unseasonable 60+ degrees so we played in the
"backyard" while we waited for dinner to be ready.








Xavier trying out walking in the crunchy leaves.














Kyle and Ricky, poor boys were starving but they didnt complain to much. They kicked around a soccer ball . one of the members asked about school and expressed surprise when she found out Ricky is 4 years younger then sophmore is college Kyle, much to Kyles chagrin and much to the delight of Ricky. Its mainly because they are the same height and I am predicting that it wont be all that long til Ricky will be taller.





Serena swinging. She likes to dress up for all occasions. this is a cute little gingerbread man
dress.











Iris didnt want to dress up this day, she is still a cutie pie .












Tired of playing outside they took advantage of the chalkboard wall in the preschool room.












Our new friends. I am so glad that they had this dinner. It gave me a chance to get to know a few members better which was nice. We have been going to the UU church for a few month now and we really like it.