Holiday Fun

Poppop, Ellie, Sophie, and Frosty

Mommom and Ellie, trying to figure out how to watch the Frozen trailer on youtube.  Ellie and Gabe's first movie!  They loved it.

It's not Christmas without the Grinch.

Poppop and Gabe.

Making pizzelles, because you can never have enough holiday cookies.

Zaina and the Littles

Jonah!

Gabe thinks the "noisy dog" is the best thing ever.

My pretty girl

Roar!

Negre Blanc!  

Christina entertaining Ellie with her phone.

Katie and Gabe

Gabe dug Aunt Janis' snow village.

And finally, doing some art, on step stool AND tippytoes, at the neighbors.

Next up, New Years!

Deck the Halls

I soooooo love decorating for the holidays.  It's always depressing to undo it all in January.

Holiday Card

Can you believe I actually pulled this off this year?!?

Selfie

Just me and E, playing with the cell phone camera.

Milkshake Buddies

We had lunch at Horsefeathers yesterday with ours friends that live in Croton.  The girls haven't seen each other in almost a year, but that didn't stop Ellie and Eliza from bonding over a chocolate milkshake.

Purple Blanket

Meet Purple Blanket.  He's always called "Purple Blanket," as if he may get confused with some other scrap of fabric Gabe insists on carrying around with him and cuddling with on the couch.  Purple Blanket was actually given to Ellie by Bri's cousin Les when she was born.  It's even personalized with Ellie's name and date of birth.  But no matter.  Purple Blanket has officially become Gabe's and I think it's going to be around for a while.  Sometimes he just lays on floor and says "mommy, I like purple blanket."  It kills me.

Cookies Galore

I've always loved playing hooky on snow days and making cookies.  And now it's actually an appropriate activity!  This Tuesday the schools were closed so Ellie and I made sugar cookies and then invited the neighbor girls over to help decorate/cover themselves in frosting.  Other than making a serious rookie mistake (next time:  lunch then cookies, not cookies then lunch!) it was great.  And I haven't stopped eating cookies since.

Pirate Ellie measures the flour.

Gabe and Gaby perform quality control.

Pirate Ellie insisted on using a butterfly cookie cutter.  Why not?

Later in the week we made gingerbread boys for Ellie's teachers.    And now we're officially out of cookies.  We better get baking!

Winter!

Wow. Hanukkah was here.  And it was awesome.  And it was also Thanksgiving, so we ate and ate and drank wine with the neighbors and opened presents every night and all was good.  And now it's really winter.

This year's tree.

Sitting on the radiator, waiting for snow.

We did a gingerbread house last year and I've decided it's a must-do-tradition.  My favorite part is figuring out a way to include some of the kids' toys.  This year almost had an underwater Octonauts theme, but then I remembered I'm not that talented.

Night One

Latkes?  Check.  Matzoh ball soup?  Check.  Too exhausted to to take advantage of my mom being here to sneak out for date night?  Check.  Still a great day?  Check.

Thanksgivukkah

It's Thanksgivukkah!  Everybody ready?!?  

Because we like to keep things really confusing, we're frying up latkes and baking a ham.  Happy holidays!

Young Love by the Fire

Gabby and Gabey, just chilling by the fire.  They need a bearskin rug and a bottle of champagne.

School Photo

So, I was able to resist the 1980's laser background, but I guess I couldn't resist dressing her like a total flower-child hippie?  When she becomes a successful corporate attorney I'm going to taunt her with this photo.

Piano Tunes

Aww, doesn't this look sweet?  Uncle Jeremy, Ellie, and Dylan plunking out a tune on the piano. To be fair, it didn't quite sound as sweet as it looked.  But let's not nitpick.

Bye Bye Curls

I'm finally adjusting to Gabe's new haircut.  I call this his Corporate CEO Head Shot.

See?  He's suddenly 16.

Mall Dancing: The Boogie Returns

We went to the mall today and got Gabe's hair cut, which was totally traumatic and OH MY GOD it's so short, and I was barely holding back tears, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let his curls grow back. Like, now. Okay, enough of that.

Ellie found herself a mirror (and stylish hat) at DSW and had herself a little dance party.  I couldn't help but smile through my devastation.

Yummmm

Someone is REALLY enjoying his daddy's spaghetti sauce.

Purrrrr

Sophie is continuing her long-running streak as the World's Most Tolerant Cat.  Now if only we could cure her of waking us up at 5:30 every morning yowling like the apocalypse has arrived.

Let the Snow Fly

No, there's not actually snow in here yet.  But when it comes?  We're ready.  I want to spend all winter sitting by the fire, playing Scrabble and charades.  And dreaming of Spring, of course.

Happy Halloween

So, everyone's seen E.T., right?  Remember the scenes on Halloween night when the streets were FULL of kids running around and there was enough mayhem that a boy and his alien could wander around undetected?  That's what our street is like.  It's insane and awesome.  I used to have stress dreams about the holiday crowds at the movie theater I worked at in high school.  Now I'll have stress dreams about the hordes of costumed little people demanding candy.  It was a shockingly similar experience. I loved it.

Gabe, helping unload the candy from the car.

Ellie, blown away by all the candy and not understanding why we couldn't go Trick or Treating NOW.

The local crew.

The Greatest American Hero and Flying Princess Ballerina wait impatiently for their first customers.  It took a really long time for them to understand that they would get candy from OTHER PEOPLE'S HOUSES, not from our own candy bowl, but now that they've experienced Trick or Treating for real?  They get it.  Fully support it.  Embrace it wholeheartedly.  Want to do it again today.  And tomorrow.

Oldies but Goodies

These pictures are a little old, but Elle looks so sassy and happy I had to post them.  They're from Third Friday a month ago.  It was her first cotton candy, and she definitely approved.

Music Box

Ellie, listening to the music box her godfather gave her when she was born.

We Clean Up Good

The other day two different people commented that I looked "different."  The big difference?  I'd managed to take a shower that morning.  So, in that spirit, here's a shot of me and Bri at Dave and Jen's super fun wedding this weekend.  We danced and danced and danced some more, and at some point my heels came off and I'm lucky I could get them back on at the end of the night.

Not Ready for This

When did Ellie turn into Miley Cyrus?

Basement Selfie

Birthday Party Madness

Birthday Party!  Birthday Party!  Yesterday we had a bunch of neighborhood kids over to celebrate Ellie's birthday.  Brian piled up all the fallen leaves in the center of the backyard and BINGO, hours of entertainment.  We also stole Mary's idea from Jack and Bob's party and decorated mini pumpkins.  Glitter everywhere!

Ellie and Gabe "pre-partying" with Pirates Booty.  Elle was planning to be a flying pink ballerina but changed to a bumblebee flower at the last minute.  Gabe is, of course, the Greatest American Hero.  Cue theme music.

Anybody want a twizzler?

Uncle Mike and Todd, probably discussing a football trade.

Mike Wozowksi and the Greatest American Hero.  They're starting a spin-off.

Ava throwing herself in to the leaves

Gabby and bubbles

The birthday girl apparently thinks bubbles taste good

Greatest American Hero morphing into a Bumblebee

So happy!

Wheeeeee!

Leaves are the best

Pumpkin Decorating

Licking the frosting off her princess decoration

Happy Birthday, Ellie Darling.  This morning she woke up and said, "I don't feel four."  Trust me, kid.  I don't believe it either.