fake ice??

We took the kids to a little fake ice rink....

they skated on white plastic & soap.

Connor fell many many times,

Jacob made a new friend

and Mia stayed clean;)
.

.

Connor & I both thought she'd

go down with the first step...

we were both wrong;)

The look of MISCHIEF!
almost went down...
Mia & ConnorJacob & MiaOne of many falls....ouch!After fake ice skating
we went to the mall..

RAINDROPS

Mia's new bedding...

her room has been PINKIFIED!

(a word she made up)

Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house

her hair was in curlers...as cute as a mouse!

CHRISTmas Eve at our house!

Up up & away with flying lessons for GiGi!

New bedding for Miabai

Mia & Jason

UNCLE EMIT

Uncle Bobby, me & Auntie Cleo

my girl;)

nail polish in every color!!!!
stay warm Mia!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas morning once again brought definitive proof

that there is indeed a Santa.

He left a few gifts for Mia

and he knew just what she wanted!

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.

Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.

Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.'

Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

VIRGINIA O'HANLON.

115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET.

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make

glad the heart of childhood.

Happy Birthday Lexie! Time for CAKE!
silly girls eating cake

Mia & Lexie

the girls

bad boys

at the park

Last weekend I took the kids to a

Lowe's Hammer & Nail Class

I thought that by the use of the

word "class" it meant the children would be taught

by a Lowe's employee.

I was wrong.

We arrived to learn that it was a classroom where they

provide the materials and the parents then assist

the child with building the wooden toy.

So...after a moment of panic,

I guided Jacob, Connor & Mia through the instructions

on how to build a wooden train car.

We each hit our fingers once with the hammer...not bad.

Jacob: Alex, will you hold this nail so I can hit it?

Me: Nice try.

sleepy kitty

Gifts for coworkers...

Homemade Double Chocolate Mint cookies

and

Handmade owl ornaments;)

Olive's Christmas Cast..

Rehearsal for the strings winter concert.

In her short 13 weeks of life,

she's been orphaned & abandoned, had surgery,

got stung by a bee, had a bunch of shots

and then tonight,

she broke her little leg.

Such a rough start.

THE CANDY CANE

The use of candy canes on Christmas trees made its way from Europe where they originated to America by the 1800’s, however during this time they were still pure white. They are represented this way on Christmas cards made before 1900, and it is not until the early 20th century that they appear with their familiar red stripes. Many people have given religious meaning to the shape and form of the candy cane. It is said that its shape is like the letter “J” in Jesus’ name. It is also in the shape of the shepherds’ crook, symbolic of how Jesus, like the “Good Shepherd” watches over his children like little lambs. It is a hard candy, solid like a “rock”, the foundation of the Church. The flavor of peppermint is similar to another member of the mint family, hyssop. In the Old Testament hyssop was used for purification and sacrifice, and this is said to symbolize the purity of Jesus and the sacrifice he made. Some say the white of the candy cane represents the purity of Jesus and his virgin birth. The bold red stripe represents God’s love. From its plain early beginnings to its familiar shape and color of today, the candy cane is a symbol of Christmas and a reminder of the meaning of the holiday.

Once in a while, it's fun to try something different.

Wonderful ChristmastimeI took this picture....here's how:

1. Get the dogs attention by making

noise & offering treats.

2. Set the 10 second timer on the camera.

3. Make sure Jason & Mia are looking at the camera

and not messing with the dogs, each other

or the blanket and make sure

that they are still centered.

4. Squeeze squeaky toy to get the dogs attention again.

5. Run & gracefully slide into my spot without

dropping Ellie.

6. 3...2...1...Smile at the camera;)

(Now you see why Ellie has that look on her face.)