My Baby is the Next Leonard Bernstein

He's also discovered his hands.

He must have sucked on his first for a good half hour this afternoon.

Impromptu New Year's Eve Eve Party

Someone's snitching fudge from the smorgasbord!

The Aftermath

I always get a little sad Christmas afternoon when the presents have all been opened and the excitement has died down. This was our little living room Christmas afternoon, stockings on the ground, ornaments almost completely removed from the tree (by Lucy), and the sunlight shining through the windows.

And, whoa, look at this hair! Every morning is a new concoction from a good night's rest (sprinkled with a few feedings, of course).

Christmas 2010

Highlights:

• Buzz Lightyear and Miles are inseparable
• Breakfast casserole (think bacon, sausage, bread, eggs and half and half=divine!)
• Smiling happy Henry
• Legos for Finn, Belle for Lucy
• A nap for the Missus
• T. Schuller hamburgers on ciabatta for dinner (I know, I know, so traditional)
• A surprisingly mellow crowd while we watched "The Nativity" on Christmas Eve
  

The Beckoning Sled Hill

And what sledding excursion isn't complete without a round of hot chocolates topped in huge swirls of whipped cream?

Candy Houses

What have we been up to, you ask? Among other things, decorating candy houses. I love seeing what these little minds create: gardens, flowers, trusses out of pretzels, on and on and on, out of some royal icing, marshmallows and M&M's. (I had made the houses the night before and then the kids decorated them the next day. It was nice because the houses were already set-up and we didn't have the whole slanted-house-falling-apart-shenanigan).

And, in other news, Travis finished Part II of his boards today. I feel like I can breath again. It was pretty touch and go there these last few weeks for me, single-parenting. I couldn't operate on a long-term daily basis without his help! But, he's back and we've lived to tell the story of how we almost celebrated Christmas 2010 with a Dad whose nose was stuck in a book. I think a hallelujah chorus is in order. And some wassail. Or fudge. Or both.

Teachers Lunch

Instead of giving a bag of pretzel rods this time of year, like I usually do, I decided to give Finn and Lucy's teachers a special box lunch.

Inside each clam shell box was: chicken salad croissant sandwich, fresh fruit, vegetable bundle, spinach dip and turtle brownie.

And, to down it all? Sparkling lemonade.

This gift was so fun to put together (it's all about the packaging!) I felt like a kid in a candy store picking out the containers at Dean's Supply yesterday. I used some vintage wrapping paper, satin ribbon and a tag to spruce them up and finish them off. Even the postman got one.

Decking the Halls

It was our last gig as Activities Co-chairs for our ward this past weekend: the Christmas Dinner.

White paper on the tables for coloring, white lights galore, simple and easy as it should be.

It was a bittersweet night for me. Sweet for the friends and acquaintances enjoying a traditional turkey meal together, and bitter because this girl's "party planner" hat will be on the rack for a while. Or maybe not. Lucy's birthday is coming up in January....

Edible

If only all parts of my day could create such joy for me as bathing this little guy. I had to take the opportunity the noontime sun and snow-covered backyard gave me to photograph this one. He is content most of the time and buttery skin covers his ever-growing fat rolls. He coos (doesn't talk back). He loves being kissed (doesn't resist affection). Faces provide a world of interest for him. And I thought my "babymoon" was over.

Bed Buddies

Every night we put Miles to bed in his crib and Finn to bed on the adjacent double bed.

And these are the scenes we come upon when we go to check on them before we go to bed.

I'm glad to see Elmo has made his way into the mix.

Adventing It + Blessed Baby

Day 1

Day 2

Day 4

Henry on his blessing day. He is still as sweet as can be and my late-night drinker. As I always do when they're this little, I want him to stay this small for alot longer. I think he has other plans though.

Happy December 1st!

Just listed this. Go to sidebar link to see it in my shop!

Fly is Timing By

We're still here, though a little rounder due to some serious candy-making this past weekend. Henry let me sleep a whole 6 hours at a stretch last night (bless him), and Finn has decided he wants to eat not only lunch and snack at school, but breakfast too. He likes to play board games with his friend Xavier after finishing his Rice Krispies and strawberry milk. I'm listening to Pandora "Cambridge Singers" station non-stop and thinking of things to put in my advent calendar this year. Our neighbors are moving this week which makes us sad, but thank goodness it's only a few blocks away. Play dates live on forever! I hope this finds you all well and enjoying my favorite time of year- the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Working It

There's something very soothing to me about working with chocolate. It requires something of me. I can't temper it (pouring and handling it on a cold marble slab) without surrendering impatience and bitterness. It pulls out bits of laziness and replaces them with sweetness. I suppose it's the nature of the large-batch process: it would be a shame to eat them all myself. It requires, or at least politely asks for, generosity. The craft wasn't mine to begin with. I was taught. It came with the unspoken expectation that I would share it with others. And besides the chocolate-y cuticles, I get a little mini-tutorial in patience and giving every time I do.

Giving Thanks

From start...

....to.....

....finish.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Crafting Away the Day

Exhibit A: My dining room table right now.

Exhibit B: My attempts at making mismatched plastic cutlery look cool (using what I already have) for the upcoming ward Christmas party.

Exhibit C: the mammoth-like pile of clean clothes I just can't seem to stop crafting to fold.

Exhibit D: my not-so-little-anymore wee babe who is growing like a weed before my very eyes (he's over two months old folks!)

This and That

(This) boy went to bed last night wearing a ladybug/Fred Flinstone-looking accessory he borrowed from the neighbors. Plus, he insists on wearing it today too.

(That) baby is sweet enough to eat and he still smells like a pickled newborn. I am in love with him even though he has thrown my sleep patterns completely off which makes me do silly things like forget to wear a bra to the gym. (He's not cross-eyed...it just looks like it in every picture I've posted.)

Making Kits


Lately I've been making alot of advent calendar kits for my Etsy shop.

Go here to get yours!