This is how sweet Eve likes to spend her quiet time. She bought this princess art desk with her own money today.
Artsy Eve
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Author Archives: Tessa
Movie night!
Notice anything different?
Winter
This is what winter in Vermont is supposed to look like! Not like the one measly storm we got in October last year. This was 4-5″ on Thursday and another 6-8″ today! Today was a little chillier than Thursday’s snowstorm, but we made it outside for an hour or so.
The day started with a game of Wizard’s Chess
Hermione and Harry playing chess
Then a lot of running around, making messes, making me crazy, cleaning up Eve’s giant mess of a room, lunch, rest, etc. THEN we made it outside! I shoveled half the driveway and my neighbor snow-blowered the other half. The kids dug tunnels. I have many memories of doing that back in the day! We used to dig whole snow forts out of the banks along the side of the road. They managed a short tunnel. Maybe the next snowfall will give them more to work with. :)
Snow fun
Digging a tunnel in the snow bank.
He tried going feet first, but that didn’t work.
Then he tried going head first. That worked… until the tunnel collapsed!
After awhile I went inside to get snack started. They were playing so nicely together still, I couldn’t resist a few paparazzi photos through the window!
Playing together…
Eve hit Lex right in the face with a snowball! My paparazzi lenses need an upgrade. :)
Game over!
Overall a good day was had by all. We have plans for the next two days, then it’s 2013!!!
Moon shadows
Last night was a full moon and it was beautiful! Eve and I were grocery shopping in the evening and the moon was huge and sitting right on the horizon. Later, just before bed, I looked out and noticed beautiful moon shadows. So beautiful, in fact, that I went outside to take pictures of them. Not easy, but you get the idea.
Done!
We finished the puzzle!
The final push!
Crazy hat
An awesome snowday!
Today was the first real snowday of the year! Mother nature snuck one in before the end of the year. We went out this morning to shovel and ended up making three snowmen, sledding on the neighbor’s hill, and had an awesome snowball fight with multiple neighbors! Eve was so happy that Emily, our neighbor and their favorite babysitter, was home. She invited Emily out to play and Emily said yes! Eve was very happy! :)
Snow fun
Snowman number 1
Beginnings of snowman number 2
Lex helped with the shoveling for awhile.
He even did a bit of the porch.
Lex was feeling rambunctious and kept trying to start a snowball fight. Alan played along for awhile.
Eve made this snowman in Emily’s yard as a surprise.
The beginnings of a giant snowball fight!
The girls fort!
The boys fort
After much, much preparing, the snowball fight finally began!
We had a great time!
I had to play the mommy card eventually and bring an end to the fun. My kids had already cried a few times and I was hoping to avoid a major meltdown. We had lunch, quiet time, and then a quiet afternoon.
A lion came for snack.
Bunny ears!
Home manicures.
Eve did her nails all on her own, refusing help from anyone.
Lovely ladies.
Santa missed a package on Christmas Eve and sent it via UPS instead. A Hermione wand for Eve!
Happy kids! (thanks Rose)
Christmas 2012
Merry Christmas!
Christmas morning, eagerly examining the goodies!
Stockings first
Trying out the new watercolor pencils while waiting patiently for the rest of the family to arrive for present opening.
They eagerly got dressed and helped get a breakfast spread on the table.
Present time!
Merry Christmas!
Lex made little Lego gifts and put them in our stockings. Alan made Lex a little Lego surprise for his stocking as well.
Lex made a little book at school and wrapped it up as a gift for us. So sweet.
Joyce e-joined us for awhile. The kids were eager to show her what they got.
Eve asked for a Hello Kitty watch and she got two!
Grandpa Tom built Eve a princess castle.
Presents opened, time for playing!
Fun with the princess tent. Grampy Don and Pat e-joined us for awhile as well.
Eve co-opted Katie into some one-on-one attention.
Eve also co-opted everyone into painting her new nativity set.
Even B got in on the painting action.
This scene just made me laugh.
Lex got a build-your-own Lego watch. Think he likes Legos much?
Check out Eve’s new awesome hat! When she pulls on the string the wings flap!
More Legos!
Funny story. I got Grandpa a “hometown puzzle” with his address as the center, and Mema got the same puzzle for Lex. With our address as the center, of course. It’s cool, but a super hard puzzle!
Alan wanted to make sure I was in a picture or two. :)
Just before dinner we had round two of present opening, since Rosy, Amanda and Rachel missed the first round.
Rosy!
Lex got a Harry Potter wand and they had a blast with it this morning.
So silly.
Christmas Eve
Happy Christmas Eve! Just a quick post while we wait for a SUPER excited Lex to fall asleep. In the past years he has been on the fence regarding the whole Santa thing, but this year he is fully onboard (or fully in on the game!) and having a blast! We spread glitter oats on the lawn for the reindeer (that his classmate gave us) and cookies for Santa, of course. Laying in bed tonight he said, “I hope I see the glow from Rudolph’s nose and hear jingle bells. Then I’ll know Santa is really real!”
Here are a few pics. It’s late and there’s more to do.
We made a Christmas tree out of Connectagons. Good times at our house. :)
Mema hugs
Lex’s Christmas Eve breakfast – oatmeal with m&ms. How can you say no to a child on Christmas Eve!?
Eve wanted french toast – with m&ms! It’s 7am and she looks crazy already! :)
Grandpa Tom has started a new annual holiday tradition – Christmas balls with pine branches. So pretty and the kids have fun making them.
Eve, hard at work.
Lex stuck with it for awhile, then moved on so Barney stepped in and finished Lex’s project. Eve did all of hers.
This one is for you, Rose!!! Wish you were here.
Eve and Barney. Christmas Eve dinner.
Stories with Mema
Setting out a plate of cookies for Santa. They piled the plate high while Barney and Alan reminded them that Santa gets a lot of cookies and really only needs a few, not a ton. :)
They both wrote notes for Santa to leave with the cookies.
Cookies and notes for Santa.
The Stockings were hung by the chimney with care. For some reason Lex got it into his head that he needs to leave his wish list for Santa to read tonight, so he taped it to the mantle. Eve followed suit.
My kids are so sweet.
Ok, it’s quiet upstairs now and I have two big elfs patiently waiting. Gonna go check on Lex and hopefully put on the Santa hat and get to work! Ho ho ho… :)
Gingerbread treats
Yesterday I had a rare day at home. Almost spoiled by a last minute (8am!) call from the principal asking if I could sub. I said yes, then no, then felt like a crazy person, but settled on no because I was really, really looking forward to a day at home. It’s been awhile!
I got caught up on a few things, but mostly spent the day preparing this:
A gingerbread surprise to welcome them home.
Making the dough, rolling, cutting, baking, preparing icing, gathering toppings… all for a sweet surprise for my little ones. I also made salad and exercised, to somewhat balance out the sugary day.
The kids were THRILLED when they came in the door! They did their after school jobs lightening quick and were decorating in no time. :)
Eve, just getting started.
Lex at work.
What a sweet table! :)
It got a little messy. I was really glad I thought to give them trays to work on!
Eve made a bag on her gingerbread baby. Of course, with the way she creates, by the time she was done decorating it you could no longer see the bag. :)
Cookies galore!
All done! It took us all afternoon, but we all had fun.
We decided that we didn’t need 41 heavily decorated gingerbread cookies in our house (ok, that part was my decision!) so we packaged them up with a gingerbread poem and a holiday greeting and brought them to school this morning.
Gingerbread boys and girls headed off to school!