NYE ’12

The end of 2012 was much like the end of the past few years. Calm and quiet. That’s how I like it! :) Eve and I went to Kmart so she could spend some allowance on two toys (one of which she lost later in the day :/ ). Panera Bread for lunch. Gingerbread house for snack. Pizza at the bowling alley for dinner. Good times!

gingerbread deconstruction

Gingerbread deconstruction

the tree inside

The Peeps tree inside.

ride

“Look mom, no hands!” I think she’s getting a little too big for this bowling alley ride!

lex

Lex at the bowling alley. He got 2nd in the first game and won the second game! I think I lost both! :/

friends

We met friends at the bowling alley. This little guy is one of Eve’s classmates.

And, like the past few years, Alan and I have a movie (Premium Rush) and fizzy drinks to celebrate the last day of the year! Happy New Year’s Eve! I’ll see ya’ll next year!

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

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

Snow fun

digging

Digging a tunnel in the snow bank.

going in

He tried going feet first, but that didn’t work.

coming out

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!

together

Playing together…

snowball

Eve hit Lex right in the face with a snowball! My paparazzi lenses need an upgrade. :)

all done

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.

IMG_6729

IMG_6723

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

Snow fun

snowman1

Snowman number 1

snowman2

Beginnings of snowman number 2

shoveling

Lex helped with the shoveling for awhile.

porch

He even did a bit of the porch.

snowball fight 1

Lex was feeling rambunctious and kept trying to start a snowball fight. Alan played along for awhile.

snowman3

Eve made this snowman in Emily’s yard as a surprise.

emily

The beginnings of a giant snowball fight!

fort

The girls fort!

bfort

The boys fort

it begins

After much, much preparing, the snowball fight finally began!

snowball fight

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.

lion

A lion came for snack.

bunny ears

Bunny ears!

nails

Home manicures.

eve

Eve did her nails all on her own, refusing help from anyone.

done

Lovely ladies.

wand

Santa missed a package on Christmas Eve and sent it via UPS instead. A Hermione wand for Eve!

kids

Happy kids! (thanks Rose)

Christmas 2012

Merry Christmas!

christmas morning

Christmas morning, eagerly examining the goodies!

stockings

Stockings first

coloring

Trying out the new watercolor pencils while waiting patiently for the rest of the family to arrive for present opening.

fruit salad

They eagerly got dressed and helped get a breakfast spread on the table.

Present time!

Present time!

b

Merry Christmas!

lego love

Lex made little Lego gifts and put them in our stockings. Alan made Lex a little Lego surprise for his stocking as well.

gift from lex

Lex made a little book at school and wrapped it up as a gift for us. So sweet.

j

Joyce e-joined us for awhile. The kids were eager to show her what they got.

watches

Eve asked for a Hello Kitty watch and she got two!

tent

Grandpa Tom built Eve a princess castle.

lego lex

Presents opened, time for playing!

in the tent

Fun with the princess tent. Grampy Don and Pat e-joined us for awhile as well.

reading

Eve co-opted Katie into some one-on-one attention.

painting

Eve also co-opted everyone into painting her new nativity set.

painting p2

Even B got in on the painting action.

table

This scene just made me laugh.

lego watch

Lex got a build-your-own Lego watch. Think he likes Legos much?

r and e

Check out Eve’s new awesome hat! When she pulls on the string the wings flap!

more legos

More Legos!

puzzle

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!

me

Alan wanted to make sure I was in a picture or two. :)

round two

Just before dinner we had round two of present opening, since Rosy, Amanda and Rachel missed the first round.

rosy

Rosy!

wand

Lex got a Harry Potter wand and they had a blast with it this morning.

hat

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.

connectagon tree

We made a Christmas tree out of Connectagons. Good times at our house. :)

Mema hugs

Mema hugs

oatmeal

Lex’s Christmas Eve breakfast – oatmeal with m&ms. How can you say no to a child on Christmas Eve!?

french toast

Eve wanted french toast – with m&ms! It’s 7am and she looks crazy already! :)

christmas balls

Grandpa Tom has started a new annual holiday tradition – Christmas balls with pine branches. So pretty and the kids have fun making them.

eve

Eve, hard at work.

b and e

Lex stuck with it for awhile, then moved on so Barney stepped in and finished Lex’s project. Eve did all of hers.

barney

This one is for you, Rose!!! Wish you were here.

e and b

Eve and Barney. Christmas Eve dinner.

stories

Stories with Mema

cookies

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. :)

notes

They both wrote notes for Santa to leave with the cookies.

for santa

Cookies and notes for Santa.

stockings

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.

candy cane

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… :)