The Best Laid Plans

So I made these (what I think) adorable poinsettia clips for the girls, envisioning a fantastic sister picture all dressed up in Christmas dresses. It of course didn't work out like that. The girls were in such a mood, I didn't dare attempt a sister picture and below are the best I could get from the girls individually. I still think the clips were a cute idea however.

Christmas Day

We did all of our Christmas travelling and visiting before Christmas this year and so we enjoyed our first real Christmas at home. I had a great time playing Santa Clause. Below are some of the highlights.

Eleanor, who didn't get any presents, headed straight for the sugar.

Gillian and a few of her presents. The kids wore their bike helmets and knee pads for the next two days.

James and his cowboy outfit from Gillian and one of his Lego Sets.

Tim, in his own words, with everything he could want in life: "books, bacon, and beverage." Dare I add, "Buffy and Babies" to the list?

Christmas Eve

KIds and their new Christmas Pajamas.

Eleanor's first Christmas present.

5th Annual Sleeping Under the Christmas Tree Party

Normally at our Sleeping Under the Christmas Tree Party, each family member picks their favorite treat to make and share. This year, to avoid the hassle of finding delicious treats without eggs (not so easy) we had an appetizer party where everyone picked their favorite appetizer to make and share. Yum, yum, yum! Delicioso!

Attempt at a Sibling Picture

Eleanor George

(this is a Tim post) I love these two pictures of Eleanor. The light was just right in the second one and it really brought out the red in her hair, which I really love.


I love my baby so much!

Another Quote

The idea of going through all my Christmas pictures is still too daunting, so you are going to get another quote.

After asking James for help he asked me why he had to. Tired, after a long day of question answering I replied, "Why do you think?"

"Because you're mad with power," came the quick response.

I had to agree that was probably why.

Quote

While walking into school I reminded James that he needed to put all his Bionicles together so I could take a picture of them all for his baby book.

"I'm not a baby," he promptly said.

"Fine, your Book of Remembrance then" I told him waiting to see if he was going to ask me what remembrance meant.

After a bit, he said with a half smile and a final tone, "My Book of Awesome Things."

"Right," I said, "That sounds good, a Book of Awesome Things."

Save the Baby!

When Eleanor first started learning to climb our three little stairs, it was with the full body climb shown below. I would turn around and just see her perched an entire step up without really seeing how she did it. It was a little disorientating.

She can't get down the steps however and James and Gillian are very conscientious and concerned about her. Whenever Gillian sees El tottering at the top of the stairs, she sounds the alarm, "Save Her! Save Her!" and then James will rush to her and turn her around and pull her gently down the stairs.

It is nice not having to worry (as much).

Heidi and Tony Kissing in a Tree

My brother Tony and Heidi got married over Thanksgiving in Omaha, NE. My parents and the siblings all drove in from various parts of the country to enjoy in each other and the festivities. We had a great time. Although I didn't actually get a kissing picture.

I thought Heidi looked absolutely gorgeous.

Tony and Heidi cutting the cake.James and Charity Melanie and Chauncey

Although this isn't the best "couple" shot, I really liked both their expressions, they are familiar expressions.

Melanie looks like she is about to say something funny or just thinking something funny, some perspective on life or humorous thought that will make everyone who hears it chuckle and then have a nicer day.

Chauncey looks like he is deep in conversation with someone. Chauncey is a good conversationalist. He has well thought out ideas and presents them logically and when he is talking to you you feel like he is genuinely interested in you and the conversation.

I don't know--they just seemed like true expressions and I liked them, I am not explaining them well.

My mom and dad. My Mom and all the sisters.

Oops--now we have mom and all the sisters.

I actually stole this picture from Charity's blog. I thought it was a good picture of the siblings (minus Chauncey) and I thought Tony looked good and so very happy.

You should check out Charity's blog--it has much more comprehensive overage. I really like Charity's name, or perhaps I just really like Charity. All I know is that I am sitting here, writing her name on my blog and thinking, "I am so glad I get to write her name in my blog. When people read this, they are going to be jealous that I have a Charity and they don't."

Dad and Allison dancing.
Charity and her awesome cherry dress.

Self Designated Babysitter

James refuses to allow Eleanor to cry. As soon as she starts making unhappy noises, he rushes to her side to do all manner of ridiculous things to make her happy. Very few things give me as much pleasure as watching my children show concern for each other.

Feed Me Seymour!

Eleanor loves eating. And she is super fast about it. I don't even see her hand move, but the next thing I know she has a frosted mini-wheat from my cereal bowl in her mouth. Her pursuit of adult food is almost frantic. I am not allowing her to eat wheat until she is a year since James and Gillian were so borderline in having to avoid wheat in their diet. So we spend most of our time taking food away from her. I think that might contribute to the frantic fastness of it all.

p.s. just try to tell me you don't love that hair. She reminds me so much of the baby grinch in Jim Carrey's Grinch.

Snow Day

When we had our one and only "snow day" this year, I had to take a picture before school. It was also the coldest day of the year. Those are the kid's cold faces. Notice the blooming rose in the background--obviously snow days here mean something different than where I grew up in NY.

Trimmings and Trappings

I've been trying to do Gillian's hair every day. Of course it never seems to take long for everything to be falling out or falling down.
I love these pictures; they just seem to capture "baby" so much: the gummy smile, the chubby, grasping hand and intent stare, and of course the "everything is a chew toy."

We Caved

So we finally relented and put the crib up for Eleanor (is that the equivalent of throwing away the receipt?). We also gave her a mobile and a cute little monkey to sleep with. No one else ever got a monkey.

Bathrooms gone wild

Okay, this will be my first and likely last post for 2008. Buffy was out of town over Thanksgiving weekend attending her brother Tony's wedding. While she was gone, my parents and my brother Jesse came up from the Carolinas to help me remodel the master bathroom as a Christmas suprise for her.

Here is the before picture:
Note the fine workmanship in the original bathroom, how the original builder painstakingly duplicated the look and feel of an actual prison lavatory.

After 4 days of intensive work, here is the new old bathroom:

We pulled up linoleum, replaced rotted-out flooring, laid tile, replaced the vanity, moved the electrical wiring and plumbing systems to the adjacent wall, put in new light fixtures and bathroom hardware, and repainted. And the best part of it all: I bought all the upgrades off of craigslist for pennies on the dollar. Powerbuy!

It's another Festivus Miracle! I toyed with the idea of trying to keep it a suprise until Christmas, but couldn't figure out how to keep Buffy out of her bathroom for another 3 weeks.

Now, in the spirit of Festivus, it is time for the Feats of Strength, followed by the Airing of Grievances. This should prove interesting. And now I must leave and set up the Festivus aluminum pole in the center of the household.

Happy Holidays to all,

Tim

Election Day

We physically voted for the first time this year (previously we voted via absentee ballot). We figured that was a good enough event to warrant dorkily taking a lot of pictures. We went as a family before school and waiting in line (in the rain) for about a hour and a half (friends of ours waited for five and a half). All in all a good day, a good moment.

Halloween

Putting James in his costume...no one does a better "long suffering" look than James.

He does a pretty good scary look too.

Princess Gillian

Gillian's Crown

Our third pea pod.

Man down.

Triumphant return.

Mommy's pile (aka confiscated peanut candy).

Bonus picture...last Halloween, we took our one and only halloween picture on the camera itself rather than the SD card and it took me this long to finally figure out how to upload it to our computer. Eleanor is in the picture too--she is just very, very tiny.

Eleanor Sitting

A picture of Eleanor when she first started sitting somewhat reliably a little bit ago. The picture is followed by the inevitable "falling" pose that came after the sitting.