Two Smiles

I am on an eternal quest to get a picture of both girls smiling at the same time. I might even be satisfied if I could get a picture where neither is acting goofy. I am hoping to accomplish this sometime soon, but think possibly I might acheive my goal in 5 years. Here are some attempts at a trio self portrait. I had the girls on my lap and the camera so I thought I would give it a try.

It is impossible to get both girls to smile at the same time. I was hoping to get a good picture to use for a holiday card over the past month. I had absolutely no luck. I am hoping I can catch a special moment and send out Happy New Year cards. Hopefully we don't have to wait until Valentines for simultaneous smiles.

Christmas Pictures

When Edith opened her new pajamas she grabbed them into a big hug for a snuggle. She hugged them for for about 10 minutes. She loves soft things. She also enjoys getting in boxes. She is enjoying the box for the new cutting food. Addie modelling her new bath robe.

Brian opening a gift.

Me helping Edith open a gift.

A Christmas Wish Granted

Hurrah. At just shy of 14 months old Edith's first tooth has finally poked through yesterday morning. She had been teething for months. Of course now she wants something different from Santa, a toothbrush.

Snow Snow Snow

The snow has been falling since Friday. It is beautiful and fluffy. The perfect snow for playing in (and to shovel). The snow is almost as tall as Edith and definitely towers over Mabel. Addie has been loving going outside and playing in it. She had a great time while Dad shovelled. I got Edith all dressed up and she got to experience snow for the first time. She was adorable wearing her bear suit from last winter. She is such a tiny girl to be able to fit in something sized 3-6 months! I am glad it fit her because I have looked everywhere for Addie's old snow pants with no luck.

Spicy...cookies and blocks

Edith's favorite thing to do when we are downstairs is to empty out the spice cupboard. She carries the spices around and scatters them around the house. Her favorite spice is sage. Occasionally she might even put one back. I am hoping one of Brian's weekend projects will be childproofing the kitchen cupboards.

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Today Addie and I made cookies. I didn't have any colored sugar to decorate with so I made my own. I just used a bit of icing coloring with a quarter teaspoon of water to dissolve in a random amount of sugar in a custard cup. It worked well although the colors are super bright neon. Addie had a lot of fun making the sugar on top almost as thick as the cookies themselves. Then she took a surprise plate up to Dad so he could have a cookie break. This was quite exciting for her as she was allowed to carry the cookies up the whole way and visit Dad during working hours. I think the picture shows a star, some pigs, a church, and a tree or two.

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While I put Edith to bed, Addie has quiet time. She usually spends this time building with blocks. Some nights Addie has to go to bed before I come back down to view her creations. Tonight when I went to upload pictures I noticed that her block fortress had been photographed so I wouldn't miss it. A cute surprise to find on my camera. I am always amazed at the versatility of her architectural designs. She makes buildings in all varieties. The top picture is last night's "kitty house" The bottom is tonight's creation.

Holiday Dance

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Gingerbread Houses

Today Addie and Trekker had a lot of fun helping Gramma make a gingerbread house. Addie tried so hard to put the candy on the house instead of in her mouth. She was pretty pleased when she was allowed to finally eat some of the candy.

We finally have power again. There was an ice storm and we lost power Thursday night. We finally got it back Sunday evening. Although we had no heat, it felt luxurious (for a power outage) because we still had hot water and could cook because we have propane. This was a step up from our house in Issaquah when we would have no water of any kind during a power outage. Hot showers in the dark are not so bad. One challenge we faced was dressing Edith for sleep. She hates pajamas with feet, hates wearing socks to bed, and hates blankets. So for bed I put her in leg warmers and fleece pajamas. Then we add the finishing touch of Brian's ski socks. They were cozy and she couldn't get them off. She looked silly, but she stayed warm.

A contest celebrating Etsy

If you have never shopped at etsy.com before now would be a nice time to try. It is like a giant store of people selling their own handmade items. I always have a great time browsing. Here is a sampling.


ChildrenThis and That - $20 gift cardRed Pajamas - Little Man's Tie ($8)Baby Luv Gifts - Cute Custom Beanie ($15)Baby Bears - $25 gift cardMy Custom Baby Boutique - $25 gift cardBaby Goin Places - PocketChanger Diaper Changing Pad ($25)Layla Legs - $15 gift card & free shippingSecond Story Window - $10 gift cardInspiring Color Tie Dye - Youth pullover hoodie rainbow diagonal or swirl ($30)Baby Peas - boy or girl cloth play blocks- set of 4 ($18)Abby Chase Designs - Lotus Hair Flower ($13.50)Tadpoles and Tutus - $20 gift cardMake it and Love It - onesie/bootie set of choice (14.99)
PiggyTails Boutique - Christmas tutu and snowman wand with a matching personalized bow ($26)

JewelryFour Dog Day - Cute Pink Key Ring ($8)Jupita - $20 gift cardZeba - Coin Pearl Earrings ($20)Jodi Horgan - $25 gift cardOne of a Kind Custom Jewelry - $20 gift cardAcross The Pond - choice of any vintage button ring ($14)Kerstin Hanson - $20 gift card

Yummy TreatsA Sugar Affair - $10 gift cardCakebox Cookies - $20 gift cardA Thyme 2 B Comforted - $25 gift cardDouble Dipped Sweets - $20 gift cardKE Cookies - One dozen chocolate chip cookies ($8)AngelPie Cookies and Cakes - One dozen decorated sugar cookies ($18)Meg's Creations - 2 pack of cookie and brownie mix ($24 including shipping)Cookie Art by Sarah - One dozen sugar cookie snowflakes and $25 gift certificate ($53)

Paper CraftsPaper Treasures 4 U - 2 page 12''x12'' Christmas layout ($9)Inkspot Workshop - 1 Set of 6 Snowman Gift Enclosures 1 Set of 6 Tree Bird Gift Enclosures ($12)Take Note - 1 set of personalized notecards ($15)Articulations - 6 lunchbox love mini cards ($5)

Bath and BodyKrug's Eco-Logic - $15 gift cardIndulgent Creations - Soy candle travel tin, soap and lotion ($16.50)koko candles - holiday brownie cupcake candles ($25)Dazzle Dott - $20 gift certificate
Especially for MomMary Zoom - Pink Polka Dot Glam Cleaning Gloves ($10)Maggie Sue Designs -A cup cozy and coordinating set of Tame Your Mane ponytail holders ($12)Gaia Conceptions - "My Everything" piece (clothing, $40)BoojiBoo - apron of winners choice (only ones in stock, $28.75)
Stones of Healing - $20 gift certificate

This is all a part of a contest seen on this http://www.busy-mommy.com/2008/12/etsy-christmas-contest-over-75000-in.html blog. Fun. Hope I win and can share all the goodies.

Here are my favorites from each category.
Children: Layla Legs--these look wonderful for potty training
Jewelry: Zeba--I am a sucker for pearls and there are lots in her jewelry
Bath and Body: Dazzle Dott--check out the yummy looking body frosting
Especially for Mom: Maggie Sure Designs---these cup cozies are too cute
Yummy Treats: A Sugar Affair--well I am drooling after looking at all the candy barks and sweets
Paper Crafts: Inkspot Workshop--I love her bold colors and designs