Grandma Bresler visits!

This weekend Grandma Bresler visited for what is becoming an annual Christmastime tradition. The visit was too short, but it was full of activity.

As usual, she brought all sort of little toys .. Pip's favorite being toddler tongs that he uses to pick up and transport small objects. Very proud accomplishment.


We had lots of fun building tunnels and playing hide and seek and making trains (of course, this goes without saying, staple activities cannot be abandoned simply because visitors are in town.) You can barely see the friendly cave monster hiding in the background of the shot.

We also enlisted both Pip and Grandma into making 3 batches of sugar cookies for our annual Cookie Decorating Party, which we held on Sunday. It was a tornado of frosting and toddlers and babies ... always a good mix. The kids donned T-shirts for protection and went at it. Nicholas was a fiend for the green frosting; Aislinn preferred multi-colored cookies and promptly ate all that she made; Jameson Velez could not resist chocolate chips for toppings (and who could blame him); Jameson Burns carefully covered his circle cookie with pastel sprinkles. I think Pip returned to the table multiple times to decorate ... starting each round with a fresh bite off the said cookie. Talk about a sugar high! Later in the afternoon, Jameson V. and Pip serenaded Aislinn with a song (much to her chagrin)

Not to be outdone, Vivian picked this weekend to sit up consistently and proudly. Every once in a while you're glad you have the pillow behind her (or alternately freaking out because you didn't) and she'll tumble backward, but for the most part, she's upright and loving her new view of the world. She was also very charmed by the mysterious bunny which Grandma seemed to be able to conjure up out of this blanket.

Just a cute pic of us 3:

The hair apparently runs in the family:

And Viv claimed Pip's Transformer Potato Head arm as her new favorite toy ... Mr. Potato Head is very afraid.

We also learned that Daddy had a secret up his sleeve when he presented Pip with OCTOPUS HOT DOGS for dinner one night. Genius.

Pip and Dad grab a nap:

In other Daddy action, Phil taught Pip how to lather up for a shave.

Today we sadly dropped Grandma off at the airport with hopes of visiting her in Florida in February!