Cookie Decorating

I think it was our 4th annual cookie decorating party this year. We invited friends from all over and despite a pretty hefty snow storm (our street was still not plowed at party time and there was about 10 inches of snow) most everyone showed up. Making cookies this year were: Annika, Morgan & Allison, Natan, and Drew from Pip's school; Jameson V. from mom's group;Liam & Jack of rugby lore; Tasha & Rob; Chase and the Currans; and Molly and the Yi's. Pip and I had made 3 batches of sugar cookies and one batch of gingerbread ahead of time (Pip is very good at putting stuff in the mixer and turning it on ... I am better at the rolling and cutting and baking parts).

Everyone made cookies and had a blast. Pip and his friends also did a lot of jumping and running -- but that is a requisite at all parties, isn't it?

Here Joe shows off his candy came while Jack eats a cookie and Nicole is hard at work:


Me and Vivian were supposed to be working on our cookies, but she was more interested in reading books. She kept bringing book after book over to the table!


Natan was great at cookie decorating ... employing the special light for precision work.


Pip and one of his many cookies.

Pip and Jameson scaling the mountain:

Wallet swiper

Vivian loves to play with my wallet. This is very dangerous for obvious reasons, but sometimes I relent simply because I need to get stuff done. This time, she found it herself without me knowing. Whenever it is too quiet, you know you are in for it.



Later, I found a ten dollar bill crumpled in the trash.

Here's video of me sneaking up on her ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIqJbxQBh2w

Competitive Spirit

Turns out Pip inherited the Bresler Competitor Gene. We've started playing cards ... first of all, can you believe that!!! It's amazing. Lately the game of choice is a modified Crazy 8's. Pip likes to start out with a nice "I'm gonna win you!" to taunt me. Yesterday I let him beat me twice in a row and then I was really trying the third game but he still beat me. Vivian wanted more in on the action than was possible (she prefers to fold the cards in half and smush the discards into the draw pile, generally wreaking havoc on the game) so we put the game away.

Today he asked if I'd play and began taunting me again (he since learned proper grammar: "I'm gonna beat you Mommy!") but this time I wasn't playing the fool anymore. I returned a few light taunts which he did not take seriously. Unwise, grasshopper.

It was a tight match; he was nearly about to beat me but he couldn't play his final card and had to draw a bunch. That was all I needed to squeak in a victory. Then my Bresler Gene kicked in and I did a little victory dance. Poor Pip burst into tears. "But I wanted to win Mommy! You can't beat me! I wanted to win!!"

Poor sweet pea. Phil tried to be the voice of reason (and I stopped my victory dance to offer sincere condolences and talk about how wasn't it nice just to play together??) Pip was not soothed at all by our efforts and sulked away in defeat.

I don't think parents are supposed to let their kids win all the time anyway, so perhaps this will be good parenting in the long run, but I do think next time I'll skip the victory dance.

Pip the Spelunking Bard reads to Vivian

The necklace, worn as so, indicates he is a Bard. The rest speaks for itself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_9o0_ab8c4

Ella's Birthday

We got a decent dusting of snow mid-December. Seemed to line up just right with Ella's third birthday party. We were excited to go and catch up with the Hoffenberg's and their two new twins (in addition to Ella, of course!). Pip was very excited to see Liam as well.

Here are the two Musketeers in action.


Later they got Ella to join them as they attacked Brillo, who was too tired to bother fighting.


There were several other sweet little kids in attendance, too ... but here are the real party animals who lasted the longest and thus got a cute photo to commemorate their festivities.

Quotes

Pip and Viv have been full of precious quotes lately. Some of Pip's:

"Mommy, the snow is lonely outside" -- attempting to convince me we should go outside and play in the snow

"Mommy, I was quiet as a goldfish" -- boasting about how quietly he woke as he crawled into bed with me one morning

Vivian's quotes aren't quite so complicated. She basically just acts completely amazed, astonished, impressed at even the slightest thing. She'll drop a pea on the floor and it's : "UH-OOOOHHHH!" with these guge wide eyes and big smile. She'll open a flap in one of her books and be surprised ... "Whoaaa!" I can't really translate it here, but maybe we'll happen upon it on video.

Mom's Group Christmas Party

We had a smashing Mom's Group Christmas party this year. Even Phil and some of the other Dad's showed up for the festivities.