Countdown

These are the best days of the year. I love this whole month. It is filled with fun traditions and gatherings and added small kindnesses to friends and neighbors that make the world seem softer. We've sent our cards and delivered cookies and wrapped presents ( most of them). There is still a lot I'd like to do. As a kid I wanted December to hurry up so we could get to Christmas eve. Now I want to slow it down so I have time to do all the nice things I'd like to for those I love!

Here are a few recent pictures of my littles.


Always fashionable for bike riding.

Family pictures

I'm taking a turn on the other side of the lens thanks to a friend. She a did a great job taking this...


Our usual chaos...

Into this



Here's a few more fun ones.

My personal assistant

One of Tommy's favorite activities is reorganizing the contents of my wallet. My bag was hanging on a doorknob and he worked awfully hard to get into it. Perhaps he has a future in personal finance.

The good life

Making sweets with my sweeties. A key lime cheesecake for no particular reason. I love the island in my kitchen. Jer's idea to make it so large in a not-so-large kitchen, and I disagreed at the time. He was right. Cooking with my kids makes for some of my happiest moments.

Frozen fifth birthday

This party for miss Libby turned out great. We had such a fun time planning it together and working on all the food and activities. She was so thrilled with each little detail.




We made this piñata together, and it worked out right so that each kid got a few turns and Libby took the final whack!

Walk/lost in the woods

I wanted to take pictures of the kids this morning in the woods behind our home. There was a particular spot I had in mind, a sunny meadow on the opposite side of the stream from our house. We crossed the stream and then took the pictures, and I guess we wandered more than I realized because when we headed back to the stream, I couldn't find the place we crossed or the trail back. Now of course we weren't really lost because I knew the direction of the house the whole time, but we still had to scramble up a steep embankment with baby tommy and navigate thru brush and thorns till we spotted the trail. As we laughed and retold the story to ourselves afterward the stream became a lake, and it's bank a mountain.

First day of school

5th grade

2nd grade

Home for one more year, but still wants a picture.

The boys finally succumbed to haircuts last night. Although, only a trim, it helped clean them up a bit. They're trying to grow long hair. James wants to look like Ron Weasley. Libby likes to style their hair and last night she drew hairstyle options on index cards. Here's one: