SNOW DAY!!!!

We were wondering if this awful rain was EVER going to turn to snow s predicted. After 5 hours of waiting, baking, bickering and playing it came!!! Yippieeee!!!!
Girls are outside building a fort with the neighbor. This is some good 'ol fashioned packing snow. Just like when we were kids!

A festive weekend

Two holiday performances: Rudolph and The Nurcracker. The girl love live theater. I don't know why we don't do this more often!


Emi stayed home for both.

First round of holiday baking

It's hard to believe that Christmas is almost a week away. Time to start our baking. Tay found a new recipe this year- home made cake pops. Here's the first batch- not bad.

You Better Watch Out.....

Santa Clause is coming to town!

Emily's first chore: re-organizing the Tupperware

Lord knows we can use the help.

Emi has just started expressing some serious separation anxiety. The moment I am out of sight she cries terror filled tears. You can tell that she really believes she's been left behind. It's sad and sweet all at once, but definitely lends itself to creative parenting if I'm to get anything done!!!

Here she is playing with Tupperware. She seems to have "out" down. Now... If we could just teach her to master "put in" we'd be all set.

Jimney is back...

Be good for goodness sake!

The Holidays aren't complete without a gingerbread house

Emily sure was upset that she couldn't share the candy. Next year Emi!!!!

Christmas Tree Farm- 2012

We found the GREATEST Christmas Tree Farm in Germantown/Mequon.  It's call Trees For Less.  And, what the name lacks in character the farm makes up for two fold.
We pulled up to a roaring fire, a Merry Christmas Hut with snack and fresh Hot Cocoa, and a hayride.  The girls had a ball picking out the perfect Spearman Fir and even Coko got to join the fun.

Halloween 2012

So... I finally downloaded all our Halloween pix! I must warn you- this is a LOOOONNNGGG post with a lot of pictures from the entire Halloween week.

It was a great weekend complete with a corn maze with friends, trick or treating and pumpkin illumination in the city and a party at our house for trick or treating in the hood.

First of all- we tackled the local corn maze with our great friends.  And, while we did loose one another more than once, it was fun and the girls got to take some pumpkins home for carving (which we never actually did- oops!)

Right from there we went Trick or Treating in the City.  The girls had the chance to carve pumpkins the week prior (this we did) to help decorate the town.  The night ended with The Great Pumpkin Illumination. The girls pumpkin is right up front!  It was a cold night, but tons of fun and a nice way to kick off the spirit!

Last, but definitely not least, we had a pre-party and after "bar" here for neighborhood "walk and wine" trick or treating with all our new friends and Maia! I even joined in the fun with my standard vampire costume!

You can see we had one tired pumpkin by the end of the night.  I think we are still cleaning the basement and finding candy wrappers!!  What a FUN FUN FUN night.

Happy Thanksgiving

This is the first year for as long as I can remember that I'm not hosting Thanksgiving- a bittersweet reality of living close to our family- all of whom already had traditions in place. And, since my fondest memories of Thanksgiving surround spending the morning in the kitchen with family and friends, I decided to enlist the girls in making our famous spiced cranberry sauce and a whole lot of baby food- batches and batches. So many, in fact, I'm short on ice cube trays.

I do love to cook and today's the day that Daddy takes over and allows me all day in the kitchen- after his bike ride of course;). I just couldn't let that pass me by. Lucky for Emi and her care givers- she now has many months of baby food on hand!!!!!

If this happens next year I'll consider volunteering my time to homeless shelters. Just didn't plan ahead enough this year.

Here are my little helpers:

And the peanut gallery:

Tis the season

Home from New Orleans

Daddy was away for a long weekend with the guys. All the girls were happy to see him.

Checking out Daddy's Amla Mater

It's no madtown, but impressive in its own right. Plus, the kids LOVED the children's section of the library- a pretty cool feature for one of the states leading teachers colleges.

Burrrrrr

It's getting cold outside!

Emi's First Halloween weekend

Such fun we will have!

This is what I think of your dissertation mommy!!!

Just eat it!!!