*christmas-time = crazy-time*

We wish you a Merry Christmas!!

I don't know where the time goes these days. We've been busy doing Christmas stuff. Here's some pictures from December for your enjoyment.

We made some cookies a few weeks ago. It was all inspired by a little ornament on our tree (shown on table next to Sam). Sam saw it and thought it looked good enough to eat, so he bugged me for about 3 weeks to make cookies to match. We had a lot of fun making them- well, I tried to anyway. The kids aren't much help in the kitchen. Cooking with children is like inviting monkeys into the kitchen and asking them to "help" you. We managed somehow and had a good time making-- and eating-- these fun cookies. The one Mia is holding in the picture she decorated all on her own! It's a Christmas tree that you can't really see in this picture, but look for the pink Christmas tree on the tray of cookies.




This video cracks me up every time I watch it. I especially like the part where Sam gets mad and punches his own fist --then regrets it afterward. Good stuff. He gets his dance moves from Jared!

Snow!

It's been snowing on and off here. Sam LOVES the snow. It has been really dry, powdery snow and he's been trying SO hard to build a snowman. So pretty much there's been this little mound of snow with sticks poking out on our porch that we have to watch out for every time we walk into the house. Not too distinguishable as a snowman, but very cute nonetheless.


Here's how Mia feels about the snow...

She'd much rather be inside... sitting on the heater.


The next pictures are of a trip we took to NYC recently. My mom gave me the BEST Christmas gift ever this year. She watched my kids for 5 days while Jared and I went out to Switzerland for his work Christmas party (benefits of working for a Swiss firm...). We had a great time, but more on that later. Point being, I have the best mom EVER. Anywho, she came a few days early so we could hang out together. We took a trip down to the city on one of those days. Our agenda was: Rockefeller Center, Christmas Store window displays, and FAO Schwarz.

First stop-- the TOY store-- FAO Schwarz.


This is Sam and Mia with Harry Potter figurines built entirely of Legos.



On the famous Piano from the movie "Big".



Posing with a three headed dog. Mia was being scary like the dogs. They had some pretty fabulous stuffed animals there.

Next stop: Rockefeller Center and the gigantor Christmas tree. I was having some trouble taking pictures there-- The tree showed up so much better without the flash, but then the picture would be blurry. Frustrating. Anyway, It was gorgeous. Especially with the Swardovsky Crystal star at the top of the tree.

(with flash)

Grandma and Mia
(without)

(guess)

Next stop: Christmas Window Displays

The kids could have sat and stared at the moving figures in the windows forever. It was really cute how they tell a story. This one at Saks Fifth Avenue is about snowmen taking over New York.

Well, that's about it for now! I'll put a few pics from our Swiss trip up soon. Merry Christmas everybody!