It's starting look a lot like Christmas

This year it has taken us a little longer than others to get into the spirit of things, and even longer to blog about them. We started the calendar a few days late and then we have missed a few days because of our trip to NYC, but the kids have enjoyed our traditions anyway.
I always think, next year will be different, I will be so prepared. It won't be different and I'll still be scrambling but that's just par of Christmas now too.

Christmasing with you

Every year I think that this will be the year of the perfect gingerbread house. With necco wafers for the roof and perfect piping on the windows and doors and icicles dripping from the roof. Not this year, I don't know if I've finally surrendered to the inevitable or if it was not being able to find necco wafers that was the death blow.
Culinary school or no my piping skills are sad at best and by the time the kids are old enough to make the house pretty they might not care to make one at all.
So this year we are celebrating little helping hands and our beautiful gingerbread house that love built.

Not off to a good start

Christmas Eve morning is not off to a good start. All three kids are in time out. Josh is writing "I will not climb on the white shelf" twenty times, Jane is in time out for inciting a riot and Elliott is serving time for excessive screaming.
Hopefully the rest of the day pans out.

Word to the Wise

Bullies Beware!

Aunt Michele's cookie party

Jane and I put a lot of effort into decorating this year. This is just one of the plates of cookies we brought home. Thanks Aunt Michele for carrying on the family tradition.

It's a Pirates life for Boodles!

Time for one more list?

I can't get enough Jane's letters to Santa, she is so polite. The artwork was Elliott's contribution.