Merry Christmas!

new dress

Thank you , Nana, for my new Christmas dress...

and thanks, Mommy for searching for the perfect hair clip...
and the perfect red shoes.
Being a top model is exhausting! (Thanks for the comfy nap, Papa!)

Christmas Joy..

...came wrapped as an Elmo Live doll... and a Wii system....

and MANY, MANY more gifts.

We hope you had a Merry Christmas, too!

(here are a few more pictures...)

letter to Santa

Dear Santa,
How have you been?
How are your reindeer?
Please leave one cookie for me.
Thank you for my presents.
From,
Jack

tradition

The "Snoopy House" has been a

family tradition since I was very small.

It's a house near my grandparents' old house, in Costa Mesa.

Every year, they decorate with some really elaborate decorations...

Last weekend, we stopped by on the way home from Sunday dinner.

It is very strange, being there as an adult,

making the same traditions with our own kids...

Christmas just isn't complete without a visit to the Snoopy House :)

Run, Run, as fast as you can...

For a kid that called me a cheater

( scroll down if you missed that story),

Jack was so happy to decorate a

"store made" gingerbread house! I think he licked his fingers more than anything, and even was sneaking M&Ms when he thought I wasn't looking...during the decorating, he said, "I didn't know that decorating a house could be so much fun"...

first Christmas...

In trying to re-create this picture (Christmas 2003)...
I got this....

and this...and finally...this!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

cheaters never win...

Today, Jack and I went shopping for some things

I needed for school.

We are studying the Gingerbread Man, and I have found that buying the cookies are MUCH easier than trying to bake with 20 five year olds.

It's one of those things where I'd rather spend the $...

Jack, of course, was curious.

"Mom. Why are you buying those cookies?"

"For school."

"You aren't making the cookies?"

"No"

"Well, Miss Joo is making them."

"Some teachers like to make them, and some teachers like to buy them"

"Mom. That sounds like cheating to me".

Busted.

Saturday

At 11:30 this morning, Jack, still in his pajamas, announced:
"Mom. This is a great day for me...sleeping in, staying in my pajamas, relaxing, and time with you, Daddy, and Molly".

I wish everyday was like Saturday.

advanced art

Unlike other drawings, this one needs no explanation

(clearly, it's Rudolph, Santa, presents,

an elf, and a gingerbread man, right?).

I love that Jack still loves to draw...

Elf

If Will Ferrell can be one, why can't we?

(come on, click on it...and I bet you will make your own!)

famous?

Molly and I may be famous...
not really, but it's still fun!

seriously...this is the same LITTLE baby!

My hero...

Thanksgiving

We celebrated with a HUGE feast (100 pounds of turkey!) with lots of friends and family. The older cousins even got to take a swim...

There is a video link on here as well. Jack wanted to sing a Thanksgiving song before dinner. The lighting was really bad, but he sang his heart out.

Before his big moment, he turned to Jacob, and asked,

"Jacob, do you have a Thanksgiving song?"

When Jacob replied, "no"...Jack said,

"Well, you better start thinking of one now!"

Happy Thanksgiving...we are thankful for you!

Make a Smilebox greeting

more thanks...

We drew the picture together, but Jack did the writing on his own!

(and he graded his own writing, gave himself a check/plus)

thankful

I am thankful for Kindergarten art projects...
Jack is thankful for peanut butter and jelly instead of the "feast" lunch.

too bad I already got my Christmas cards printed...

Brace yourself...

This may be the funniest thing I have posted yet...

Seriously....

Luke & Leia Cooper

Happy 50th!

Richman School celebrated it's 50th Anniversary with a 50's themed fall festival...Molly and I got dressed up to celebrate (Thanks, Nana!)

The babies hit the mall...

Our November playdate was at the mall. First the play area, then lunch!

Molly shows off her new shoes...

and then, gives Salvatore the eye... We love these playdates. But, it is getting harder to get a group shot, now that 4 out of 5 are mobile! The sign of a good day. Asleep by the time we got home, which is only a 5 minute drive. Thanks, Richman babies for a fun day!

Father Figure

When Daddy is gone for the weekend, Jack has to find a substitute...

strong genes...

In case you were

wondering who

Molly looks like...

I will let the pictures tell THIS story...

...and it ends with this innocent and PROUD face (what a stinker!)