Oh Christmas Tree...you really are so...

fragrant.....full....wonderful....magical...and perfect!   This year we went to a local nursery in our town to pick out our tree. It turned out to be the best tree I think we've ever purchased or cut down. (Back in the day we used to cut down our own tree- maybe we'll do that again when the kids are older!)  We are limited by our low ceilings so the tree we do purchase has to be full and wide.  This one was and I love it!  We bought it on Friday, as is our tradition to buy it on the weekend following Thanksgiving, and decorated it on Saturday night complete with Christmas cookies that Cole and I had baked and lots of eggnog and holiday cheer!

This was actually the fourth go-round of this picture. The first two were much better where Cole was smiling but my darn (external) flash didn't go off!  Anyway, this is a good one and Charlotte, to me, looks like such a little girl now.

Believe me, he was happy with this activity but maybe not happy that I made him stop to take pictures! :) Oh, I didn't even take that many really!

Hanging the first ornament!  Cole's 2009 ornament is a Christmas M-n-M since he loved the M-n-M store in Vegas and to match his "stuffed lovey".

Charlotte tries to rehang it. :)

Instead Brendan helped her to hang another one!

Cole hung these two boats next to one another because as he said "the second one is chasing the first one."  I don't think he realized that the Cole boat was chasing the Charlotte boat.  ha-ha!

We really have to watch Charlotte around the tree. She loves to pull the ornaments off and show me her treasures.  I feel like should have the ornaments on the top half of the tree to avoid breakage but I've put some harmless ones down below.  

We've done a lot of decorating around here....made paper chains for the kids' doors, put decorations on the kids' windows, the tree, random stuff around the house...and of course the outside lights!  Pics to come tomorrow!!  It looks great this year!!

Thanksgiving Holiday Part 1

These past 4 days have just flown by!!  We were busy and the days just flittered away.  Thanksgiving is already a blur but thank goodness for pictures!  Poor Cole has been worn out every day even with going to bed early each night!  He's just been on the go every day, running around and being, well, a little boy!  This morning he woke me up by coming into my room and instead of his usual  "Good morning, can I watch tv?" it was "Good morning! I saw a sunrise out my window Mommy!  I know you love sunrises so I want to show you!"  Awww, those little spots of kindness just melt my heart!!  Some other notable quotes from this past weekend have been 1) Cole: "Who cleaned up the  mess in here? I know where everything is when it's messy!", 2)  "Higher, higher, Mommy! Higher!", says Charlotte when she wants to dance or jump (by herself, the mommy insertion is just to say"I want to show you this!"), 3) And, although this wasn't about my kids, I thought this was hysterical--- I heard this at the park today from a dad as his 6-year-old was chasing a boy, "Sarah! No kissing boys!"  

Yup, this holiday was fantastic!  We had a great time together and with family.  Let the Christmas season begin!

Here are some pics from Thanksgiving. More from the rest of the weekend soon!

 

Batman made an appearance after  dinner!  He decided Kerry was worth taking care of!

Charlotte made me a cake!  Don't you just love her tights?! Charlotte does as well. She asks to put on tights every morning. It's often the only way I can get her out of pajamas which she also loves wearing! (But really, who doesn't?)

Mum and Dad.  Happy, happy, happy.

Mimi's fantabulous cake.  I'm sure I've mentioned it before but the frosting is a Luptak (my dad's maternal grandparents) family recipe and the cake is Golden Chiffon.  Heaven!!

Charlotte puts her babies to bed.  It just amazes me how wired girls are to be motherly and be sympathetic and kind.  

There was lots of hugs on Thanksgiving!

Jay and Rachel.  They drove up from CT at the end of the day to have pie!

Thanksgiving was a success!  Tired happy kids and tired happy adults!  

I did mis-time the turkey though and it came out a bit early- 1pm but oh well.  I found a new recipe for baked mashed potatoes that was just ridiculously awesome.  It was made with pancetta (which my friend Charles told me last week was Italianizing an American standard but I disagree!), but really you could leave it out if you wanted- it would have been great either way.    I prepared the turkey by covering it in kosher salt and herbs the night before so the flavor was amazing!

Very satisfying indeed!!

Dakota

Dakota (and Mimi) came to visit on Sunday.  I just adore Dakota. She is a wonderful dog... a little crazy at times and obnoxious but I love her just the same.  Charlotte is slowly getting over her fear of dogs.... she loved Xena and Duke which she met on our vacation.  Cole also really enjoys playing with Dakota and would love to try to take her for a walk but really it is Dakota pulling Cole, not the other way around!

Cole tells Dakota to "drop it!" which she almost always is happy to oblige.

Hey you! Yes, you, get back here!

Did you ever feel like time just escapes you?!

I do, every single day.

I haven't been blogging  in awhile...well, awhile, in Kelly terms.

Projects and laundry and sleep have got the best of me. I have a neat little file of pics ready to post but haven't made the time!  So I thought I would just post about how I don't have the time, because you know, that is really productive of me. :)

Here's the list of things I need to finish:

Finish scrapping photos/paper etc into frames for Charlotte's room.

Re-do the  picture wall in the TV room.

Finish making the menu for Thanksgiving.

Finish the Blurb photo book of our vacation.

Finish my stupid (ahem!) gauge stitch that I have to keep redoing for my sweater I'm knitting.

(Ah, knitting, my favorite frenemy!  I love it and am frustrated by it!)

Finish picking out the Christmas toys for the kids.

Pick out a Christmas card (FORGET making them this year, it ain't gonna happen)

Hang up the flower wall decal in Charlotte's room that I bought on Etsy.

Hang up the the curtain rod in the dining room that has been sitting on the window sill for months.

I think you get the idea. Notice how most of those start with "Finish...".  Hence my half-project addition...

All of these things have to happen after the kids go to bed (I refuse to waste time of course when they are up!)  plus all of the regular things that also have to happen...laundry, dishes, dusting...blah, blah, blah...I know I'm preaching to the choir. :)  Just having a little pity party, is all!  

And, I must watch my favorite movie of all..Love Actually...it's not the Christmas season until I watch it!!

Ok, I'm getting off of my butt and going to do something on the list. If I get 2 of them accomplished by the end of this weekend, I'll consider myself a success.  :)

I'm way behind on my posting....oh well! I'll leave you to look at this beautiful sunset.  It was so beautiful and amazing. It makes me happy just to look at it!

Yay! A new room!

Charlotte's room is painted and her bed is up!! Actually she has been sleeping in her room since last Saturday night. She loves it!  She falls asleep wonderfully and usually remains asleep until about 1. (She wakes up screaming usually, probably because she is used to having someone beside her! When I go in to comfort her she wraps her little arms around me so tight! I feel badly!)  Sometimes I fall asleep laying next to her but often I (or Brendan) will just stay with her until she falls asleep and then tip-toe back to our bedroom.  She awakes usually again at about 6, up and raring to go! I miss my little snug bug but she was ready to have her own space.

The room isn't complete yet...still needs things hung on the walls.  Don't judge the paint color by these pictures...it looks weird in the camera's light!

Wordless Wednesday-Veteran's Day

These pictures were taken while on a trip to D.C. in 2007.  

I feel a bit lucky and a whole lot sheltered that I do not currently know someone serving in the Armed Forces.  Lucky because I do not have to worry about someone I know, sheltered because I don't have that worry while many, many others do.

The impact of what our Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard is not lost on me though. I am thoroughly humbled by their service and dedication and love for this country. I am proud of what they do and today I honor them!

****Clarification: I was thinking about this as I went to bed...while I do not know anyone currently serving in the Armed Forces.. both of my grandfathers, Brendan's grandfather, and his dad have served. I am equally respectful of them and honored by what you did!!****

Sisterly (and Auntie) Love...

Last Saturday afternoon the kids and I visited Kerry at college while Brendan had a football game.  The night before Brendan had a game in Salem (Mass).  Brendan's mission (which he always chooses to accept!) when he returns to our old stomping grounds during football games is to trek on over to D'Amici's bakery in Lynn. It is the bakery of all bakeries and we frequented it often when we lived in Salem.  Our favorites were the animal cupcakes. They are adorable and oh so yummy! We know Kerry loves them too so we brought one down for her to enjoy as well!

The first time Cole had one of these cupcakes he was about Charlotte's age. I think he called it a "yion ca-ca". hahahahha!

We stopped by Kerry's apartment and hung out for  bit. Kerry's roommate's singing Green Monster was a big hit.  It sings Sweet Caroline. :)

We wandered around campus for awhile and stopped at a common area that had a big bridge and a fountain. Cole had races back and forth with Kerry.

And also made her do a crawling race!

I love this pic of Kerry. Her eyes are stunning!

By the bridge the ground was covered in yellow perfect leaves.  I stripped the kids of their jackets and tried to get them to sit next to one another. Charlotte didn't want to which was fine.  I laid down on the ground on my stomach to take a pic of Cole and then Charlotte came to give me a hug putting her arms around my neck. Eureka! I asked Charlotte to do the same to Cole which they both loved. I got the most amazing shots for the Christmas card!!!  They are a surprise though! :)

You can tell how much fun they had though!

I just love their love. :)

And I love these leaves!! We just have yucky brown ones at our house (except for the rare red ones).

Tackling Kerry... :) We had so much fun with her!!