Thursday, December 22, 2011

So long for now....

Things are getting a tad busy around here, so I'll sign off for now and be back after the holiday weekend.

Have a warm and wonderful Christmas.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

More dance class pictures

I can't resist posting more of the pics we took at the dance class open house on the weekend. The little pink ballerinas just filled the room with joy and made us all smile.

Here we see them greeting one classmates little sister.
They went from standing tall and jumping high....
to getting down...
and then even further down.

Oh I can see a budding ballerina extraordinaire in this photo.
They all have the robot moves down pat in this dance.
Time to line up for a snack before going home.
Checking in with Buppa to make sure he got lots of good pictures.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Dance Class

The family was invited to Smudge's dance class on Saturday morning to observe the class going through its paces. Oh joy!

Our little ballerina was very excited and eager for the class to begin.
Partners were chosen; last minute instructions intently listened to...
and warm-up moves done.
Buppa was all set with the camera...
and when Mommy and Daddy arrived with JJ he wanted to join the dance circle too.
He was content to sit with Mommy and Daddy though...
and the class was about to begin.
It was just too cute for words.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Doing a thorough job

This kept JJ busy for quite a while the other day...tightening all the imaginary screws on the Snowman blanket. Each button and snowflake had to be tightened to perfection, and he did a thorough job with his handy-dandy drill.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Such a nice neighbour

The other morning I heard a knock at the door, and it was the neighbour across the street. She had missed the garbage pick-up at her house and was wondering if she could put her garbage in front of our house. Sure, no problem. Once that task was taken care of, she asked JJ if he would like to help her walk her dog. JJ, was more than happy to do so and waited anxiously for her at the front door while she took her blue boxes back inside her garage.
Then they were off on the great dog walking adventure. JJ even got to hold the leash.
What a nice neighbour.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Christmakkah Cookies

We celebrate Christmakkah at our house every year, and D3 is the most expert Christmakkah cookie decorator in all the land. Even though the girls were only here for a weekend, D3 made time to decorate some cookies for us. Here we see her hard at work creating masterpieces on tiny ginger cookies.
D2 keeps her company at the kitchen table, and they work on a crossword puzzle together while D3 works her magic with the icing.
D3 loves doing this task, and it shows.
Below is a selection of Christmakkah cookies she decorated for Simon, my Jewish hairstylist extraordinaire! He loves getting this gift every year.
If you look closely you will see holly wreaths around a dreidel, a Christmas tree with dreidels underneath, a Christmas tree with menorah candles on it, candy canes and dreidels and two others that I just had to go in for a closer look at.

While D3 was decorating one evening AC jokingly said "I think you should make one with Moses parting the Red Sea while holding a menorah in one hand and a Christmas tree in the other."
Yes, she did just that! Amazing huh? Especially when you remember that it is on a tiny cookie!

She even did a couple of scrolls with Hebrew writing on them.
Below are the family cookies for us to eat on Christmas Eve.
If you can't tell from the picture, I am the snowlady wearing the fabulous green shawl and the string of pearls.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Family Breakfast

The day after our tree decorating party, we all gathered at the kid's place for a family breakfast. The gals really like this because the guys do the cooking. Yahoo! While they get prepared in the kitchen...
...the rest of us grab a cup of coffee and a comfy spot on the couch to await the feast.
All the adults relax while the kids bounce from one of us to another.
By this time the guys are cooking up a storm and are in a haze of smoke as the bacon snaps and crackles in the pan.
The sisters find time for a snuggle...
...while JJ has a serious confabulation with Auntie Ally and Asha.
JJ and Auntie soon move to the hall for a rousing game of hockey...
...but JJ hurts his finger and goes to Auntie Alycia for a hug.
He then moves on to sister for some comfort...
and finally ends up with Buppa for a story.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Sometimes a girl has to stop for a rest

At any family gathering Smudge gets very excited, and goes like a house on fire. She spins and dances and twirls from one activity to another with great energy and enthusiasm. Eventually she runs out of steam and just has to stop for a rest. Buppa is always ready to give her a quiet spot for just that.
Next it is Amma's turn to snuggle with the girl. By this time Smudge has her jammies on, and is quieting down for bed.
She's still my baby girl, and enjoys listening to Amma sing her a lullabye.
Ah, what sweet times.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Tree Decorating Party - Part Two

JJ looked very bright after his nap, and was eager to help with the tree decorating.
Sister helped him choose just the right ornament...
and he did a good job finding the perfect spot for each one.
After all that hard work it was time for a relaxing game of cards with Auntie.I found the snack tray, and munched a cracker or two and sipped some wine. MMMMM good.
The Aunties and Molly visited on the couch...
and then it was time to open some presents.
(Have you noticed in a lot of these pictures that Asha is right in the middle of all the activity. Abby is hiding under a bed somewhere, but Asha loves to be where the action is and sit right in the middle of it. What a strange but friendly cat.)

Father and daughter enjoy a quiet moment...
and Auntie Ally looks cute for the camera.
The three grandmas gather in one end of the room for a chat...
while the kids settle in on the couch to watch a movie.
Smudge soon gave up her seat on the couch for a more comfy spot...on top of Daddy. She stayed there for almost the whole movie.