Head scratchers

We had a few head scratching moments here tonight. I decided to let the kids decorate some sugar cookies. I explained to them that often, when creating a piece of visual art, less is, in fact, more. I showed them an example (note my tasteful use of pink and purple sugar for the dress and some candies for the facial features):

Here was Danny's first cookie. He started off nicely with some green sugar for the wreath and some red for the bow. Then, he went completely berserk with the "ornaments" as he called them:

And here was Ben's. Okay, seriously, what is that, like 20 chocolate chips?:

Neither of them seemed to grasp the minimalist approach.



Corinne wasn't sure what to think of any of it:


Here they are. I would not eat one of these for a million dollars:

And, now for the last moment of confusion. I was wrapping presents and stepped into the other room to get a bow. When I came back, Ben had unrolled an entire roll of paper and said, "Take this back. There's nothing in it."

Here's Cori laughing!

Please excuse my singing :0)

Our tree

Picking out our tree yesterday:


Decorated tree:

Clark Connoley | A Dog Named Christmas

Hey everyone. Vote for Clark! Cutest dog contest!

Clark Connoley | A Dog Named Christmas

Perspective

Stolen from Mary Kathryn's blog:

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread,
Sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(lullaby, rock-a-bye, Lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek-peek-a-boo).
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo.
But I'm playing "Kanga" and this is my "Roo."
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rock-a-bye, lullaby loo).
The cleaning and scrubbing will wait 'til tomorrow,
For children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs. Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.
~ Ruth Hulburt Hamilton, 1958

Corinne is three months old today!

Playing in the exersaucer, trying desperately to reach that purple guy:

Not tall enough to stand up without the pillow yet:

I love this one. She looks like she's saying, "Hello, world"!

Like father, like daughter:



Completely out cold:

Halloween '09

Luigi, Mario and Princess Peach:

Ready for trick-or-treating (see our Mario and Elmo jack-o-lanterns?)


Annual pose with the neighbors:


In front of a neighbor's nicely decorated house:


Yummy! Ben had already said several times, "I'm donna do home and eat my tandy wight now"!


Little Princess:


Sweet smile: