...as i see it

christmas baking 2009...

this weekend, we tackled christmas cookie baking '09.

it was a whirlwind of flour, butter and sugar. we made peanut butter cookies w/ chocolate icing + macadamia nut/white chocolate chip/cranberry cookies + rosie's famous italian knots + everyone's favorite... grandma's cut out cookies.

ta da:

cranberry/white chocolate chip/macadamia nut cookies. these are fab, if i do say so myself. email me if you want the recipe. trust me here, you want the recipe.

with or without chopped pecans on top? i like 'em with. kids like 'em without.

rosie's famous recipe knots in background. (yummy) one of my favorite christmas elves working on cut out cookies in foreground.

while ben decorates cookies, my dad watches our steelers beat the packers.

this is serious business, people.

grandma pitches in. we are almost finished!

again with the knots. i think i made them a little bit too big. but still yummy. one of these days we have to learn how to make jeannie's famous knots. which are enormous. and fantastic.

also this weekend, we had a sleep over with walter and lucy. we drove through the hartwood lights in our jammies. and in the morning, we made doughnuts! (because what else would you make during christmas cookie baking 09?

cousin love. how cute are they?

dough looks like this:

starts to get a little more exciting here:

 

next everyone gets a bag of sugar + cinnamon.  shake it!

puppy love...

they could hardly be any MORE different.

boy*girl, big*little, straight*curly, athlete*couch potato, quiet*notsoquiet...

how could i have fallen in puppy love with both of these dogs? (and by puppy love i mean all the way*part of the family*live inside my heart kind of love)

i guess it just goes to show that it comes in all kinds of packages. all kinds of people. all kinds of animals. and i think love is love - no matter the players. 

i am looking forward to curling up on the couch tonight w/ my boyfriend and my puppy. we are going to watch wonder boys by the glow of the christmas tree lights.

that is, if i don't fall asleep first... (check back tomorrow to see why i am SO sleepy) 

my girl maggie 2004

my boy milo, this morning

 
 

now THAT'S more like it...

we woke up to this beautiful, magical christmas snow. christmas snow (especially the first christmas snow) makes us giddy. we plan on lots of hanging around today. making a new recipe for breakfast. ( i have been trying new recipes people. just haven't been good at the reporting part. but a promise is a promise, and report i will. swear) rumor has it we may even get to hang out with walter and lucy tonight. yeah! we love christmas snow...

our cozy make a fire spot. not super cozy right now, but pretty, yes?

ben and his dog romp in the snow. i love that boy and his dog.

my favorite place to sit. taking a little break from all the action it gets april - december. 

 
 
 what are you going to do on this christmas snow saturday?..

this will cost me...

before you judge me, know that this is all my friend danielle's fault.

she gifted milo with this fancy santa suit that i would never have bought (yes i would have).

and, i didn't even want to put it on him (yes i did), but i didn't want to hurt her feelings.

and, i am not going to make him wear it on christmas eve so that when he runs around the house his jingle bells jingle. (oh yes i am)

i present to you... my dog in a santa suit he loves to wear (no, he doesn't):

the boots kill me. he prances in these, like a prize clydesdale in a budweiser commercial. must be because he's so happy about wearing them. seriously, do you not love the boots?

then there is the beard. if he gets up enough speed, he can catch this as it flaps in the wind. then he runs around with his own beard in his mouth. (it is still attached to his hat via the chin strap). he must think this is really fun, right?

i think this face says it all. this face says i am a very patient dog. and i think you are silly. and these shenanigans will cost you several cookies and a trip to the dog park - where i will NOT be wearing this santa suit.

before you send any do not torture your dog with clothes emails... he only had this on for a few minutes. and i made it up to him. promise.

thanks danielle. we i LOVE it!!!!

guilt...

this is a very busy time of year. + it has been rainy and wet and yucky outside. + we were away for  few days. + i am really tired right now.

add a healthy dose of guilt to my day because i am feeling like a bad dog mommy. last night he fell asleep hugging his toy. (in my mind, a reminder to me that he is a puppy and likes/needs to run and play with said toy)

no worries people, i'll make it up to him.

 

weekend in the big apple...

we had such fun (as always) in nyc.  a few highlights:

whizzing through the lincoln tunnel. very excited. this is the best part of the drive into the city, for sure.

behind a steeler fan in the big apple. imagine that.

gingerbread chrysler building in lobby of our hotel. several different bakeries participated in the gingerbread skyline of nyc. we liked this one the best. by magnolia bakery.

grandma kim and my three musketeers in front of said gingerbread building.

noah and ella are mesmorized by the french cartoons playing on a loop in the elevators. they are not alone in this. most adults also stare @ the cartoons while riding the vator.

my two favorite boys in all the land + a BIG tree + some people in a hurry.

creche @ st. patrick's cathedral. very big. very beautiful.

view from the window near our elevator on floor #32.

can you see the dog in the middle of this bergdorf goodman window display? because i'm pretty sure it's my maggie. hello magpie.

in the cab, on the way to mary poppins (which, by the way, was fabulous!)

pit stop @ times square toys r us. we are soaked because we were caught in a snow/rain mix leaving the amsterdam theater.

and then we came home to our puppy. we picked him up on a steeler sunday. on a steeler sunday in pittsburgh, the cozy inn pet resort decorates all the steeler colored dogs. yes they do.

so that was our trip in a nutshell. very much fun. very, very much fun...

and so good to be home. after all, there really is no place like home.

start spreading the news...

a hint:

have a great weekend. i'll talk to you on monday...

thankful for her...

piano lessons. every wednesday. for almost FIVE YEARS now...

that's right folks. for nearly five years we have been sitting @ her bench every wednesday afternoon. each one of them has a lesson while the other two sit at her table and do homework. 

the fact that they can all read music and play beautifully is certainly a bonus (and the original goal, in fact). but there have been many other happy side effects that have come with our weekly wednesday lesson. and it's all because of her.

she (our fab piano teacher) is smart and funny. she makes the kids want to do their best. she doesn't hand out sugary praise every week. so when she says "good job" - they feel proud. when she tells them they can do better - they usually do. she is a great influence on my kiddos and i am so happy for the time they spend with her.

we love you mrs. phillips!

xoxoxo

 

 
 
 

the whole gang...

they are a great big group of cousins. they were fun and easy and seemed to really enjoy each other's company. and they all LOVE this sweet baby!!!

proof:

they were not asked to do this. they were keeping her warm between takes. how cute is that?

three beautiful sisters:

brother/sister team:

the four of them are old pros @ this...

much loved baby:

whole gang:

 
 you can check out their session images here.
 

happy birthday to you...

birthday boy stopped over with his mom, dad and baby sister for a quickie photo shoot today.

isn't he the cutest ever THREE year old??

birthday boy + beautiful mommy

josie was not sure about the smiling part of the plan...

 
then charlie told a really good baby joke...