12/12/2011 ~ Playdate Monday & Baking Gooey Cranberry Chocolate Squares

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A couple of Griff's friends came over today as is our typical Monday routine.  They seemed really focused on video games for a change and only broke away from the Wii and DSi for long enough to watch Santa Claus is coming to Town.  Although it was the morning, we still had Frosty the Snowman cookies and candy cane Hershey's Kisses.  As they were getting picked up to go, their Mom invited Griffin to come and spend the afternoon at their place which was a GODSEND.  That meant that my quiet time focus didn't have to be keeping Griffin quiet.  When he came back home shortly before school pick up time, we spent some time baking together and made Gooey Cranberry Chocolate Squares. Delish!
Griffin coloured the colouring pages that his friends let him take home and I have never seen him so intent on colouring every square inch of the paper. 

Playing Wii

Eating frosty the snowman cookies and candy cane kisses.

Colouring

Greasing the Pan for Mom

The Squares

12/11/2011 ~ Harley Comes to Aurora

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Meema's visit continues and Harley pops over this morning to hang out as well.  We all went to watch Griffin play hockey and boy was he thrilled.  He shot past us at the glass and was clearly showing off as he rounded the net at warp speed.  He kept looking back at us and grinning and pumping his fist.  So proud of him.  Many goals and Meema was doing her best hockey Mom impersonation by cheering loudly. 

Claire decorated a graham cracker with candy cane pieces and little silver nonpareils that Harley thought were ball bearings.  Lily had the chance to build her Gingerbread house today but she still managed to take a little time out to tease Harley about his exposed Grinch boxer shorts as he napped on the couch after an Xbox bender the night before. 

12/10/2011 ~ Meema Comes to Aurora

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My Mom came to town for the weekend!  I persuaded her to decorate my Christmas tree with the kids.  Griffin had me add a hook to his ornament, then he went and selected a spot on the tree while I added the next hook.  Lily decided to unbox and add all of her hooks up front, and then add all of her ornaments to the tree.  Claire spent her time attempting to break the candy garland of my youth by decorating her playhouse with it.  When she broke off a few of the toy lifesavers, she proceeded to deliver them to herself in the toy mailbox, over and over again.  Very little ornament breakage this year.  We just had a few chards of glass that came out of a box of ornaments from Nonna so I had a brief yelling session at the kids to run and get slippers on so I could pass the vaccuum and nobody would have to spend the next five days of their life bellowing to me about the shooting pain that the microscopic chard of glass (98% unreachable by tweezer) was sending into the heel of their foot.  Crisis averted.

We had a ham dinner and then we hunkered down for some Christmas movies and most of us passed out on the couches after a long debate about whether A Charlie Brown Christmas is boring as hell, or a classic.

Grif gives a horsie ride to Claire.

Lily gives a horsie ride to spaghetti cat

The tweaking of the branches, aka, the bain of my existence.

Happy Little Elves.

Up with the Angel

Lily adds ornaments to the bald spots

Decorated with Love

Loved this ham but ended up so dehydrated from the salt that I needed to apply blistex all night long!

Gingerbread Santa from her Meema!

The first two to drop off

Densely populated movie viewing area

Sweet sleeping Goddess

My sleeping Prince

12/9/2011 ~ Gingerbread and Candy Canes

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Jangles was up to his usual antics last night and decided to drag race a Care Bear in the dining room.  The good news is that he brought a box of Candy Canes for the kids so we used some of those to help build a Gingerbread House this morning since Griffin was home from school.  Lots of fun for Griffin and I got to add many finishing touches so plenty of fun for me also.  We have another kit waiting for Lily to build but we both decided it would be more fun to tell her we made it without her before revealing her own kit. 
We're just mischievious like that! 

12/8/2011 ~ Bed Head

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This is what I get for ever venting about Lily's curly hair when she was tiny.  Just when you think it can't get worse, Claire's bedhead.  Trust me, when you add water to this. her hair is capable of springing into lovely tiny wringlets.  But this is what we wake up to.  Brace yourself.

12/7/2011 ~ Today's Hilights

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Today's hilights. 
~ Lily heading down the staircase this morning with her school folder.
~ Claire sitting on the potty with a tiny Santa hat on her head.  Very Bing Crosby.
~ Griffin and Lily killing time playing Angry Birds on the Ipod touch.
~ Claire caught kissing her little boyfriend under the carpet!  We're in so much trouble with these two!