Good Morning Christmas.

Why does Christmas morning always come so early? Even if our girls aren't early risers it always seems to be too early.


Patrick tried to sneak a nap between present openings.


Emma and Claire building a new house for Mary out of Lincoln Logs.


The ball popper has been the biggest thrill for all. Emma was just as excited as Claire was to receive this toy.


This foam dinosaur was a big hit too... Unfortunately his quality and amount of small pieces has him on a high shelf right now.

Christmas Prep

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care.


Emma and Claire needed new stockings so a fellow blogger posted on her site how to make them, and I went to the thrift store got two sweaters that I loved and made them stockings. I love the eclectic stockings. Patrick's mom made his when he was a boy and my grandmother crocheted mine when I was little. I hope that the girls' stockings last them that long.
We also made gingerbread cookies.


Eric wins the award for best decorated.


Emma only wanted to eat the ones Eric made, but Emma's won the award for most sprinkles.

Picture Tag

Post the 4th photo in the 4th album in your computer. I tag everyone who blogs and reads my blog.
Here is mine...

More Bendy Dolls!

These are getting to be a lot of fun for me to make, and it is a pretty good stress reliever/ diverter. However Patrick says I have for sure left the world of art and have entered the world of craft. I know not many of my art professors would be joyously praising my new body of work, but well a 3 yr old and a 10 mth old do not cultivate/ give time for artistic expression beyond that of play dough. So I craft, shrug, it keeps me sane. Well that and a healthy dose of coffee.









What Emma and Claire do while I craft...



You might call this dancing, or sibling battling. I am not sure, it all changes in an instant.

New Toys

Ok I know it is right before Christmas and new toys will be arriving soon, but I couldn't help myself to make this little doll. Tutorial here.
It was a lot of fun to make.






She even scored a nice ride.



And practiced her parade wave.



Poor Emma Bean feels crummy today, but is trying to make the best of it.



And Claire Burrito despite getting up at 6am is giving today a run for its money.

Tree

I need to get more pictures of us picking out our tree from Grandma, but this is the only one I could find of the tree so far. Maeve and Emma helping pick their favorite color on the tree. This is our first year using color lights. I don't think we are sold on them. I will have to pick up more clear ones on clearance when the season is over.

Claire's choice

While sorting the records, Patrick was deciding if we should Goodwill some of his least favorites. Claire said in baby babble "No daddy, I like the classic disco hits. Please keep them."

To Quiet

When things get to quite you know something is going on. Claire had found a pack of cheddar bunnies that one of the kids left out. She was having a hay day, sprinkling the bunnies while eating them. A spontaneous snack is the perfect thing to entertain the wild one. Maybe we should hide packs of Annie's snacks around the house more often... or not.

Crafting

Advent Craft Fur Yarn Wreath


What we did was take larger yogurt lids, and cut the middle out of it. Then we took the furry yarn and wrapped it around the circle. Maeve then chose to tie red knots for berries and wrapped hers with sequins and tied a red bow. Emma had a bit of trouble/ was pretty distracted by her cousins and managed to just wrap hers and put on a white bow. Cian was having a rough day and deemed this project to girly for him.

Welcome Advent

It is time for advent activities! I love Christmas and the preparation of the holiday.
1. Make button Wreaths
2. Color pictures for nursing home
3. Make snowflakes to decorate with
4. Winter walk
5. Get Tree/Disney on Ice
6. Decorate Tree
7. Family Game night
8. Charlie Brown Christmas (on ABC)
9. Donate canned goods
10. Coffee filter angel
11. Play-dough menorah with small candles
12. Christmas parade
13. Make card ornaments
14. Make cards for family
15. Make sugar cookies
16. Decorate sugar cookies
17. Write love notes/pictures and tuck under parents pillows.
18. Special family dinner
19. Christmas shop for sibling
20. String popcorn for birds
21. Drive and see Christmas lights
22. Make play-dough and play w/ Christmas cookie cutters
23. Make reindeer food
24. Dinner at Grandma's

Last Harvest

Patrick spent the morning in the garden harvesting the last bit of root veggies. He harvested a ton of carrots and beets. Winter has now settled in and snow has covered the garden. Emma is sad that the garden is sad and not growing. I told her it had to rest until spring, and that in spring she can help plant again.

Go Colts!

Colts season is in full swing and the women of the house try to appreciate the sport. At least we will support Patrick's habit of watching.


This is the closest our family will get to the cheerleading pyramid.



But really we are just as happy being silly outside, than watching the game.

Toy Catalog

You know Christmas is approaching when the really thick ads start to come. You know the ones that are not geared for adults at all. The thick toy catalog with its glossy pages and bright colors with everything you could ever want but never need. With the chatter of "I wants" and "Oh that is so cool" and the marker circles of things to put on your wish list. It's that time of year, and I don't know who was more excited Patrick or Emma... (well Emma has been sleeping with the catalogs so I think she takes the award for most enthusiastic.)

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Carving

Emma and Patrick did a fantastic job carving this years pumpkin. It was more Patrick's overzealous hard work that made it turn out, and I think Emma really appreciated it.


Step one remove top, that was easy!


Emma wasn't really sure about the gut removal... She declined to participate.


Emma didn't mind watching Patrick do the hard work of scooping out the pulp.


The finished work! Wall-E, he was difficult to get a good picture of. Even harder with Claire "trying" to help.

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Fall

I love fall. It may be the hardest time on my body, but the crisp cool weather is my favorite. Recently I had a pumpkin day. Claire and I went to bed rather early, so the next morning we work up and were ready to take on the day. It helped that what I woke up to were some beautiful colors in the sky.






So I plopped Claire in her highchair, tossed her some Kix, and we baked!









These muffins were Fabulous! They were pumpkin ginger muffins found here. They were divine. They maintained moistness, without much difficulty. We also toasted pumpkin seeds, and had a mock pumpkin latte. It was a great day!

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Flaherty Fall Vacation

Great trip! We had lots of fun and the girls did amazingly well in the car.



Giant Claire doesn't look so giant, amid the vast space of our enormous chalet!
7 bedrooms for 2 families, definitely more than we needed.



Unpacking, I planned all of our groceries because I didn't want to use vital trip time at the grocery store. After the 7 hour car drive and 20 min one way your lost on a mountain drive those Budweisers in the foreground were much needed.



Claire enjoyed the stairs. They might be big and she might be small, but don't tell her that.



Snuggling with Daddy on the balcony.



Emma singing to the mountains.



Hiking



Big Rock



Flaherty girls



Papa Bear



Emma Bean and a Bear



Some evening yoga to work out the sore joints of hiking.

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