A room full of Patty Pattersons engaging in annual cookie-baking festivities at Aunt Becky (Beppi)'s house. Note the highly rare appearance of Aunt Jenny partaking in said cookie-making, and the extreme Pat face on Lexie! Unc would not cooperate with Pat face-making, per usual...HOIST!!!

Behold a sampling ofthe frosted cookie love...

christmas at shelley's!

The day before we left for Wisconsin, Santa made a special visit to Shelley's, Ivy's beloved caregiver! At some point in this picture, Coca-Cola bottles started growing out of mama's head...we think it was just the magic of the season!

A trepidous Ivy reluctantly spends about 10 seconds on Santa's lap. She got quite excited when she saw him...the proverbial eyes open wide and whispering "santa!" almost reverently, but sitting on his (or any stranger's) lap is a whole different deal...

Ivy and buddies JoJo, Zoya, Piper and Levi on sweet Shelley's lap...can you tell that these kids adore her or what?
Ivy at home playing with some of her new kitchen funsies...it was just the beginning!

tree trimming festivities for all!

boo bear gorgeousness at our tree trimming festivities earlier today...
tristan: "so, i'm thinking of getting a band together...i hear you play chime blocks & like, i've been looking for a hot chime block player for awhile...any interest?"

ivy: "yeah, well, i'm kinda' booked through the holidays, but what kinda gigs are you talkin'?"

tristan: "well man, i just want to start out real small...keep the music real, you know? i don't want to be one of those 15-month-old sell-outs you see hangin' around gymboree...sooo commercial."

ivy: "totals - sad, you know, my bohemian brother? why don't you come over to my place next week and we'll just jam and see what happens? i really dig when the music just happens organically, you jive? i'll bring the sippy cups if you'll bring the cheerios...peace."

(ummm...mommy may have just gotten a liiiittle carried away....)
the ceremonial hanging of the first ornament...maaaagical! (by the way, the magic lasted all of about two seconds, after which time, ivy tore the ornament off the tree and began to chase it like a ball).
auntie megan & cousin tristan keeping it real with their own maagical moment (and yes, maaagical is my favorite word this post!) we love them so much!

is that aunt brookie...or mary friggin' poppins? we couldn't tell, as all the wee babes (here ivy and best bud cousin zolani) flocked to brooke and her magical storytelling ways!

cousin/brother/boyfriend tristan squealing in delight at the tactile tinsel experience! maaaagical!

read it again, aunt brookie...i simply can never get enough of "the wheels on the bus!"

ooh, now it's my turn to delve into the tinsel...shiny...stringy...fun to drape on everything around the house (but only after i have systematically removed each ornament from the tree that mommy, daddy, auntie megan, auntie kate or aunt brookie has just hung. i like to chase them around as the fall and roll, laughing and shouting "ball, ball!" eem cute. (by the way, mommy forgot to take an actual picture of the finished tree, so that'll have to come in a later post...hey, she's pregnant!)

it's electric!

On Sunday (11/30) we paid a visit to the Franklin Institute (now referred to as "The Franklin" in Prince-style fashion...as if there aren't ANY other "Franklin" places in Philadelphia!) Anyway, daddy needed to do some research for a class there, but needless to say, Boo Bear was thrilled to get her hands on (and through) many of the displays. We were surprised at how much most of the exhibits kept her interest, despite her wee age. At right, she is crawling through a healthy artery near the walk-through heart exhibit. It was a challenge to get her to stop crawling through here and move on...
Ooh! Wind pressure is so much fun! Do it again daddy!

so focused, our little scientist - here she is operating a display on magnetism

mwa-ah-ah! feel the force as i control the crazy magical pink light within! mwa-ah-ah...so happy am i to come from a long line of mad scientists! (grandpa bob AND daddy!) :)

lil' gobbler

mmm...is the other half of that turkey all for me? yipee!!!
lady, you better seriously let me up on your lap so's i can get my hands on that pumpkin cheesecake!
boo bear's first "people food" thanksgiving feast - fed (almost) entirely by boo bear, of course! turkey - thumbs up, mashed tatos - thumbs up, sweet tatos - a surprising thumbs down (we think it was the nutmeg, but daddy more than made up for her apathy), and stuffing - thumbs down...atmosphere - thumbs up, and company - thumbs way up!