kidd kittens

it's christmas in wisconsin, with all of the kid(d)s at home!

Thank you ever-so much for this delicious array of food, Aunt Beppi! Eee love to sit on your lap and play! If you come over next week, I'll fix you dinner!

Unc giving Ivy and early lesson on how to HOIST a Barbie Uno card!

Sisters, sisters....with glasses on, we all actually look a bit alike. (Scarf courtesy of Beppi's handmade originals).

Cousin Lexie, shy as always in front of the camera - showing off her fashionable "Pink" Wisconsin sleep duds...

Eeem hungry! Pappy forgot to buy potatoes, sending Unc on an hour-and-a-half scavenger hunt for the last potatoes in Rock County (he claims he had to "wheel and deal" at a Kwik Trip for a 20-lb bag of potatoes, the remains of which will likely be molding in some corner of pappy's house next Christmas). In the meantime, Aunt Beppi and mama prepared to feast on Ivy's wooden play food. Mmmm...fiber....

Emo! Emo! I loooooove my hide-and-seek Elmo book from Unc! I love to read it and crawl on it and chew on it and sit on it and...

Whew! All that playing...a girl's gotta' rest...I'm just gonna' take a breather here on the floor with my pillow...do not disturb, people!

No, I know I'm cute, but go ahead, you can say it again!

So...tempting...want to rip a-l-l the ornaments off the tree. (Truth be told, she was actually quite good at leaving most of the ornaments in place!)

oh christmas eve, oh christmas eve, you go by just too dang fast...

Boo Bear traveling (in carseat borrowed from sweet cousin Nora, thank you very much!) in style, wearing her vintage matching wool hat and coat which was originally mommy's (from Aunt Teresa), and now fit her perfectly! First we attended church at St. Mary's - much to Pappy's chagrin, Daddy, Mommy & Boo Bear sat in the "cry room" while the rest of the fam sat in the regular church. Boo Bear tried to rush the altar a few times, likely to give a more interesting sermon.

Next we had dinner and Terrill-side gathering at Jim & Nancy's...Mommy's not gonna' lie, it seemed to short this year and she was sad that both she and Boo Bear (and Daddy) didn't have more time with all the relatives...Hmmm...daddy finishes school in a year...anyone hear Madison calling? Can anyone comment on the schools...property taxes...??? Hmmm... Anyway, here is Ivy opening a squish-a-rific gift with Cousin-Uncle Peter (home from SanFran!). The little ladybug was a big hit on the plane ride back! Thank you again, Jim & Nancy!

the fam...

Cousin-Uncle John, I'd be happy to help you open that gift! You and Peter have always been soooooo unbelievably good with me and all the little ones!

Uncle Duncan, read it again! I know it's Gracia's book, but I love it so! (***By the way, if anyone has any pictures of Gracia and Ivy playing together, pleeeease forward to me, as I was in the other room gabbing with Nancy during the Gracia and Ivy hide-and-seek extravanagza!***)

Teesa! Teesa! Not a shortage of kisses for Teesa, either!

Thanks for the 50 lb box of blocks, Teesa! What do you think will be more fun - me playing with them or mommy and daddy trying to get them into their luggage? :)

Umm, Aunt Joan, this is how it's done. Just watch me a sec, and I'll help you figure it all out!

playin' in pappy's winter wonderland

King of the mountain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There were several feet of snow on the ground (a faaaaaar cry from PA!), which made for snowy tomfoolery for all! Boo Bear wasn't really too thrilled with the snow, and was much happier when mama took her inside for a nap! Mama however, happily returned to the tundra outdoors to attempt to sled with Aunt Becky, Lexie, and Daddy (who was more or less a sled dog as he tried to pull the 4-person toboggan down the hill to make a sled track in the snow). We crashed and burned more than we actually sledded, as the snow was just too deep. Daddy and Unc however, had a great time snowmobling through the fields!