Merry Christmas!

Solstice may be over, but now it's Christmas! We pretty much opened presents all week. ;-)

Gabriel looking for his name on presents under Tia's tree on Christmas Eve (a side benefit to learning to read your own name).

Bailey feeling festive Christmas Eve after one too many sparkling ciders.

Gabriel to Suzu: "I like your haircut." (After we cut his hair, he began complementing others on their hair, even if they had not actually gotten their hair cut.)

Classic retro toys were all the rage this year! We have been having fun playing Chutes and Ladders this weekend.

The Slinky! Another retro classic!

W00t! Bailey scored a big bag o' prizes (and a lot of socks).

Naomi, opening a gift and practicing her best TV commercial smile. ;-)

Weary from opening presents, G rests on Mama's leg and contemplates his new "automoblox" cars (you can take them apart and put them back together in different ways, very cool).

Solstice Celebration

Some pixs from our Solistice Eve and Solstice Day. We were supposed to celebrate at the cabin, but G was up all night the night before we were planning to leave, so we stayed home instead. It was nice at home, too.

Bailey and Gabriel had some catching up to do (they haven't seen each other since the summer). It didn't take very long. ;-)

Bailey also had to meet Salt, our new puppy (10ish weeks old in his pix). That bond didn't take very long, either!

Opening windows in the Advent calendar is a family tradition. It is ever more fun this year because Gabriel knows the numbers.

Did I mention Salt?

Bailey in her winter hat (which she wore most of the day)!

Gabriel and Salt are having a Solstice snuggle. :-)

Noelani and Gabriel reading Knuffle Bunny, Too (the intriguing sequel to Knuffle Bunny).

Gabriel and Bailey helped each other open gifts.

Bailey unwrapping Witches & Wizards. She read it in 3 nights!

My gift to Bailey was "Bucky Balls". They were a big hit with everyone...

and a little bit of an obsession...

They say age 13+, but even Gabriel was digging them.

This is my wife, Martha Stewart Scotton. :-)

She and her assistants made these yummy Lemon Rosemary Shortbread cookies.

One of her assistants was flying high with excitement (and sugar?).

Then some dinosaurs came to visit, from Auntie Bri!

The Montana Cribbs hooked G up (no pun intended) with his first fishing rod.

And Bailey decided to do some Solstice body piercing!

There is much much more to tell, but I need to go Christmas shopping right now...

Holiday party

The full length view

Gabriel dressed up, too (he's wearing a necklace).

After the party...probably won't wear these heels for another year!

Smiles of the day (and a new family member!)

Smiles of the day!

Smile of the day!

Smile of the day!

It's Halloween!

We carved the Great (little) Pumpkins with our friends on the front "lawn", while also chatting, playing baseball, eating pizza, playing catch, eating (lots of) pumpkin bread, and sipping hot cider. Then we finally convinced G to put on his costume (the dragon, not the bird) and went "visiting" in our court -- which turned quickly into "trick-or-treating". ;-)

Is it a bird? He was a bird on Thursday at Jil's House (day care), but today, he wouldn't put on his costume. As you will see, he decided to be something more exciting.

The other players...

Amanda

Solomon

and Renata.

And the parents, of course. We had the kids outnumbered, but there were still times I would find myself alone with them all, calling out "3 to 1!" to get some help. ;-)

The face paint was shared (Solomon was a Transformer, for those of you without a 5 year old)...

and used for painting pumpkin faces, too.

Finally, it was time to turn into a dragon...

Dragon's roar!

And they smile!

They are also known to give this look. :-)

Amanda transformed into the Cookie Monster, and they were ready to go!

They got the hang of it pretty darn quickly...




And they weren't even scared off by the skeleton!

But even after "visiting", there was more work to be done.

And here are the results: design on the left by Gabriel, on the right by Noelani