Christmas Day

On Christmas morning Benny came into our room at 4:00 am to let us know that he and Jacob "were well rested and ready to get up". We knew that was not the case so we told the boys to stay in their room until 5:30 am. And exactly at 5:30 am they got up to go through their stockings. George and I slept until the late hour of 6:30 am and once the coffee was brewed, presents were being opened.

Later that day we went to my parents house for Christmas dinner. My mom and dad served an Italian feast - antipasto, chicken and pork cutlets, meatballs, homemade sauce. So, so good. Here are some pictures from the day:

Benny got "just what he always wanted!"

Jacob was also excited.

George gave me a Phantom of the Opera nutcracker!

A family photo taken at my parent's house.

Okay now, these were my Grandmother's fur coats.

My dad wanted to sell them but no one wants furs these days.

So fur coats all around!

Me and my sisters.

Just the two of us...

Mom and Dad.

Aunt Liz and her snuggie!

A game of Mr. Mouth - my parents had this game in their basement for 20 years!

Looking good....

Christmas Eve

The Cooks (my in-laws) were here for Christmas Eve. We decided to do a non-traditional dinner - baked haddock and steak tips that George braved the elements to grill out for us . We rounded out the meal with double-stuffed baked potatoes, Mrs. Cook's famous bread braid and some snap peas. As usual, there were way too many presents. Here are some pictures:

The table - set and ready for dinner.

Colin was our first guest to arrive.

Snacks and video poker - heaven for the big boys!

That's my glass of white wine there!

Colin's dog Phil likes to pee in our house.

It's okay because we love that dog!

Jacob - opening a gift.

Ben - also pleased with a present.

Grammy taking it all in.

Smile.

Grampy and Aunt Stacy.

Holiday Visist

Last Sunday we went to visit our good friends the Cosgrove's. Cathy and I have been friends since 3rd grade. The girls put together a gingerbread house while the boys were drooling over Dave's vintage Star Wars collection. Here are some pictures from the day:

A photo of the three kids in front of the tree!

The boys and Star Wars - they were in heaven!

Some of the figures!

Making the gingerbread house!

A fun day!

Gingerbread Houses

The boys put together gingerbread houses today. Jacob did his by himself and Ben only needed assistance getting the house together. Ben used the candies to make a chainsaw for one of the gingerbread cookies. Ben said it was so he could cut down a shrub but I know it is because Ben wanted the cookie to be a Ninja. Here are some pictures from the day:

Just starting out...

Life is sweet!

A little snow....

Victory over the gingerbread house!

The final products!

Thanksgiving 2009

We went to my parent's house in Portsmouth for Thanksgiving. My sister Michele came down from Portland. My other sister, Elizabeth, stayed out in Chicago so we had a small crowd. It was also the first big holiday since my Grandmother passed away last spring.

We had a good visit and a great meal - turkey, stuffed mushrooms, mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing, rolls, creamed onions, green beans and way too much of all of it!

My sister Elizabeth checked in and let us know that she cooked a big meal too and was enjoying the day with her roommate Jess and her boyfriend Ajay.

Here are some pictures from the day:

Ben, Jacob and my Dad playing a board game before dinner.

The turkey....waiting for it to "pop".

Ben waiting for dinner and using his best manners - NOT!

He was acting like a Ninja and using his butter knife as a prop!

Dinner is served!

Ben, Ninja style, with his napkin as a headband.

Lego League Champs!

Jacob competed in the First Lego League event at UNH today and his team did so well that they are now headed to the state competition. The team had to design, build and program a robotic Lego device to complete a series of tasks to earn points. The also had to complete a research project, have a technical judging session and take part in a team problem solving challenge. (Jacob's Lego League experience reminds me of my Olympics of the Mind challenges when I was a kid. Yes, I was a geek! And George has been laughing at me whenever I mention the glory days of Olympics of the Mind.)

Jacob's team's robot earned the highest overall scores for the day. They also received second place honors for their technical review. Their research project was fun to watch - they did a skit on how to reduce traffic, smog and highway accidents. Jacob played a caveman and his version of Billy Mays (sales pitch guy).

Here are some pictures from the day:

The Lego table with the obstacles and challenges.

Jacob's team's robot being put on the course.

Cheering on their robot!

Jacob as a caveman.

Getting their trophy.

Happy with the results and the fun he had!

Cake and a big penguin

We celebrated Jacob's birthday today and had the family over for brunch. Jacob enjoyed the ice cream cake and this BIG plush penguin his Aunt Stacy gave him.

The penguin, the birthday boy and Aunt Michele.

Ben being Ben!

Another milestone...

Ben lost his first tooth on Saturday. The tooth fairy visited that night and Ben was quite happy with the $2.00 she left.

I asked Ben to smile to show the tooth he lost but this was the best we could do!

Jacob turns 11!

Happy Birthday Jacob! 11 years old! Hard to believe...

Sunday Fun

Grampy came down for a visit on Sunday. We spent several hours outside and enjoyed the nice weather. The boys decided to "modify" this ride-in toddler truck we have - making a toy that was originally safe into something risky and dangerous. They then decided to play in the leaves. Here are some pictures from the day:

Proud of their handiwork!

The mechanics.

Danger! No way to steer, no brakes, nothing....but oh so fun!

Use those feet as brakes!

The giant leaf pile.

Getting ready to jump into the leaves from the swing.

Got some air!

Crash!

Leaf boy.