Christmas!

2008 was the most fun Christmas of my memory. Kyla was old enough to really enjoy gifts, especially unwrapping them. I got to dress up my girls in their Christmas dresses and try to get them to bed before midnight. (I failed.) And for the first time in years, we all spent the night at "home" Christmas Eve to wake up to stockings on Christmas Day. I know that Dec. 25 is supposed to be about Christ's birth, but I love the family and friends part of the holiday.

The Dresses

What could it be?

Piper with Uncle Brian

Uncle Keith and Aunt Julie with Kyla

Opening Cheryl's new umbrella

Piper got a special toy!

Kyla loves "helping" Papa!

Christmas Breakfast

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Daddy and Kyla

Doing some last minute Christmas shopping, Kyla and Dwayne take a minute to pose for Mama.

More at Molbak's

Molbaks has been our indoor playgroup during the cold weather, and Christmas is especially fun. Kyla & Piper met Isaac and Aubrey there one more time after we all dug ourselves out of the snowdrifts.

The kids pause for a snack of Kringle.Finally, Jen, Susanne, and I actually get our picture taken, leaving the kids to run amok.

Piper is a star!

Piper got to play Jesus in one of Curt Cloninger's Christmas vignette's. She was adorable, pulling his beard, smiling at the audience, searching for Mama in the crowd.

Curt and Piper posing for after show pictures.

Piper relaxes from the stress of the stage with some shoe chewing and crib gnawing.

Elves in the Kitchen

Yesterday, I worked my butt off to clean the three bedrooms and two bathrooms. That meant I neglected the kitchen all day. That meant I was cleaning it until 10 last night. Luckily, Piper was there to help (un)load the dishwasher!

Kyla was actually mildly useful and ever so charming as we made spritz together during Piper's morning nap. She helped me measure and pour in the flour and sugar. She also did her best to add a cup of water and a 1/4 cup paprika. (No, those last two ingredients aren't called for in the recipe.) We both had a great time deciding how red to make the dough and what designs to shoot through the cookie gun. Kyla also enjoyed taste testing.

Woodinville Winter Light Festival

We met up with friends from playgroup at Woodinville's annual Light Festival on December 5th. Isaac's mommy and daddy had the only camera (and they take great pictures), so they officially recorded the evening for us.

First, dinner at Ruby's with Isaac, Tom, and Suzanne. Isaac and Kyla find the food is better at the other table.

I'll have what he's having. (Yes, in the grand tradition of clothes swapping, Isaac is wearing Kyla's strawberry hat, and Kyla has on Piper's Santa hat.)

Frosty was willing to meet with his fans at the Festival.

Kyla was Very Unwilling.

Santa Baby!

Of course Piper has a pink Santa hat!

Holiday Fun at Mobak's

We met up with Kyla's friend, Aubrey, at Mobak's this morning.

The girls posed in front of the famous poinsettia tree.

We sampled the I'll-start-my-diet-tomorrow kringles. They were soooo good.

Piper, as always, was a great sport about the whole thing.

We all like the exotic stuffed animal collection.

It doesn't matter how many pictures you take of three kids in a photo cutout. None of them will turn out with all the kids smiling, or even looking through the holes. Here's our best shot.

Hug the Lion, Kyla!

Happy Birthday, Uncle Keith!

Happy Birthday, Uncle Brian! Take 1. Take 2. Forget it.

Do you like it? I call it.....

Kyla very deliberately scribbled all over a corner of the whiteboard this morning. I asked her what she was drawing and she said it was pine needles. I confirmed with her that this was the name of her piece and we decided that a picture should be taken of the titled work.

And, without further ado, I give you....

PINE NEEDLES, an original by Kyla Paige Need