She's Crafty!

 Every year around Thanksgiving, my sister asks "What are we doing for your birthday this year?" Usually, I either shrug or ask to do mani/pedis. This year, I was ready, I knew exactly what I wanted to do: Pinterest Party.
My original idea included apps and 'sserts (my two favorite food groups), crafts and kids. We worked together to pin ideas for food, kid crafts and Christmas crafts that my sister and I could do together. We set a date. Then Dutch got a funky stomach bug. No matter! We'd plan for the following week. Then I got the flu. It lasted a week. We missed out on Christmas crafting.
Then, when we got together for family Christmas, my sister gave me some beautiful fabric and all the materials we'd need to make a skirt together. Megan knows how to sew, I do not. My skirt to be came with a specially designed tutorial!

 So, the two oldest babies watched Brave (and later went bouncing at the Jump-Jumps with Cameron) while Dutch stole every teether Miles brought (and then later both babies slept and we really got down to work).

 Megan put me right to work. At first, I was afraid. I was petrified!

 Just kidding, it was actually super fun. I got an A+ in sewing straight lines (slowly).

 And before Megan left for the day, I had my gorgeous skirt! I would say she did somewhere between 70 and 95% of the work but I was very busy learning!

Now I definitely have the itch to get my own sewing machine and teach myself to sew. I am envisioning an entire new wardrobe.
I had the perfect pre-birthday birthday party with my crafty sister.

Dutch on the go

Cam has said all he wants for Christmas this year was for Dutch to start crawling. And on our third celebration of Christmas, that's exactly what Dutch did. Out of nowhere our boy gave up army crawling in favor of real, big boy crawling.

I love the look of pure happiness on Cam's face in this picture.

Christmas Morning

I have looked forward to a Christmas morning with TWO bundles of joy for such a long time. This Christmas was everything I had hoped for.
Our Christmas morning tradition means making Clem wait on the stairs before she can open presents. It's funny to see her anticipation building and building. I love getting her picture just as she wakes up, wild eyes and messy hair.

 All year she has asked for a pet Poodle. Preferably a PINK pet Poodle. I found the next best thing and nearly jumped with joy in the Target aisle! A stuffed Pink Poodle appropriately named Pinky Paws.

 Last year, the only thing on Clem's wishlist was a Nutcracker. Of course we got her one last year and found a baker's themed Nutcracker for this year. I'm hoping this will be the start of a new Christmas tradition for our girl.

 Dutch got a few new things for his Christmas gifts...

 but the wrapping paper was really the biggest hit.

A beautifully low-key Christmas morning was enjoyed by each of us!

Gingerbread Houses

 As is our tradition, Clementine and I made mini gingerbread houses (courtesy of Wilton) just before Christmas. In keeping with tradition, I had the flu so I sat back taking pictures rather than getting anywhere near anything edible!

 Clementine had a great time putting together the little mini houses and sneaking swiped fingerfuls of icing, a gumdrop here and there.  And Dutch had a great time watching from his front row seat.

Workshop

 I cannot put into words how much I love this girl. She is the most hilarious person I know and she's  only 5. My pride and joy.

Cam's silk screening press has taken up much of our garage. Clementine has claimed ownership of the rest as her very own Workshop. She goes out with Cam on the weekends to work in the garage. She comes up with all kinds of ideas: dog houses, mouse traps, robots. She draws designs that she posts on our fridge with pride, then she builds with Cam's scrap wood and rifles through our recycle bins to complete her projects.
On this day, she went out to her workshop in her tights, boots, coat and goggles, ready to build. Clearly the work of a girl genius.

6 months!!

 My baby boy is SIX months old!! 6!! Months!!! That's half a year in a blink of an eye!

At 6 months (!!!!) Dutch is a very active young man. Ridiculously so. At his latest pediatrician's appointment, he'd actually grown over an inch and LOST a few ounces of weight. I am not surprised in the least as this boy never, ever sit still. He can roll, scoot and sit on his own. He isn't quite crawling forward yet, although he does go in reverse. He has his own style of getting around the house by a combination of army crawling and rolling.

 He is also teething in a major way. Those two bottom teeth really want to peek through those gums! Every picture I got of him has lip chewing. Those poor little lips!

 His little personality is starting to come through and it's a combination of drama and sweetness. He is a cuddler, and BOY howdy, does he love his mama. Sister is a close second. Cam, he's just starting to warm up to. He'll go to Cam as long as I remain in his line of vision.

He is starting to babble in a very sweet little boy voice. He says "Mama" although he doesn't discriminate between me and anyone else with food. He has a contagious little laugh that comes easily and we absolutely adore him.

Its Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas!

 Last night was Clementine's school's Winter Performance. The kids all dressed up and sang super cute winter songs.

 Clem was very excited that this year she got to stand on the highest of the risers. But right before they went on, she said she was nervous about falling off. She was leading the group of singers in on the highest riser at a snail's pace so as not to fall! She's so funny.

 Today we went to Bellewood Acres to visit HoneyCrisp Kringle!

 Clem was under strict orders to request a hot tub for mommy, but I think she asked for Barbie stuff instead.

These two have been *mostly* good this year! ;)