Eight Crazy Nights: Night 2

Ben has so much Chrismukkah spirit he woke up in a panic at 4 am because HE FORGOT TO MOVE THE ELF.

We had a lovely weekend, filled with presents, reindeer, and the first snow of the season.  I took a bajillion pictures, of course.

Harry watches the candle in anticipation while Ben runs down to the storage room for night 1 presesnts

Where else to open your Hanukkah presents but in front of the Christmas tree?

Cooper loves unwrapping.  Ripping stuff up is his favorite!

Dreidel!  For Christmas candy, natch

We hung some pictures this morning, and Cooper was quick to grab his own stool and hammer-- such a helper, that one.

This is what Cooper did to my bathroom and closet while I took a shower.  Not the most relaxing shower I have ever had.

Harry was so excited to wake up to snow-- he couldn't wait to examine each flake under his microscope.  THIS JUST IN: NO 2 SNOWFLAKES ARE ALIKE.  Hypothesis confirmed.

Yard snowman with abandoned toy features.

Snowboarding.  I hope no one builds on this lot for awhile.

Snow/dirt angel

Ben totally biting it on Harry's snowboard.

By the time Cooper woke up, it had really started to snow

Cooper was not thrilled about the snow or about putting on his boots.  You have not lived until you have wrestled a one year-old into snow pants and boots and mittens.  Damn those mittens.

He kept falling down.

Aren't we dreamy

I will not miss the porta potties when our neighborhood is finally built.

Who spray paints a snowman?

Snowman building is clearly dangerous for the special helmeted snowflakes.

I felt very MOTY-ish with my deconstructed s'more snack

Local landscaping company had reindeer today.  They were cool, although we ditched the official reindeer picture line to just go check out Vixen and Dasher in their pen-- the snow was wet and heavy, and Cooper was not amused.

Part 1 of the bedroom shuffle entails getting all the crap put of our guest room, including all of our family pictures.  We re-framed 3 and added a brand new one from our holiday photo shoot and put them over our bed-- I love the final product.

I am not usually a fan of family pictures in public rooms (weird, I know), but I had to make an exception for a couple shots of the kids in the hall-- they're just too cute.

Hanukkah night 2:  Cooper got a bowhawk and a puzzle

Harry and Jack got Sorry and Pop the Pig, respectively.

We had so much fun playing Sorry with Harry after the little kids went to bed-- his first real board game, besides the game of Life, but we had to help him read that one a few months ago, and tonight, he was his own little player.

I am glad we could relax and savor the weekend, because this week is BRUTAL, but when it's over, we have 5 weeks of vacation.  (Well, I do, anyway :)-- those other suckers have to work/ go to school right after the new year)