Christmas cookies and Florida

One of my favorite things to do with the kids around Christmas is to make sugar cookies from scratch! I have a really easy and super yummy recipe from the Betty Crocker Bridal Edition Cookbook that I got from my Aunt Rita when we got married. If I can make sugar cookies from scratch- pretty much anybody can! ( I also make the awesome frosting from that cookbook too!!) Jack and Emma love, love, love decorating and eating the cookies!

A mouthful of delicious!

This girl prefers to just lick the frosting off....

Jack made a great Christmas tree plate at school. We used it for Santa's cookies on Christmas Eve.

On the shuttle at the crack of dawn. On our way to see Nae Nae and Dude in Florida!

We let Emma ride in the back of Dude's truck when we left the airport. Kidding!

We visited the Miami Metro Zoo. The weather was awesome! It was a really nice zoo- the kids loved it until they got tired and entered meltdown mode.

Sitting on the hippo

Another great family photo

A hippo eating Jack

Jack cuddled with the snake just for Obeo. He knows Obeo HATES snakes!

LaNae and Jack had WAY too much fun running through the fountain!

Jack "swam" all by himself in their pool- thanks to the stylish suit with a built in innertube!

Emma and Mama looking at her favorite animal- a gaga!

We even got to FEED the gaga!!

Emma eating her "peacock" at the airport. Not sure why pizza comes out as peacock.

Moe Moe and Jack passing the time till we get on the plane!

On the flight home we almost got diverted to Flint, Michigan because of snow in Milwaukee. That would have been a GREAT experience. Stuck in a random airport with 2 kids on Christmas Eve!!! We were lucky to land in Milwaukee and made it home on the snowy roads. We had a wonderful time in Florida. Jack and Emma really love spending time with their aunt and uncle. They also LOVE the cats and dogs.

Christmas 2009

Here's a sampling of our Christmas- backwards as usual!

Emma got a beautiful new scarf from her Aunt Jean and Uncle Lance

Jack was beyond thrilled with this outfit from his Aunt Mary and Uncle Tom!!!

Jack also got a scarf!

Jack and Grandpa

Emma and Obeo

Grandpa just HAD to try it on...

Auntie Ali and Jack

Christmas morning was just the 4 of us.

She adores her babies!

Jack got a lunch box for lunch bunch! No more borrowing Daddy's!

Emma was not too happy with the skirt- but ended up wearing it most of the day!

Patiently waiting to see if Santa came!

Eager to go downstairs!!

We had a great family Christmas party in Chicago. Somehow I forgot my camera! We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with just the 4 of us. It was perfect! We had a great dinner with the rest of the family and then headed to Super Nana's for dessert. It was a great holiday. We are now enjoying our week at home together. We're getting tons of projects done around the house and enjoying driving each other crazy!

18 Months (yesterday)

Holy cow our baby girl is a year and a half old!!!

She is goofy and silly and smart and cute and lovable and everything else we'd ever want our daughter to be.

Her vocabulary is exploding- she's now yelling "cookie!" and "turkey!" and a bunch of other words.

She enjoys tackling her brother, hugging her dog, and talking on the phone.

Happy 18 months baby doll!
We love you all the time!
Love,
Mama

And it begins...

"Emma, do you want to help me set the table"
"No!"
"Emma, please throw away your popsicle stick"
"No!"

"Emma, if you keep saying "no" to Mama, you will have to have a time out."

Well believe it or not she marched her own little tush over to the time out step!

We've got a pistol on our hands!