The World According to Gabriel

Little boy blue got a hold of the camera...kind of interesting seeing things from his perspective.

Hmmm, anyone notice a reoccurring theme here?

Weight Lifting for Little Kids

This is what we pack for music lessons each week.   Actually, now that I'm looking at the picture I realized Clare's bag is missing.  Anyway, this includes 1 guitar, 2 laptop computers, a snack or two for each of us and various school books, piano/guitar paraphernalia and a few non-essential things that Therese always tosses in at the last minute. ( Everything but the kitchen sink, as the saying goes!)  But, hey, we're at Linda's for 2 1/2 hours every Monday morning.

I must say that while we're there everybody works hard to get their school work done because that means they can skip math on Friday's.  Kind of a weird treat, but they like it. When school work is out of the way and they've had their turn at the piano (or guitar in Andrew's case), they can play quietly in the basement.  Last week they found this little gem in the toys at Linda's..

and they just had to bring it home to share the joke with the rest of the family.  Not sure who put the toilet paper next to it...nice touch, though!  Shhh, don't tell anyone but there's been talk that this would be a fun little item to greet Grandma and Grandpa with when they return from AZ.  (I won't tell...if you won't!)

P.S.  Sad little twist to this story,  Dan and Linda have sold their house and are moving.  WAHHHH!

Dabers gets brownie points for this one...

at least he knows that leftover snacks need to be refrigerated!

Every night Gabriel says, "Thank you Mom for supper."

Last night I made beef stew and bread (cheating with the breadmaker, of course) and Gabriel insisted that he wasn't going to eat.  Dan bribed him with the promise of popcorn for bedtime snack, so he took a bite and then announced, "Thank you for making yucky stuff for Dabers, Mom!"

You can run but you can't hide, little boy!

Ta Da!

Without further ado,

here's Gabriel's Christmas stocking.

(Phew, only 39 days too late for Christmas!)

Now for Marianna's...

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!

Marianna & Daddy

A lazy morning spent looking at pictures on Dan's phone.

Fire Away!

Last night I glanced out the living room window to see this.

Yep, Dan's at it again.  He waited so patiently for just the right amount of snow cover this year.  All summer we collect the brush from any storm damage (and there was quite a bit the past two years) and then it all goes up in flames when Dan gets the itch to burn. 

Of course, everyone has to get in on the action!

And I mean everyone.  Marianna would have none of sitting in the car, while everyone else is partying.

Not sure who started it but soon snowballs were flying.

Then the camera started dying (hence the following pictures)

Taking time out to warm hands.

 

 By the end of the night we had a bunch of cold and soggy munchkins

and some sad looking tennis shoes!

Hate those sticky thingy's in the woods, can't even get'em off your skin!

Before and After

I have to confess.  I told him that I was going to try thinning some of the curls on his head.  Let's face it, he was looking a little shaggy.  About half way through he said, "Just cut it all off." I didn't need to be told twice!

Pesky little brother!