A Lesson Learned?

Always, always, always keep your tongue in your mouth. And never, ever, ever try to taste the chairlift safety bar when it is 12 degrees outside!

Happy Birthday, Cupcake!

Cupcake's favorite baby doll was mauled by our dog a few weeks ago, so we told her that Baby went to the hospital and would be back on her birthday. She was amazed that Baby's booboo was all better. She kept checking all around Baby's neck and tugging on her head to make extra sure her head was on tightly since the dog had pulled off the old baby doll's head and shredded the neck section of the body. All evening Cupcake kept checking Baby's neck and asking, "Good, Mommy, good?"

The highlight was the mini suitcase of new clothes for the new and improved Baby. This is when Princess Eee threw a fit and stormed upstairs screaming & crying. Apparently she does not remember that she just had her birthday exactly one month ago and received numerous fabulous gifts of her own. Apparently Princess Eee saw great injustice in the fact that Cupcake got doll clothes, and she did not. And I had forgotten how difficult it is for some four year olds to be happy for someone else on her/his birthday. Zippy and The Spark were always very excited for anyone to celebrate a birthday and open cool gifts. #1 on the other hand was eventually banned from siblings' birthdays for exactly the same sentiments that Princess Eee exhibited this evening. Thankfully at almost ten, he has grown out of it. Princess Eee, I think, is just growing into it. That is a bummer because she has three more siblings' birthdays to "enjoy" in the next three months.

Here is J trying to reassure Cupcake that, yes indeed, Baby is all better.

And since Cupcake does not like cake (or cupcakes!), we had Bananas Caramel for dessert. She does like whipped cream, and she scraped the dish for every last taste of the caramel.

117th Annual Town X-mas Party

We saw Santa tonight! He always visits the town Christmas party and calls each child up by name to hand deliver a small gift. Tonight was the 117th annual party. In leaner times each child received only an orange, so they continue that tradition but now each kid gets a toy too. Man, was it hard for Princess Eee to wait for her name to be called. All day today, "Santa 'night?" She marched right up onto the stage when her name was called. Cupcake on the other hand was a little freaked out and would only go in my arms and even still covered her face with her hands until Santa handed her a gift at which point she covered her face with her gift but managed to utter a quick "Tank Oooo" too.

And Princess EE had her first field trip today. She and her little classmates all went to sing a few holiday songs to some elderly people at a nursing home nearby. She thinks she can sing Jingle Bells and it is pretty cute to hear but I don't think a single sound she sings is an actual word in any language- except "Tinkerbells." When we asked her all about her day today, she was convinced that she visited an old people's school.

Here are the photos from our evening with Santa and introducing #1's new 'do...

All ready to go: Tough Guys:

Beautiful Sisters: