Tales from the Mountaintop

Sunday, January 08, 2012

Christmas, New Years and Ice Skating

December 17, 2011
Now that Christmas is over, I can post the nifty Kindle pouch that I made for Grandma Q. I was a crocheting madwoman for Christmas this year. The overall plan for all of the presents got slowed down a bit for mono so I still have some IOU's outstanding while I finish them, but I'll get there.

December 24, 2011 - Christmas Eve!
I just love to get Christmas cards. It's a great chance to see all of the smiling faces that have grown over the last year.

December 25, 2011 - Merry Christmas!!
It isn't Christmas without the traditional giving of the puppy gifts, and this year we have two puppies to give things too!

Here she is later, snuggling with her new toy:

It was a huge deal for Jigsaw because she is generally not allowed to just have toys to play with at will. She can play with us when we bring them out for exercise or training, but they aren't left out for her to play with whenever she wishes because they are used as tools. But today, just for today, she was allowed to just have a toy to play with. I think she liked it.

Outside Bob was also enjoying his toy...

though he, of course, had no interest in snuggling it. He had it torn apart in minutes....

Next up it was time for the people to get in on the Christmas fun.

Owen opening up a tambourine from Grandma and Grandpa:

Sammy with her Squinkies.

Grandma and Grandpa perusing this year's calendar:

Owen learning some new computer skills:

General enjoyment of the presents:

And enjoyment of milk and cookies:

Daddy opening his big gift - an electric smoker:

Behind the smoker you see a gift wrapped in green with Santas. It was my masterpiece this year. Inside are two briskets all ready for smoking. To keep them fresh while wrapped under the tree I packed them with dry ice, which of course is almost as much fun as a smoker...

Grandpa Q realizing that yes, that box really does have a new digital camera in it:

Grandma Q realizing that yes, that box does contain a new Kindle...

Sammy and Daddy playing with Sammy's new catapult:

Mommy putting together her big present - an Aerogrow hydroponic garden:

Here are the plants as they looked on Christmas afternoon, still hiding in their pods as seeds:

And here they are on January 7th, already growing big and yummy (they are herbs):

December 26, 2011
One of the presents that Sammy received was a kit called "Extreme Pancakes". It's a book explaining how to make pancakes into various shapes and a squirt bottle for the batter. Sammy has had lots of fun with this present and here are some of her creations:

The Caterpillar:

The Monkey:

Eggs, Bacon and Toast

And here are two of her own design:

December 30, 2011
Today was Christmas with the cousins.

Here are the two handbags that I made for my nieces (finished an hour before I gave them away):

Aunt Michelle teaching Mikayla how to crochet (while madly working on another project for Owen's friend Mya):

Sammy playing "Bugs" on the iPad:

Grandma Q and Uncle Richard spent most of their day like this:

playing Thread Words on the Kindle:

Aunt Michelle teaching Layla how to fingerweave while Sammy knits:

And more general fun with family and presents:

With thanks, of course, to Grandpa Q for his photography.

January 1, 2012 - Happy New Year!!!
Our New Year's Day project was to make St. Patrick's Day cupcakes for a project for Sammy's Gifted class. They are making a video on how to make cupcakes. These pistachio cupcakes were seriously the most delicious cupcakes I have ever eaten. Her teacher sent home a recipe for them and I'm going to have to save that one:

I also realized that it had been a while since I had posted a picture of our kitty and that just didn't seem right at all so here is one of her peacefully sleeping and laying down fur on our recliner:

January 5, 2012
Owen in the cutest pajamas ever given to him by the amazing Ms. Pat:

January 6, 2012
Owen reading in the sunshine:

January 7, 2012
Today we had a little surprise for Sammy. We had respite care for Owen and we decided to take her to try out something new for her...ice skating! I grew up in the far north where we learned to skate almost as soon as we learned how to walk. The school had an ice rink every year. Every pond and lake became an ice rink every winter. And if that weren't enough, most years my Dad braved the cold and made an ice rink in the back yard. We live in Virginia now though, so to find ice you have to go to an indoor rink. So on this 60 degree Saturday we headed to the civic center for the public skate:

Sammy did start out hugging the wall:

But it wasn't long before she figured it all out and was able to let go:

Me being me, I had to get a video to document her progress. I need to remember to turn the iPhone sideways when taking video so that they don't turn out tall instead of wide, and I ask you to remember while you see the bumpy film quality that Mommy had to film while she was skating, which was a feat in and of itself to manage without falling or running over anyone. Still though, I'm quite proud of how quickly Sammy picked it up - especially since they didn't have any double blade training skates and she had to start out right on the normal single bladed ones!

And just so that we have equal representation for both kiddos, I'll also add a little video of Owen playing the bell steps in hearing therapy, which he quite likes to do. In fact he likes it so much that I bought him a set for Christmas which he has had a lot of fun with.

And finally I'll close with a couple of pictures from later that night of the two kids hanging out on the stairs:

Posted By Michelle At 1/8/2012 8:50 PM • Comments (0)

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Caught Up!

This one will do it, I'll actually catch up to real time! If you haven't already read the posts that I put up yesterday, be sure to follow the "Older Posts" link at the bottom of the page to catch up.

November 28, 2011 - O Christmas Tree!
This year's tree purchasing and decorating proceedings were delayed due to a stomach bug that came to party with both kiddos for a good week. Eventually though the party was over and we were able to get the Christmas season underway:

This was also the day that Miss Pat brought Owen a new toy to try out - an iPad. Hopefully he'll eventually will learn how to touch it and make it do things, but at the moment he just loves to watch it.

November 29, 2011 - The Family Picture
Normally I have lots of funny pictures that we get as I take hundreds hoping for one where everyone is looking at the camera and no one is screaming. This year we do not have these. Why? Because we got it on the first try! Yup, everyone, including Jigsaw, all looking at the camera. Woo hoo!

November 30, 2011
Owen petting Jigsaw after waking up from a nap:

December 3, 2011

December 4, 2011
This year instead of the traditional gingerbread house, we made a gingerbread train!

Meal time with the kiddos:

November 6, 2011 - Angry Birds!!!
Sammy made these little guys out of electrical tape, beads and a gummy bear:

December 9, 2011
Owen is showing off the new owl hat that Mommy made for him:

December 10, 2011
Sammy eating breakfast with Mommy at the school's Build a Bear Breakfast. They had really yummy pancakes and sausage:

December 11, 2011 - Dinner at the Q's
They have their Christmas tree up:

We had a really great dinner, and then time for a group picture:

December 13, 2011 - The Christmas Concert
Earlier in the day I took this picture of the teacher gifts that I had made before I nestled them in their boxes:

Before we left for the concert Mommy fussed with her big lens to make sure that it was working properly. I don't use it often but it would allow me some close ups and it would also gather more light - which was a good call because their lighting wasn't working properly and it was REALLY dark there and we ended up far away from the stage. So these are some of my test photos:

Then it was time to head off to the concert. First up was Sammy in the choir. She's all the way to the right, second row up:

Once the choir was done and after a quick costume change it was time for the play. I think most of the third, fourth and fifth grade were all on stage at once:

And that one was take before Mr. and Mrs. Claus, and several other characters came on stage. I don't think Sammy is actually on stage yet when I took this, she was still changing her clothes backstage. She did make it out eventually, and here she is as an elf:

After the concert we went to Dairy Queen for some ice cream:

December 15, 2011
It was a nice day out and Owen enjoyed a little bit of time in the sun.

And that's that. I haven't taken any pictures in the last two days, so we're all caught up. 2011 is drawing to a close and there are only a few days left until Christmas so it's a good time to be getting everything tied up in preparation for 2012!

Posted By Michelle At 12/18/2011 10:59 AM • Comments (0)

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