This was Christmas, it was awesome

We were lucky enough to snag two aunts, an uncle, two Grandmothers, and a Grandpa at our house this Christmas.
The adults all got stockings because that's how I roll.


One of my favorite treats came from the amazing Lux Bakery


I don't want to say Alice is spoiled in anyway but she received not one but two ponys.

In addition to a babydoll that she can bathe and one she can have when she is old enough not to break it.


We also posed for our first family holiday portrait. It went...as well as could be expected.

Trick or Treat Ya'll!

We ventured forth and met our Texan neighbors for the first time after about a year of living as total hermits in this house. We were invited to a party on the fly and were graciously offered hotdogs and the chance to tag along with the neighborhood kids on the trick or treat parade. Alice met some of the neighborhood dogs and proudly told them that they were in fact "doggies" multiple times.

Here we are setting forth:


I finally got a candle in the jack-o-lantern and here it is in all it's Achewood-y glory.




Right now Alice is sleeping and Tony and I are pillaging her candy. I am eating a watermelon Jolly Rancher. In the late 80's, horror movies were all the rage, and every sleep-over I attended as a teen included a slasher flick and watermelon Jolly Ranchers as snacks. So I associate the two together; it's actually a little revolting. I think I will steal the chocolate Tony is currently enjoying.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween 09

Initially Alice was not in a Halloween mood tonight.

But things perked up after some pumpkin carving. Mommy destroyed a few household tools to make a messy "Achewood" style pumpkin (better photos will be displayed after it gets dark).


Achewood is a comic about cats which was appropriate as Alice decided to go out on the town as a kitty cat.

Alice tried to get the actual cat to accept her as one of his own with pumpkin offerings:


Kitty was having none of it:


Until she brought out the big guns:


I don't know how much trick or treating we are going to do, as it is pretty obvious that Alice is too young to actually eat much candy. She is clearly our candy lure. That might not be a bad Halloween onsie "Candy Lure".

Anywho she is cute as all get out and is actually aware of what is happening, unlike last year when she was bedecked in all sorts of costume madness. Thanks to Grammy for getting the kitty cat duds!




P.S. This is our only concession to Halloween decoration. Perhaps the trick or treaters won't shun us this year.

Happy Easter

Embroideries

Tonight I attempted to embroider Alice's X-mas stocking with marginal to poor results.

This enrages me as I assumed I would be a magnificent stitcher. This assumption was based on no actual evidence or prior experience. Damn it all to poop.

Maybe felt is a bad medium for stitching. What is it they say, "It is a kick-ass craftsmen who blames his tools"? Something like that...

In other news Alice started barrel rolling today. She now uses rolling as her sole means of locomotion. If I let her, Alice would roll herself right off the bed and crash to the floor. Her enthusiasm is to be commended. I bow to Alice's superior efforts in mastering a new skill.

Damn you embroidered snowflake!! Why don't you look like the picture on the box?

Happy Halloween!

Alice helps Daddy with his costume.



Alice herself was a puppy. We used ears that my Mom made for my sister Jesse back in our Elementary School days. I added the bows. Alice added the drool.




We also had elements of a ballerina costume and a Rastafarian hat (which is beautiful and will be used as a beret when Alice's head is bigger). The hat was crafted by our great friend Deacon Gloria and we love her for making Alice such a beautiful chapeau.
Ultimately Alice was a Ballerina-Rasta-Puppy: