A Snow Wonderful Weekend

Saturday morning we woke up to about 6" of snow on the ground and the snow just kept on coming. It was very pretty (though not as fun shoveling out of it for Geoffrey) and we enjoyed having a very low key weekend stuck in the house all together.

Before the snow got too deep, we put Isabel in her snow bibs, along with about 3 layers of clothing, her sherpa lined jacket (not waterproof) covered in her rain coat. I give you Isabel aka our little sumo wrestler.

Waiting for daddy to shovel off the landing before we headed out into the snow.

Checking things out. Ever since the snow a few weeks ago, Isabel has been quite interested in the snow, and I was hoping we wouldn't have a repeat of the first time I introduced her to the snow.

She didn't mind walking in it, so I took that as a very good sign.

And then she probably spent a few minutes just poking at the snow piles and grinning with delight.

Uh oh. Daddy, what on earth are you doing?

Isabel's first snow angel. Geoffrey moved Isabel's arms and legs for her. She gave him a very strange look, but didn't get upset, though did ask to get "up up" after not too long.

We ended our brief time in the snow with a ride down the slide.

Weeeee!

The rest of the weekend we spent inside, with the exception of Geoffrey clearing the same spot for the pugs, and then shoveling the driveway on Sunday.

I had a few more things left on my baking list, and decided to finish them up on Saturday. Isabel just loved being able to help, especially stirring. Here she is working on the glaze for lemon ricotta cookies.

I asked Isabel if she wanted to help ice the cookies and she chanted "icing! icing!" So I put her in a t-shirt bib, gave her a small bowl of glaze and she went to town. I was shocked that she didn't try to eat any of the cookies or glaze. She took her job quite seriously and finished 5 cookies in the time I finished the remaining 4 dozen or so.

Isabel and her masterpieces! I'm guessing she is really going to enjoy decorating sugar cookies on Christmas Eve day.

Today we spent the morning preparing for Grandma & Grandpa Schaeffer's arrival. Isabel helped me make beets and horseradish (a Ukrainian food), and did a great job dumping in the horseradish. We also made the filling for pierogies and should be all set for our pierogie making party.

Merry Christmas Adam! (As Eric used to always say on Dec 23rd)

Looking Like Christmas

It has actually been looking like Christmas for a few weeks now, but I've been slacking on downloading pictures and updating the blog. It seems that nesting (if that is what you want to call it) has hit hard and early, as I never really felt this during my entire pregnancy with Isabel. I think it really just has to do with the fact that I know I won't have time to do all these things after Mia arrives, like organizing the basement, painting the girls' rooms, organizing the pantry, hall closet and the list goes on. So most nap times (when I'm not napping) are spent doing the above and usually any down time I find. Its not a bad thing though, and I'm loving all the organization. It is also getting me excited about decorating a second girl's room (this one will have a pink theme) and if all goes to plan, Mia's room should be "hers" before my parents arrive next week and our hobby room will be converted to a guest room/hobby room combo.

Of course you wanted to know all of that, right? Anyways, onto the pictures. Me, my mom and Isabel decorated the majority of the tree the Monday before Thanksgiving. The hallmark airplane ornaments that Geoffrey has been collecting since the series began were hung a week and a half later, during our first snow fall. So far Isabel has not messed with the tree. She loves to point out the different objects, occasionally will touch it (and we then remind her "no touching") but never yanks, pulls or has attempted to climb the tree.

She took her job very seriously and figured out how to open the loops and attach the ornaments to the tree. Of course many wound up in the same spot, but that was fixed later on.

Trying to make the felted dog sit. Because dogs are supposed to sit, right? This one was a bad dog (as she often calls the pugs) and didn't want to sit.

A little under 2 weeks ago we had our first snow fall and got about 5-6". It was perfect. The snow started Saturday morning and had melted away from the roads by Sunday afternoon. We went out early to drop Geoffrey's car off for its check-up, and made a quick run to Magruders, a local grocery chain...that just so happens to have a cookie club for kids. Isabel has caught on very quickly that a trip to Magruders means a cookie. Luckily she rarely finishes it and will share it with mommy or daddy.

Here she is, proudly displaying her cookie in front of the tree.
Putting the final touches on the tree with Daddy. Geoffrey enjoyed using this as a teaching moment and explaining what kind of airplanes each model was, and a little background on the aircraft. I should have taken notes...
The snow after about an hour. I'll give you 3 guesses as to who dressed Isabel, but I'm thinking you'll only need 1...


I had already planned on making a snowman cake for Eric, as a babysitting thank you, so it was appropriate that it did indeed snow. I bought the pan 3 years ago from William Sonoma, but had never used it. It was a bit time intensive to put together (and eventually wanted to fall), but I think it will be a fun tradition to bake a snowman cake with the girls when it snows.

The finished product. A week later the cake was gone. I didn't get to try a piece but Kevin and Eric told me it was quite good.
I assembled the cake at the boys' condo and also helped them get their tree set up. Isabel was excited to help decorate another tree.

This is what happens now when you ask Isabel to say "cheeeeze."

It seems that the DC Metro Area could be getting quite a bit of snow this weekend...I've heard rumors of up to 8". Looks like I might be adding a snow man cake to my big list of baking for the weekend. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Sour Cream

These pictures are a bit old, and somehow I missed them on my last card download. They made me laugh, so hopefully they might make you laugh too.

Upon returning from SC, Isabel and I met up with Nicole and Makayla at Tequila Grande, a quasi-mexican place in Vienna. Isabel had been eyeing Nicole's sour cream from her fajita platter most of the evening until she decided to go for it (Nicole was ok with this). I was so glad I had my camera because we were all cracking up. Apparently Isabel has been missing out, in the form of sour cream.

Going for it...

Finger lickin' good.

Sour cream gets high marks.

Thanksgiving

We traveled to VA Beach for Thanksgiving and had a wonderful time. We spent 4 days there, and in addition to celebrating the holiday, we also made a trip to the aquarium (those pictures have to get off my cell phone still), flew radio controlled airplanes and fed geese twice.

We arrived late Tuesday night and as soon as Isabel was awake on Wednesday and went downstairs, she made a bee line for the toy bin that Grandma Buescher keeps (and keeps adding to). She immediately discovered this magnetic drawing board which captivated her the whole 4 days. She was also introduced to airplane cookies. At first she thought it was just an airplane and was content to flew it around.

She gave me a strange look when I told her to take a bite, but did try. She then got a big smile on her face and exclaimed, "Cookieeee!"

Thanksgiving morning Uncle Romes was kind enough to take a picture for our Christmas card. This is one of the silly ones we won't be using.

We then had some fun watching Daddy fly his remote controlled airplane.

Isabel also had a ball running through the leaves while Daddy and Grandpa raked.

We first tried to feed geese on Friday, but it started raining on the way over. We still fed them, by throwing bread from the window, much to Isabel's delight. Saturday was more dry (though still cold), but the geese didn't mind and neither did Isabel. We bundled up and got ready to head out.
Isabel took her job of carrying the bread very seriously.

This goose decided he wanted to be closer to the bread, and left the pond and wandered right up to me and Isabel.

And a few shots of our little monkey, who loves to climb up anything...although her favorite is trying to climb up Daddy when he holds Isabel by her hands.

We hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for pictures of tree decorating and our first snow of the season.