January the neverending month

January's almost done but we're feeling the February blues strongly already. The snow isn't melting, it's cold, the sky is gray....but we've got plenty of firewood, and cookies and crackers and cakes to eat, and the boys will go to school for real in a few short weeks!

What have we been doing with ourselves since Christmas? Or rather, what has Ben been doing with himself? You'll have to ask Eric what the others have been up to, I'm afraid.

Peekaboo, the best game ever.

What is this....tiger?

Everybody's helping Oscar with his Christmas puzzle!

Three stooges, trying to eat a snow cake that appeared on the birdbath.

Mommmmmm, I'm stuuuuuuuck!

I was helping Oscar write an alliterative poem, and we turned to the dictionary to find some good words starting with "p". And look what I found! A) The dictionary is rude, B) confirmation that indeed a pontil is a punty. Got it? C) Oscar was impressed that I wrote in a book, it's a good party trick for kids I guess!

Contemplating a fierce monster from D&D

Reading Anansi before bedtime

Can't start kids too early learning an instrument!

I'm almost done with this blanket but I keep screwing up the finishing. I decided to felt it a little, and took some stylish pics to document its squishiness before felting it forever. Turns out my washing machine is not a great felter and the squishiness survives, but I really like these pictures of Oscar's ghast so cozily swaddled up.

 

Christmas, Mog edition

Christmas day everyone woke up bright and early....sike! They slept in! Until 7:30! And then rejoiced that Santa had filled their stockings with presents and NOT coal, silly parents don't know what they're talking about rummascrumma. They were flummoxed by the tiny oranges though. "How can Santa MAKE an orange at the North Pole?" John asked. "Magic" was an insufficient answer.

And we all got to open some presents!

Rainbow. Unicorn. Tea set!

Sleeper hit: Katamino blocks

Eric modeling the paper crowns we got in our Christmas crackers.

Eric delighting in the new salt shaker, courtesy of Oscar, so that never again will he make salty coffee (or sweet eggs)

Everyone took a little break to enjoy their new things!

Eric demonstrating how quietly he can cut carrots with his new knife. The knife is so sharp it makes the carrots feel funny, almost slimy, because the cut is so clean and smooth.

White Christmas btw. NBD.

Coupla smilers here.

The puppet theater got used immediately!

Someone is being very brave on her new scooter!

Edie showing off her fancy new 'do with new ponytail holders

Ah, the man and his knife, first meeting.

And everyone went to bed pretty happy with only a little crying. Yaaaaay!

Before Christmas - Mog edition

We have a collection of letters Pop pop made and the boys spent some time making words out of them. There are no "P"s so "poop" and "pee" were off the table but they found many other good ones! We had to coax them into using more than 4 letters. Fortunately for them there is an "S" from "Oscar" and "ED" from you-know-who, so they had options.

Ben is joining the family at table now and then! He amuses one and all with his chirps and drool.

And he's learning about grabbing things with his fists. Sometimes one hand gives the thing to the other hand and Ben just watches it happen. He's got some Buddah nature I think. 

And he's getting friendly with his tiger, and his fist! Sometimes even just his thumb!

The preferred reading posture.

Christmas Eve Eve hooligans had to go for a runabout. There's a nice triangle field down the block from us that's perfect for getting the jimmies out.

This house has the brightest yellow shutters I've ever seen, and every time we see it someone remarks on the yellowness of these shutters. And now I also add, "Shutters shut and open. And they close." Which is a fairly peaceful thing to have stuck in your head, thank you Gertrude Stein.

The gentlemen's mutual appreciation society had a meeting.

We took a walk with Atlas and Apollo in downtown Lansing, where there's a nice trail by the river. The ducks followed us the whole way, hoping for a handout. I like how all their coats look.

Christmas Eve Day! Edie hung up some stockings by the chimney with care.

We also took a walk that day to Harris Nature Center and found a New Path!! John wanted to go home pretty quickly but did not want to get back to the car by walking on his own two legs.

We found our supply of baby rings, and Edie was excited to sort them and make them into a rainbow necklace.

Ben got the extras, which were the black and white ones = not rainbow.

Miss Rainbow Unicorn herself!

John sure loves his Benno! And Ben loves him right back!

Edie and John helped me make sugar cookies, which I wanted for us to eat, but they were motivated to be able to give treats to Santa.

Late on Christmas Eve it started snowing! Edie knew just what to do.

Oscar said we had to add carrots to the treats because Santa would be tired of eating so many cookies and would appreciate a healthy snack.

They. Are. Ready.