Christmas Day

Santa was good to Miss Lily Pie.

He left her a letter thanking her for taking care of

Rosie the Elf.

Santa knows how much Lily loves scavenger hunts

so he and Rosie hid her stocking and

wrote her some clues.

And she found it like a pro!

Thank you Santa!

This walking puppy was the coveted gift.

I got in trouble more than once for not purchasing it while in Target.

Santa and I had a plan!

Wally and Stuey both got in on the action.

They stay in our garage during the day.

The gifts were hidden in the garage.

They got into them and chewed the boxes of several gifts.

They got to give the gifts they chewed on.

Luckily no gifts were harmed during their signing.

After breakfast Lily sat and played with the two hits of Christmas!

christmas day we didn't get out of our pajamas

we layed around just the 3 of us all day.

It was perfect!

Christmas Eve

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve.

Peter's brother and family came down from Oregon to visit.

They were with us for four lovely days.

We started Christmas Eve by making tamales.

Auntie Nalii is a wonderful cook.

I was not going to let her get away without teaching Lily and I some tricks.

Lily didn't need a lesson this year.

She is a tamale pro.

Once the tamales were steaming

we had some idle time.

Lily and Sophia decorated the gingerbread train.

Lily gave everyone make overs the night before.
Including her big cousin Kai.
Who at first said no way,
but he's a softy and relented to the disappointment
in his little cousins eyes.
We spared him some embarrassment and didn't take a single picture.

Lucky for Auntie Nalii the make up made its way back to it's normal resting place

on an extrmemly high shelf.

So Auntie Nalii got a make over with lip gloss.

Much more pleasing to the eye!

Pretty pretty princess!

A friendly nerf gun war broke out.

After we filled up on tamales it was present time.

Then the real fun began!

We took a limo ride

to look at christmas lights.
What is a christmas lights tour without

treats!

Lily and Sophia enjoyed the view.

Hmmm.......

We'll call this stupid human trick A

......and B.

Lily and Kai spent most of the evening together.

There is just something so sweet about this teenager

playing with his teeny tiny cousin.

What a perfect night!

Christmas in the city

Peter's brother and his family are in San Francisco for the week.

Marcus is working, bummer, but his family was available to play.

We love the city and the family so how could we resist.

There was a Monday Night Football game in the city

which made hotel rooms pretty hard to find

the result is that we stayed in a very swanky hotel

Merry Christmas Peter!

We had a lovely time.

First we hit China Town.

I was hoping to find some stocking stuffers.

Turns out that China Town has not been immune to the economy.

Gone are the $1.00 deals, but it sure is pretty. Lily did not have even a little shyness with her big cousin.

She grabbed her hand as if to say I'm all yours Sophie.

I am complete chopped liver when Sophia is around.

Really who can blame her Sophia is 14.

She has always been the sweetest, kindest, well mannered girl.

Now we can add super model to the list too.

Don't tell her but, she is gorgeous.

This is the building that Interview with a Vampire was filmed.

It is stunning.

Our hotel was in Union Square.

The Christmas cheer around here is beautiful.

This really may have to be a new tradition.

San Francisco has always been known for it's street performers.

I think this is the best I've ever seen.

Lily has a new pose.

I'm not sure where she learned it but,

I'm happy she lets me take her picture.

We really did leave our heart in San Francisco!

And here is our hotel decor.

Pictures don't really do it justice

it was beautiful!

This is the worlds largest gingerbread house.

I didn't realize it was real.

On my way home I read that it made the Guinness Book of World Records.

I certainly would have taken more pictures had I known.

It had two trains going around it.

One of them carrying elves.

Pretty impressive!

See, what did I tell you,
SWANKY!

In the morning we went to the Academy of Sciences.

We came here when Lily was 3.

She was certainly more impressed this time!

And I did it!

Caught one real smile with my camera.

We went in this room and it was snowing!

The snow was made of bubbles.

Pretty cool!

Lily was such a trooper this trip.

She walked all over the city

San Francisco is made of hills, really really large hills.

She didn't complain once and she has a nasty cold and cough.

I know she didn't feel her best but,

she was determined to keep up with the big kids.

The hotel had the best black out curtains ever!

We slept in late so there were people in the halls talking.

Lily woke to a particularly loud group talking and laughing.

She pounded her fists on the bed and yelled

WHAT IS THAT TERRIBLE NOISE!

It was pretty funny!

christmas take 1

We kicked off my vacation with our first Christmas celebration.

My dad is retiring at some point in the future.

(It's kind of a secret)

None of my invited readers work with him so I think it's safe to say here.

I made him a paper chain for each month until his retirement.

Above is a peek at it. I was rather excited to give it to him.

The different Santa paid us a visit.

The one Lily isn't scared of because he clearly reminds her of someone familiar.

She knows it is her Papa she calls him the Papa Santa.

But even while knowing it is Papa she also

believes when he left she heard the reindeer on the roof.

I love this age!

The only kind of picture with Santa we are allowed.
Truthfully, I think it is perfect.

Lily's cousin is 8.

She is clearly a little old for the Papa Santa

and was trying to remove his beard.

After opening our gifts we decorated some cookies.

It was a perfect way to kick off Christmas week.

It's beginning to look alot like......

Christmas.... We had a fun family day the other day.

We traveled to our hometown and spent the day

shopping the little shops

eating yummy food

and enjoying each others company.

When we got home we got out all of our Christmas decor

and we decorated our Christmas tree.

It was a perfect day

and a perfect kickoff to the count down to Christmas.





We've also been having fun with a certain elf.
Every other year I have passed the little guy.
Thinking he was a little overpriced.
Lily had spent the night at her grandparents
I went black Friday shopping with some friends
and decided I am running out of time for Christmas magic
so I took the plunge.
I displayed the elf and her book on our entertainment center.
When she got home
she spotted the little bugger and
the next 2 hours was worth every penny spent.
(A little back story last year an elf was at school.
It seems the elf was a little rambunctious
and made some messes.
Lily did not forgive said elf for messing up her classroom.
For the record
I had no idea any of this happened.)
She looked at the elf and said,
"Mommy get that elf out of here.
I can not believe you brought him here."
I told her I had nothing to do with it
he just showed up.
She pointed her finger at the elf and said
"You better not eat my food or mess up my toys.
Mommy I don't want him here."
She spun on her heels and went in her room.
She would come out every so often wag
her finger at the elf and lecture her on our house rules
then retreat back to her room.
After a very very long time she let me read her the book.
A little later she agreed to name her.
At the point I caught her gazing up at her
(I had moved her to a higher location for fear of retaliation)
whispering her Christmas list I knew we had turned a corner.
If you are wondering about the reference of our elf
sometimes in the male other times in a female.
It's cause I bought her a skirt.
Only the elf still looks very masculine.
I think he may be transgender.
We are pretty liberal around these parts.
We've excepted her ways.

Each morning we find Rosie the Elf in a different location.
It's been a lot of fun.
And so far Lily's toys are in tact
and she has only eaten a tiny bit of some licorice.

Friendsgiving and my new niece!!!

Friendsgiving

I had a vision of what holidays would be.

I always thought that there would be

gleeful children running through the house squealing with laughter

adults with wine in their glasses and smiles on their faces.

Not that our holidays are bad it's just that

it's not what I had imagined.

So when all else fails create a new tradition.

Last weekend we had our closest friends over with their children.

We had a potluck.

I provided the turkey and our friends provided the trimmings.

Wine and gleeful squealing was bountiful.

So bountiful indeed that I set my camera down and could not find it.

But here is the crew that provided plenty of squealing.

My friend Monica was supposed to come

but, well she was otherwise engaged in a more important endeavor.

Baby Kaya Simone is here

and true perfection.

I am so excited I get to be her Auntie, and Lily

is taking her big cousin duties very, very seriously.

Welocome to the world baby girl.
I am so happy you are here and healthy and a girl!
I can't lie I was hoping for a girl and so was Lily pie.