our other holiday celebrations!

Posted on January 1, 2011 by cvc
DSC_9945
DSC_9945
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

In addition to our family celebration, we also celebrated the holidays with Jeff’s side of the family and with Heather and her family.

We spent Christmas Eve at Jeff’s sister’s house. As usual, the kids enjoyed seeing their cousins and opening special gifts from the Taylors.


DSC_9950
DSC_9950
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.


DSC_9969
DSC_9969
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Dylan got a Silly Faces game…”isn’t that silly?!?” and Cameron got the perfect theme gift — a Sock Monkey jack in the box…Her latest obsession is Five Little Monkeys jumping on the bed! Every morning, she requests it and she sings 5 little monkeys constantly throughout the day, so the Sock Monkey jack-in-the-box was perfect!


DSC_0140
DSC_0140
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

The day after Christmas, we celebrated with Heather and her family…a simple occasion with a present exchange and more food!!!


dylan's candy shanty
dylan’s candy shanty
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Taliana and Dylan decorated candy houses, complete with gardens, inhabitants and, for Dylan, a fire ladder.

Both kids exercised admirable restraint in eating the candy-in fact, they didn’t eat any of it while they were decorating.


DSC_0148
DSC_0148
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

So, while the adults played games, the kids played. This year, we kind of made a theme of “indoor” active play toys and Uncle David got Cameron a Bilibo seat, pictured here!

Overall, another fun, fun holiday, though crazy, crazy busy. The smiles on these kids’ faces was worth all the effort.


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jammie time

Posted on January 1, 2011 by cvc
DSC_0097
DSC_0097
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Every year, mom gets us girls a new pair of pajamas and we take our annual holiday mom-daughter picture. This year, she got matching jammies for the boys!


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DSC_0128
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Seeing the little guys in their jammies hanging out together was pretty sweet.


DSC_0095
DSC_0095
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Mom hasn’t found matching PJs for Cameron yet, but she gets to pose with us anyway–she’s one of the gals.


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DSC_0021
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

And, here’s the annual family photo….

Holidays just get more and more fun as Dylan gets older and “gets” more….This year, he got up way before Tom and I did (Tom and I were up nearly all night, wrapping last-minute gifts, prepping the cookie dish for Santa, etc.). I went down early with him and he was so excited to see his stocking full of stuff from Santa!

Quite the observant fella, though, he asked me why santa wraps presents like I do ! I had to tell him I saw elves wrapping presents and learned how to do it from them!! He’ll keep us on our toes, for sure….


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all he wanted for Christmas was Maui…

Posted on December 28, 2010 by cvc
DSC_0036
DSC_0036
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Ok, this year I made the mistake of asking Dylan what he wanted from Santa. His answers included Maui, a rainforest, a skyscraper with an elevator inside, and a soccer ball with star of David inside! He carefully drew pictures of all of the items he wanted and he signed his list with his name. Oh, my gawd, I thought. How on earth were we going to comply with these wishes!?

A few friends had suggested maps and brochures, so that is just what we did…and wouldn’t you know? He just adored my old Hana Highway and Maui map I wrapped up for him (from Santa)!

He read each page over and over and over again, studied each map and every picture….It was so awesome. This present took up his attention longer than anything else he opened at Cindy’s house. We were pleasantly surprised!! We love our little fella…! And, hopefully, we really will be able to take him there soon….I know I want to go!


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sick day at the Aquarium

Posted on December 27, 2010 by cvc
L1000334
L1000334
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Tom came down with some awful tummy bug which pretty much put him completely out of commission for the day. I got to take the day off and, rather than trying to entertain the kids in the house, we went to the Aquarium instead.

It turns out that most kids are on vacation this week, so it was crazy busy!

Cameron wanted to tear off or nurse pretty much constantly, so keeping her close and sated was tricky, but Dylan is such a big boy now, he made it much much easier than it could have been! He stayed close and waited patiently.

I miss days like these–I especially miss those days when I could take Dylan on the uncrowded weekdays!


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Girls Day Out

Posted on December 19, 2010 by cvc
DSC_9914
DSC_9914
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Auntie Christina bought tix for us girls to see the Rockettes at the HP Pavilion and, boy was it fun! This was one of those very, very rare occasions where I got to spend one-on-one time with Cameron, and I loved every minute of it–even all of the minutes she spent squirming around in my lap during the show (which, by the way, was a very good time!).

Overall, Cameron was remarkably good. She liked the lights and she loves music and dancing, but she did want to climb into the seats in front of us and she wanted to stand up in front of our chairs for a bit.

I think she thoroughly enjoyed getting attention lavished exclusively on her by Lola, Auntie Cindy and Auntie Christina as well!

After the show, all of us went to P.F. Chang’s where she enjoyed a Baby Buddha’s Feast in between sprints across the restaurant! It was a long day away from Tom and Dylan and we were happy to see them just in time for bed time…


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a break in the bad weather

Posted on December 16, 2010 by cvc
DSC_9865
DSC_9865
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Music Together classes ended last week, but I spent the morning with the kids anyway.

We hooked up with Jenny and Kaden at one of our fave beaches, got some warm drinks and played in the sand!


DSC_9863
DSC_9863
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.


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Kaden
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.


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noooo?
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

The two little ones are just now entering that “nooooo! miiiine!” stage! Even though there were a million shovels, both seemed to want the same one! It’s entirely plausible that Cameron is insisting she get a turn with it!

We only got to spend a couple of hours at the beach, but it was awesome to be able to enjoy it with good pals and the kids on an uncrowded, gray morning!


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Toys for Tots + beautiful day

Posted on December 16, 2010 by cvc
Toys for tots run
Toys for tots run
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Last Sunday, we all got up early to do the Toys for Tots run over at the levee. Dylan ran last year, too.

Luckily, for us, the rain decided to stay away that morning!

We were so proud of Dylan! This was really the longest run he’s done … I mean, he ran the whole thing! In fact, he was the only kid who did not stop at all! He wasn’t the first to come in, but he picked his pace (as Tom put it) and stuck with it. This year, Taliana ran, too (and the other little fella in the picture happens to be the son of a friend of two different friends (now how odd is that??)! Jasper was one of the top three finishers (I think!)!!


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DSC_9841
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Afterwards (after Cameron and I returned from the 5K — I ran with her in the stroller), yep, we went to our house and the big kids did spin art with their new Chanukah art spinners while we adults enjoyed two games of Agricola (very fun game!).


DSC_9844
DSC_9844
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

In between games, the kids got a little restless, so we headed outside for a little fresh air and stretching. Cameron seized an opportunity to don a big kids’ helmet when Dylan and Taliana made their way up the path.


DSC_9848
DSC_9848
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Heather, Assaf and I took the kids on a little stroll on the path behind our house. Dylan and Taliana posed on this tree stump…


DSC_9851
DSC_9851
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.


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DSC_9854
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Cameron, who is quite the intrepid explorer, spent a lot of time collecting rocks and pods of some sort! She even requested that I put them in my pocket…! Look at that fist-full she has!


DSC_9855
DSC_9855
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

For a day where we had nothing planned, it was pretty busy (but enjoyably so!), so busy that Cameron never made it out of her jammies!!!


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That last night of Chanukah…

Posted on December 16, 2010 by cvc

The candles were enjoyed by all…!

last night of Chanukah
last night of Chanukah
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.


DSC_9824
DSC_9824
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.


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Cameron tries bowling

Posted on December 14, 2010 by cvc

Plastic Jungle threw a little holiday party where family was invited to join. There was some accident snarling up traffic on the 17 that day, so Tom and I ended up working from home in the morning (as best we could since we decided to keep the kids in the house with us!) and then drove over the hill to join the festivities shortly after lunch.

Cameron, of course, was quite the independent explorer. I marveled at how the other babies (some of whom are close to Cameron’s age) would just rest calmly and quietly on their mom’s shoulders while I spent the vast majority of the time chasing her up and down and all over the bowling alley!!!


DSC_9867
DSC_9867
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

As you can see, she tried bowling, too, and they had the cutest little shoes in her size. Amazingly, she could pick up the 6-lb. bowling ball on her own (though we assisted so that she wouldn’t drop it on her toes).


big butt, little butt
big butt, little butt
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Here she is getting an assist from Tom….Tom spent most of his time bowling her frames and mine (along with his own!).


DSC_9869
DSC_9869
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Dylan bowled, too, even though he got pretty tired about half-way through the party! In the end, though, I think his score ended up being higher than mine! And, I bowled with the bumpers up as well!!!


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tree chopping day and latke night

Posted on December 12, 2010 by cvc

Last Sunday (the 5th), we went and got our holiday tree.

Even though the weather was just awful, the kids had a blast! Dylan and Taliana checked the health of the trees, pulled our carts along and just, in general, couldn’t have cared less that it was windy and very, very, very wet (Cameron was a different story. She was strapped to me in the Ergo, was awakened from her nap before she was ready, and wanted to get down and walk, but was not allowed!!).


assessing the tree situation
assessing the tree situation
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

I’m not sure what this conversation is about anymore, but the guys seem to be pondering some “tree situation”…!


DSC_9718
DSC_9718
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Dylan clearly didn’t mind the rain!


We all reconvened at our house for a Chanukah celebration with Heather’s family — our latkes, Bozsi’s homemade applesauce, and Heather’s warm, yummy, veggie soup for dinner, and then a few presents for the kids.


Dylan got a deck of cards with trains on them from Dennis and Bozsi and, boy was he happy! He had to view each card individually before he moved on to opening his coloring book and book of Chanukah stickers!


chanukah dominoes
chanukah dominoes
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Oh, I nearly forgot! He got some Chanukah dominoes from Taliana as well…(and an art spinner from us).

I don’t actually have all of the pictures transferred from camera to computer yet, but many of them didn’t turn out well, anyway, due to poor lighting and a wriggly girl contributing to blur!! I’ll post more soon, though….


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