Out With The Old...

I don't think I've done a playroom clean out since we turned the spare room into Laina's playroom a few years ago. It's just not a room I go into very often. It's Laina's space, she can do with it what she wants. We keep the door closed so Cooper doesn't eat her toys and its a very "out of sight, out of mind" room for me. I knew Laina would be getting new toys for Christmas and it was really important to me that we clean this room out of all the toys she has outgrown. So in an hour and a half Laina and I sorted through all her stuff and this is what we're donating. Wow, that felt good! Great way to start the new year!

My Super Gal!

Laina is at the age where she is defining boys vs. girls. She has drawn clear lines in her head about what things in the world are "girl things" and what things are "boy things". She tells me she can't play with certain toys because those are "boys toys". WHAT? I know this is a very age appropriate thing as Laina is beginning to figure out the world around her, but at the same time I don't ever want her to think that she can't do something, play with something, be something, achieve something because she is a girl. I love this line of t-shirts. Who says superheros are just for boys anyway?

Music Maestro!

One of Laina's gifts from Grammy & Grampy was this very cool piano/vanity. You sit and play the piano and then you can also pull the keyboard cover down and use it as a vanity. It's rather adorable and Laina loves playing it! Here are some pictures of Laina and Joe building it and Laina enjoying the finished product!

Christmas Day

We had a fun Christmas Day! We spent the day with Di, Tom, Nik, Lyn, Grammy & Grampy. It was nice for Laina to have a big family holiday since usually its just the 3 of us or sometimes the 3 of us plus Grammy & Grampy.

Santa ate his cookies! Only a few crumbs left.

Coming down the stairs on Christmas morning

Laina's Loot!

Oh my! What could it be!

Dora Scrabble Jr.

Princess Tiana Doll

The family watching A Christmas Story, round 1 (of many)

Laina and Daddy ready to dole out the gifts

Trixie is so overwhelmed by it all, she sleeps

Joe showing off his new calendar from Laina

Giggle City!

Joe and Laina reading her new Dora book, which she stars in!

Beautiful!

Concentrating on a project

Laina and Grampy

My cowgirl, showing off her new horse dress & boots from Grampy

Joe and Tom: El Fuego!

Aunt Lyn and Laina being silly

The sisters

Christmas Eve in Rhode Island

We spent Christmas at my sister's house in Rhode Island. Along with all our gifts and luggage, we brought along our special Christmas traditions. We started some new traditions too!

Laina and Joe setting up the luminaria

Lighting the luminaria

Laina's reindeer food

Spreading the reindeer food outside

Making appetizers with Auntie Di

My little baker

Getting ready to watch The Grinch with Auntie Di

Laying out cookies and milk

Daddy reading Twas The Night Before Christmas to everyone

Christmas Prep!

Before Christmas, Laina and I wrapped all the presents we were giving out to the people we love. I thought it was very important for Laina to wrap the presents from her which we did together and she wrote out her own gift tags as well. After we finished wrapping, I was putting everything away and Laina decided she wanted to wrap something all by herself. So I left her a piece of paper, the safety scissors, the tape, and a marker. I came back and she had wrapped the safety scissor holder in paper and wrote on the package. It says "Mommy Love Laina". I think she did a great job!

Also, Laina had a Christmas party at school and she asked if we could bring cupcakes. So we baked chocolate cupcakes, frosted them and Laina gave her special sprinkle finishing touches! They are beautiful!

My Faithful Subjects

Laina and Cooper have been great sports posing for pictures with my new camera. What can I say - I have two very adorable models!

Basketball Boo!

Well Laina has decided to try her hand at basketball and you know what....she's pretty darned good! And Joe and I had a blast watching her game. So adorable! I love this photo below of her dribbling two basketballs....globetrotters, here we come!

Breakfast With Santa!

This past weekend we had breakfast with Santa. Here's how it went down....

lining up to see the big guy

contemplating visiting him...

i'll stand next to you but I won't sit on your lap...

ok, I guess I'll give you a hug!