Oh what this family could do with some front teeth...........


Not to be outdone by Ally, Jay lost his first front tooth on Saturday and so we figured the other would go before Christmas. This picture is Jay bending his tooth completely sideways. Sorry, maybe I should have warned you about the gross-factor....

Out it came.

Now Al won't feel so bad cuz we can make fun of both of them for talking funny.

*Poor Jay would have been really upset if this whole tooth-losing process would have drug out any further. He didn't even get teeth until he was almost 1, so I knew he probably wouldn't lose them early. It doesn't help when your little sister loses her's first, though!!

The way Highland Elementary works it's concerts is to split it up. This year's winter concert was 1st,3rd and 5th grades. Max's grade will perform the spring concert. That's why he is missing from these photos.......also why our elementary needs a new building!! Maybe we can fit everyone in one building for the concerts! (and a yay to the levy for passing)


Jay maybe was less than enthusiastic about it all, but had fun anyway.

Rock on!!!!

This is Ally's winter concert. As I've mentioned before, Al usually deals with stage-fright. Last year, she did not want to participate. That's fine. However, this year, she was excited and mostly, I think, it was about the new "pretty dress" she'd get to wear. Whatever works, right?






This is Ally and her best friend, Grace. They are in the same class this year and so far so good.....


but I think you can tell just by these pictures, that there's huge potential for trouble when these two are together.




It just doesn't get much cuter, though!! :)

This guy at the museum was the actor who played the delivery guy.......who delivered the "major award".....the one and only.......leg lamp!! He had a lot of pretty cool stories.

Here, I'm calling Schwartz's mom to tell her what profanity her son taught mine!! :)

Doggon- it!! We left our deranged bunny suits at home!!

Coming to a Christmas card soon...........................................................................

Quick! What's one of the best Christmas movies of all time????


"A Christmas Story" of course!!
Ever since we moved to Ohio, we said we were going to go to the renovated " A Christmas Story" house in Cleveland. Well, that day was today.

Jay is a lot like Randy in so many ways...especially his picky eating. However, he liked the under-the-sink cupboard a lot.

There's really a fake turkey in the oven.

It was crazy there!! There were so many people!! We had no idea there was such a draw. The house was picked by the filmmakers because of it's location near a T intersection, the smokestacks in the background and the double lot next door. The guy who bought this place in 2005, put over a quarter of a million dollars into it to get it as close to the real Parker house as he could. Most of the interior filming was done in Toronto, however.

CHRISTMAS COOKIES!!


One of the activity/prayers/questions in the advent house was to pick a day to bake and decorate cookies. Well, Saturday was the day. * The advent house has little doors where small treats and a message are hidden. The kids open one each day. The messages can be anything from What is your favorite Christmas tradition or movie? TO Say a prayer for the troops overseas tonight.

Ally got a horse cookie cutter, and I tried to make a couple brown colored frostings.......Do you know how hard it is to make two different colors of brown from red, yellow, blue and green??????

We had the pleasure of having Jeff here for the fun. I'm sure his idea of fun was more of the "cleaning up" kind. :)

What IS it with my family and poo?!


The kids (and adults) had a good time. How can you NOT have fun decorating cookies? (Aside from the gingerbread house fiasco of '04, that is. The kids were amused by the gingerbread hitting the wall. Hee Hee )

Just when you think your kids are only out for the presents at Christmas time....

Every year, the elementary school has vendors come in to sell their little gifts and trinkets to the school kids. It's an opportunity for the kids to shop for their families, teachers and friends. And, because I am all for opening gifts early, I let the kids open their stuff to and from each other today - like I had a choice. These guys were so excited to give each other their gifts. Yes, give, not receive. Max got Al a pretty necklace and Jay a homemade marshmallow shooter. Jay got Al a "make-your-own candy necklace pack and Max a $2 radio with headphones. (It actually works!!) Al got Jay a bungie Brutus Buckeye and Max a OSU pen holder. Do you know what Jay spent most of his money on?


This is for baby Vivi :)

I'm proud of my kiddos for loving to give. It makes it ok that they say Christmas is their favorite holiday because they get presents.

I knew when Al lost one of her two front teeth in October that this would be a possibility.

In about 2-3 weeks, this child will get really sick of hearing, "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.....my two front teeth.."