Holiday Festivities

We recently went to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden to see their holiday lights display. The first thing we saw were these big horses:

Chatting with Santa. He asked for Skarloey and Stepney, two retired Thomas engines. It took quite a bit of coaxing to get him on Santa's lap and then he threw a fit because he didn't want to get off of Santa's lap!

Arts & Crafts time with Daddy.

Recently Ben performed in a school Christmas program. They sang "Jingle Bells," a few other songs (the names are escaping me at the moment) and "Happy Birthday" (to Jesus, of course.) Daddy met Kate and I for the big performance. It was so adorable to see all of the kids walk down the aisle and then sit down in front of the crowd. I wasn't sure if Ben would be intimidated by the crowd, but he was quite the ham - singing more loudly than everyone and getting quite animated with the props (a star wand and bells). I wish I could post the video on here, but I don't know how!

Getting ready for Ben's big performance.

Here come the 2-year-olds!

Working those bells during the "Hey" portion of "Jingle Bells."

In other news, Kate is enjoying trying different solid foods. She has liked everything so far, so hopefully she won't be a picky eater. This week we're eating peas.

I wasn't planning on doing the matching pajamas thing this year, but these $7 pajamas seemed reasonable for a couple of wearings! Admittedly they look pretty ridiculous in these outfits, but it was fun nonetheless. This photo session was a little difficult, however.

Losing interest.

Ben has reached the end of his patience. Baby Kate is going down.

And we're finished!

Cooking with Ben

Yesterday Ben really wanted to help me do some baking. While I welcomed his enthusiasm to help, I quickly realized he needed a more kid-friendly cooking project. So I gave him a bowl, a spoon and some soon-to-be-tossed items from the refrigerator (plus a few he specifically requested). The result was...interesting. Maybe we should be watching more Food Network and less Curious George.

Ben's concoction: crispy onions, wilted basil leaves, strawberries, chocolate chips, milk and a lemon.

Watching The Polar Express with Daddy.