Winter Break

We had a lovely winter break, with Livie flying out from Fargo, and Clover and kids coming up from Syracuse. There were a lot of cousins, a lot of noise, a lot of cross stitching (by Livie, Tori, and Caleb) and a lot of snow. We even had two nights of the workers. Hard to improve upon a week like that! 

Trying out the saddle Daddy brought back from out west. I love how Elsie is standing to talk to Justin here.

Elsie climbing our snow mountain out front

Orianna decided my shoes made good cars for her Barbies.

Looking at book sale books

Orianna got out her dress up high heels that she is in love with. These were in evidence throughout the week. Even with her jammie pants.

Elsie and I hanging out and reading.

Silly boy

Silly penguin

Last fall, I bought this family of half penny dolls. I had some when I was a kid, but they are pretty hard to find now. I found a complete family on Etsy. Orianna unearthed them, where they were carefully put out of the kids reach in an upper cabinet. I decided the kids could use them. But only under close supervision. The family now lives in a little wooden box by my chair. 

They are terribly sweet. And I love that my kids love them.

Rilla reading to Elsie. Elsie is also wearing her bunny sweater. It was on clearance at LL Bean, probably because the bunny looks vaguely like it might be a goat or lamb. Gilbert had a couple of these roll neck sweaters and they are great quality, so I got it anyway. And Elsie adores it. Walking around asking everyone if they had seen her sweater. Just so they could compliment her sweater one more time. 

Orianna all cozy, with long legs

Playing rook. Which somehow I was roped in to playing. I used to love Rook, but I didn't for quite a while. I am finally starting to like it again. I think I was playing it with timid people. It only gets interesting if the bids start hitting 165. It also may have been the game where we beat the other team by 1,000 points. Yeah, that happened. Go, us!

Lily and Elliott playing Dominion

Lily lost her first tooth, Which was so very exciting for her. Gilbert already has two adult teeth and it was a sore point with Lily that she had not lost any. The tooth fairy also visited her at Grandma and Grandpa's, which was also exciting. We like the story of the tooth fairy, but Orianna was disturbed by the idea of an unknown person poking around under her pillow while she was sleeping, so the kids have never been under any illusions about who does the tooth fairy-ing. Next morning, Lily searched out the likely suspects and asked each of them if they had been the tooth fairy. She likes to sort these things out.

Lincoln organizing the magnets

Elsie, the penguin, and Livie

And this one was cute too, so I had to put it up.

Lincoln, in an oversized hat, comfortably settled exactly in the walk way with a good book. 

If I had to choose one picture to represent winter break at Grandma's, this is it. Books, jammies, apples, cozy chairs, and lots of comic books. 

Elsie in her sweater, yet again, playing the piano.