Our Big Backyard

How Do I Love You...

Let Me Count the Ways...

I love how you're so busy, even when when you watch TV. You find treasures in my closet to look just like me.
I love it when you read yourself to sleep at night. You fool me into thinking you're awake when I come in to turn off the light.

I love to see the surprises that pop up during play. A head of garlic on your train table...
trains "napping" in the cupboard when I start my day.
I love that you have found your "spot" and do it your own way; 'cuz going potty in the great outdoors, is totally okay.

2011 End of the Year Festivities

The first time I did this post, it got messed up. Here's my second attempt. Dad's B'day: Cute grandkids, galette, and a disappointing Cal bowl game. (I'm sure, like every year, he wished for Cal to make it to the Rose Bowl-next year- before he blew out his candles).
Blueberry-Blackberry Galette. It's too bad Dad's favorite dessert is made with summer berries. A Kumquat galette would be far more economical.
It took everything to keep Matthew awake to take this photo. For the record, his eyes are open. Poor little guy.
New Year's Eve 2011: Isabella decorates the table for our Fondue party.
Everyone gets an almond on their plate. You'll have to ask Isabella why.
This was Isa's first fondue. She dipped the bread, lost the bread in the melted cheese, and then dipped another piece of bread and lost that one too. She never actually tasted the fondue--even when we rescued her bread pieces for her.

Dancing with Papa until we went home and went to bed--at 10 pm. We know how to do New Year's right.
Isa's first day of Primary, January 1, 2012 (Sunday school class for almost four year olds). A beaming Sunbeam.

And let's not forget Christmas 2011...

Because it did happen.

First up-Prepping for Christmas: Finding The Tree. This year was all about efficiency. Sleep-deprived parents, 2 month old baby and a rambunctious 3 year old make for a speedy trip to the local Home Depot.







Isabella used her sense of smell to choose her favorite tree. I used the fine technique of poaching. A couple (who clearly had no children living in their home) were doing the actual work of finding a perfect tree. They picked one out, cut off the netting, and spent several minutes carefully looking at it from every angle and discussing their choice. I observed all this while trying to corral Isabella, juggle Matthew, and sneak a peek at a few trees. The couple finally put the tree aside, deeming it unworthy. So I nabbed it. Looked perfectly fine to me--in the dark. Why put in more work than necessary? We picked up the tree and headed for the check out.
This is Mark attempting to explain to me the need to add a tree stand to our shopping cart because he'd thrown out last year's brand new tree stand. "There was no room to store it, " said he, as we paid for another. I told him there was always room under his pillow if he had trouble finding a place to store the new one.
Even 3 year olds can feel the holiday frazzle.
Next up: Ward Christmas Party. Matthew tolerated Santa.
Isabella did not.
She must have sensed he was a fake.
Christmas before Christmas: Our December 16 Family Christmas Par-tay. Award for Best Gift Given goes to me (I write the blog, I can give myself as many awards as I want). I gave my Dad a biography on Einstein. Why this book for my father?
The description on the back reads: "Isaacson's biography shows how his scientific imagination sprang from the rebellious nature of his personality. His fascinating story is a testament to the connection between creativity and freedom." Seriously, who are they really talking about here? Albert Einstein or Paul Accampo?
The other Best Gift Given award goes to Isabella who picked out this nutcracker herself for Nana and Papa. In preparing for the family party, Isabella was helping me wrap Mark's gift (a new super deluxe memory foam pillow). She was so excited about his gift she kept wanting to run into the living room to tell him what it was. I told her she could tell him that we were wrapping his gift but that it was a surprise for Christmas so we didn't want to tell him what he was getting. She runs into the living room and yells, "Daddy, Daddy! We're wrapping your gift. It's a surprise, so you can't open your pillow until Christmas!"

I tried.
After the exhausting process of opening all the presents, Isabella hangs out and watches a movie.

Still hangin'...
I guess she'll make herself comfortable anywhere.
Daddy and Isabella eating ice cream from the $7 plastic ice cream making kit from Costco. Best Gift Given award goes back to me (and Mark, but technically I found it).
Aunt Karen and Cousin Amanda visit from Chicago for Christmas.

Christmas Eve: Isabella preps the fireplace for Santa's arrival.
Santa's elves assembled the big gift: a dollhouse. Another steal of a deal from Costco. That Santa sure is savvy.
Christmas morning. Isabella wakes up and stumbles out to the living room 15 minutes after I wake up. "Did Santa come?" she asks. I pick her up and turn her to look at the tree. "What do you think?" I ask. "Well he knows I'd really like a doll house and a fire engine!" Over the weeks leading to Christmas I kept asking Isa what she wanted. For a while it was a fire engine, then it turned into something else everyday, (usually depending on what she saw on Caillou, her new favorite cartoon--i.e. a blue dinosaur with batteries). When she actually sat down to write a letter to Santa she asked for something completely random: a big,white, plastic car with something-rather. In other words, I knew she'd never remember what she'd asked for from Santa, so he needed to get creative.

This was by far the best one yet! A fire truck found by a friend at an estate sale for $4, then traded for a sleeve of diapers. Sha-bam! Best Gift Deal goes to...Santa.

Christmas Day church dress.
Matthew puts up with a lot.
A really special day for our family. Matthew had his baby blessing on Christmas Day 2011. Mark performed the ordinance and it was beautiful.
This cake (can you find it?) may seem small and insignificant, but something mighty was accomplished on Christmas Day 2011-- it was the day Amanda and I perfected the butter meringue frosting. It required two sets of hands, 30 minutes extra time, the mudroom, and a couple of frozen towels. See below. It's all about the temperature, people.

(Because I print my blog pages and have them bound in a book for our family, the customized recipe follows so I can remember it for next year:)

Vanilla Meringue Frosting:

1. After cooling meringue in mixing bowl, scoop out into a large bowl and place it outside in the mudroom to keep it cold.
2. Make butter mixture and place in mudroom until it is cold, but still fairly soft.
3. Fold 1 C meringue into butter mixture and then chill in mudroom.
4. After 10 minutes, or so, fold butter mixture into remaining meringue, stirring until smooth.
5. When it's time to frost cake, wrap wet towels chilled in the freezer around the bowl to keep it COLD!
6. Work fast.
Aunt Karen and Amanda gave Isabella jewels and a kazoo.
Mark got a kazoo too, but no jewels. Studying up on the art of kazooing.
We had some fun with the computer. Merry Christmas!