3 Years, 1 Month (December) :: Christmas and Snow!

December was a blast this year! Seeing the holidays through the eyes of two 3-year-olds made it especially magical. We did a lot of activities and the kids were so excited to participate in all of the preparations and festivities! :)

Steve raked up the last of the leaves with Ethan and Sophia...

Ethan, Steve, and Sophia raking...

Ethan baking cookies!

Sophia rolling out the dough...

Sophia and Ethan...

Steph, Ethan, and Sophia...

Sophia wrote her first shopping list...

When asked what was on her list, she said, "Eggs, milk, and cookies..."

Decorating the tree...

The tree looked lovely when it was done!

Steph, Ethan, Sophia, and Steve...

Stockings...

We made a gingerbread house from scratch. It was quite a project! Sophia and Ethan also had fun rolling out and decorating gingerbread men out of the extra dough...

Christmas card 2010...

We went back to Boston the week before Christmas. Ethan, Sophia and Jessica played the piano at Grandma Chris and Grandpa Bernie's house...

Steve and Ethan...

Anna read a book to Jessica and Ethan (Sophia in the foreground)...

Sophia, Steve, Gail and Jessica opening presents...

Ethan and Sophia playing with Grandma Chris...

Ethan with Grandpa Bernie...

Grandma Chris and Sophia...

Anna and Gail...

We stayed with our friends the Leisersons in Cambridge during the week. One of the days, we went to see Santa at the Mall. Sophia and Katie brought their babies...

Sophia and Ethan with Santa...

We also went to the Boston Children's Museum. Steve and Ethan played with a pulley system for a long time...

Sophia liked the indoor slide in the room with the ball tracks...

Sam joined us for the outing...

Steph, Wendy, and Carol...

Carol and Sam having fun...

Ethan on the bobcat digger...

Ethan and Sam...

Sophia took a turn on the digger...

Sam and Carol in the bobcats...

There were also trees to climb...

...and trains to see...

After lunch, we went for a walk by the water with Sam and Carol. Sam, Sophia, and Ethan had fun chasing the seagulls. (Sam is below...)

Sophia, Ethan, and Sam...

Back at the Leisersons, Ethan, Katie, and Sophia played "hide from the abominable snowman". All three of them had seen Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer for the first time this year and it was great fun to hide! Ethan ventured out to see if it was safe...

Ethan, Sophia, and Katie playing...

Three kids in the tub - Ethan, Katie, and Sophia...

Ethan, Sophia, and Katie racing around the Leiserson's kitchen...

Opening gifts - Katie, Ethan, Steph, and Sophia...

Sophia, Ethan and Katie...

At the Howes... Aunt Jo-Ann, Ethan, Steph, and Sophia...

Aunt Jo-Ann and Sophia...

The last stop on the road was Gram's house. Sophia showed her new purse and its contents to Sarah, Gram, and Ethan...

Gram and Sophia...

Cousin Ben has started playing guitar...

He's quite a musician. Ethan and Steve (and the rest of us not pictured here!) were impressed!

Ethan and Steve...

The girls - Sophia, Sarah, and Auntie Laney...

More girls... Gram, Sophia, Sarah, Auntie Laney, and Steph...

Sarah with her new t-shirt and purse...

Back home in New Jersey... Santa came!

All of the presents under the tree...

Ethan and Sophia opening their stockings...

Santa brought Sophia a new baby with a stroller...

Santa brought Ethan a new fire truck that has a siren...

Sophia and Ethan playing with their new toys...

Sophia, Steve, and Ethan hanging out after Christmas...

We had a big snowfall the day after Christmas... Steve and Ethan worked to dig us out...

We took advantage of the new snow and went sledding this weekend... Sophia on her sled...

Sophia, Steve, and Ethan pulling the sleds up the hill...

Steve, Sophia, and Ethan...

Ethan and Sophia went down the hill at the same time...

Steve and Ethan getting ready to go down the hill...