happy holidays

We have yet to send out our "christmas" cards... If we are on time next year, we'll have to use a photo like this one! :) I love how annoyed he looks. Cos always stays really still whenever something foreign is placed on him-- It will even take him a while to move freely when we put on his harness (we call it his "training bra" to embarrass him more!).

ah, the joys of living up north

We've been snowshoeing with Cosmo a few times already this week. These photos are from yesterday's excursion to Seven Bridges, which is a short trail but quite beautiful. My dad and I love identifying animal tracks, and Cos just adores the snow. My mom was rather slow-going on her snowshoes, but she had fun nonetheless. My parents left this morning, so we need to be sure and take Cosmo out every day. I sometimes forget how much energy he has.

read only if you are not too politically correct!

Ever since I was a little girl, my dad and I always wrapped Mom's stocking stuff as "trainer elves". This meant that we were sloppy wrappers, not allowed to use scissors (ripping works just as well!), and not good at utilizing the tape efficiently.

(This first photo is the finished pile of stocking stuffers for Bryce.)




In later years, we continue this joyous tradition, with a new element... Trainer elves are perpetually trainer elves due to certain disabilities. For example, tonight while wrapping Bryce's stocking stuffers, I was missing an arm, my dad had a large hunchback that caused him to lean at an odd angle, and my mother was blind.

(Obviously this one is of my mother in her role as a disabled trainer elf.)

wrapping... traditionally

Our family aims to please... or to horrify, however you interpret it.

This is a gift we wrapped for one of the McIntyre cousins. We're certain that Ryan will appreciate the humor.

(If you can't see it clearly, the button says "TREEHUGGER" and there is a teeny ornament hanging from the button, with scooby doo holding a little christmas tree close to his heart.)

finally festive

So, after a few days with a naked tree in the living room, we finally got the lights on last night.










Then, when I got home today,
the tree looked like this-------->
Notice the dark mid-section.


Well, we found where a cat had chewed through a cord (which they have NEVER done before), so Bryce stripped it and reattached it, and now we're back to normal. But, we'll have to be sure we're always close by when the tree is lit!

snow dog on patrol

Cosmo has been out on his perch for over an hour this morning, monitoring the neighborhood. The only thing that changes is whether he's sitting facing our house or facing the road!
(Notice his new soccer ball on the right-- he'll often use it as a pacifier if people walk by.)

first grade fun

I wish I'd had my camera yesterday morning at school. We are in our "weather" unit for language arts, and I had the kids keep their snowpants and boots on when they arrived yesterday... because we were heading outside to measure the snow depth! And, they were adorable. They each had a cheapie bendable yardstick, and it was great watching them venture into the deepest of snow. They realized they couldn't get a good measurement in the play areas, because the snow was packed so hard. Most of them held the rulers the right way, and when we came in, I had them record the snow depth in their science journals. All I wanted to be sure they had was the date, and the depth in inches. But some of them added illustrations of themselves holding the yardstick, with some shouting the measurement in speech bubbles! What smart first graders; they impress me all the time. And then, later they were doing a test-prep piece of writing about what they can do in the snow, and a few of them mentioned that they can measure it! We will measure again next week, so I'll try to remember my camera.