Every year I really plan on getting someone to take professional pictures. And every year we end up just taking some shots on some weekend in December when I NEED to get those cards in the mail. It’s even harder now that S is on the move. Half the shots are blurry, or she’s running away, or I get the side of her face. Here’s to another year of someone keeping us on our toes.
At least she’s smiling in 2016, not sure she had as much fun with the photo shoot in 2014:
I said I’d post some of the outtakes from our photo shoot. Below are the pictures as Mark is realizing that we’ve got some activity going on down there. Now I know why we couldn’t get this baby to smile for the 100 pictures before these.
She does look very focused and uncomfortable…
And one more. I can’t remember if there was more activity here, but clearly she has a look of fright on her face! Thanks for being a good sport, baby!
I was afraid to go, to be honest. Macy’s on December 22nd? But it had to be done. We had a 9:30 arrival and it was already packed. I couldn’t help but stop by the Santa Mail display on the ground floor. Lots of little kids busy writing letters to Santa. He was up on the 8th floor and we didn’t even go close. Next year!
At about 3 pm on Friday I decided the girls needed to get out. So we ventured up to Bryant Park with the Ergo to check out the holiday festivities. A stop at the Blue Bottle, a stroll through the holiday shops and some views of the ice skaters made for a nice Friday afternoon. What’s next on the list of holiday sights to go see?
When the same Christmas tree truck is parked on 9th Ave. The family comes all the way from the Pacific Northwest and sets up here for the month, and they’ve been coming since we’ve lived here…
When they hang the thousands of strands of lights in Chelsea Market. So many you can feel the heat radiating off them…
When there are Christmas tree displays throughout the city…
And when babies get bundled up for the cold weather…Ok, this is me just including this picture because she’s cute.
Our first big trip out of the city…Mom and baby traveled by train to Connecticut last Monday. Success! We had a very good trip and I realized I need to take advantage of anyone willing to help. So even Ms. “I can just do it myself” gave in and had the conductor pull her bag down and put it on the platform when we arrived. And of course, my Dad was there to do the pickup from the train station. It was a full house with my sister, her family and her father-in-law.
My poor mom washed more dishes and picked up more glasses than anyone should have to. And she made 3 different kinds of pumpkin breads to make everyone happy:
And we dug out the Strawberry Shortcake dolls. They still smell!
This isn’t my favorite holiday. I’m a Thanksgiving/Christmas kind of girl. But, I couldn’t resist getting the baby dressed up for the day in her onesie and pumpkin hat (thank you, Amy and Kelly). She’s too young to enjoy candy corn, so I’ll have to have some on her behalf.
Where there is a holiday, there is a dessert. I had a wonderful weekend in New Hampshire at my sisters’s house for Easter. On Sunday night, we made a cheesecake and a yellow bundt cake for the next day. On the cheesecake, we doubled the crust. There is never enough graham cracker crust! The bundt cake? Well, we had some slight issues with my sister’s fancy bundt pan (it had a lot of peaks). The cake came out in 2 pieces, which we reassembled and served. Add in some Easter candy and we were a happy crowd.
I love sending holiday cards, and wish I had gotten my act together to get them out sooner this year. But I also love to cover a wall with the ones that come in. I think I’ve blurred enough so that you can’t identify anyone specifically (to protect the innocent!).
I’m big into pictures to capture the moment…it also helps cut down on the clutter. There will be no flipping through 50 year old cards or childhood drawings in this house when I’m 80.
Jillie of All Trades 
