Wow.  Suddenly, I feel much safer.

I mean - who wouldn't?  With a real live Superhero in the... wait a minute!

TWO superheroes!  (Two really lethargic superheroes.  What's their power?  Sitting still?)

Santa encounter #1.

Him: Dazzled by her holiday outfit.  Her: Not that thrilled to be there.

Yes, this is a picture of my Twink reading.

Silently.

While she enjoys her lollipop. Too cute.

Meanwhile...

Jonas is not only successfully manipulating the mouse...

he's successfully playing the game.  Check out how he has both "CAT"s highlighted!  Genius child!

To think, a few short years ago we were setting up elaborate obstacles to keep them from the tree.

And now they're the primary decorators! (Jonas was the primary decorator of this branch right here.  He made sure it had all the ornaments it could handle.)

Seriously?  How cute are they?  This makes me want to get out the funny hats.

Aaaah. Picture number one.  Not bad, not bad - Twink's a little blurry...

Picture number two.  Perfect.  She looks like an angel, he looks like he's planning a bank heist.  I call this one "Naughty and Nice."

That is one serious batting stance right there.

Michael Jordan stuck his tongue out to dunk, Jonas opens his mouth to swing.

It's OUTTA HERE!  (Please note that he put on his baseball jammies, hat, and had us put on his "baseball shoes" [no idea why the Converse are "baseball shoes"] before he would play. Again - we dress for the occasion in this house.)

And with this, the Month of Cookies begins.

Hey, Mom! Bring those back over here!

Thanks.  I think I can fit a few more sprinkles on this one here...

Boo - if I'm going to take a picture of you with the cookies, you think we could lose the binky?

If it means I get a cookie?  Anything.  CHEEEEEESE!

Mmmmm.

There are so many chocolate chips on this thing, it's like eating a candy bar with a cookie crust.

I know!  I did that on purpose!

And this one.

What the heck are these faces she's making?  Can't she just eat the thing?

Ok, finally.

Bites have been taken.  We've moved past "pretending to eat the cookie for the camera"..

and are now actually eating the cookie.

Hmmm.

Delish!

It's kind of...

yes...

It's a Taste Sensation!  Each morsel a joy!

Aaaaaand we're back to posing with the cookie.

Ham.

When you let a two year old bake bread with you...

he makes a holy mess in your kitchen.

Flour on the feet?  HOW do you get flour on your FEET?

I don't know, Mom!  Maybe you've been doing it wrong all these years?

Hey, Mom?  It's freezing out here.  Am I clean enough to go back inside now?  Mom?

The hooligans model the wrapping paper they stamped.

Not sure about these poses.

Nothing says "Merry Christmas!  We painted this paper!" like binocular eyes and... whatever she's doing.

Santa encounter number 2.

V's looking a bit more excited this time.

Jonas, sit still honey.

Sigh.  Where is he going?

Jonas is no fool. He knows who to suck up to.

Would you LOOK at this?

BOTH of my kids on Santa's lap?  Smiling?  I knew this day would come!

Did you see that?  I sat on that scary man's lap! Do you think he'll bring me a scooter now?

And now, the moment we've all been waiting for...

Santa passes out candy canes!  Huzzah!  (The commissary ran out sometime in November.)

Look, Daddy!  CANDY CANES!

Bye bye, Santa!  Don't forget about that scooter!

Hmmm.  Somebody's been into something.

My amazing Mommy senses tell me it's something with red dye...

AHA!

I made (pink) marshmallows, and let V lick the beater.

It took her a good 30 minutes to work most of the goo off that thing.

30 peaceful, quiet minutes.

30 minutes where the only sound was the camera beepng,

and the occasional sucking sound...

followed by about 90 minutes of CRAZY LOUD FOUR YEAR OLD!

YEAH!

Santa encounter number three!  We are old hats at this now.

Get on, claim to be good, get off.  Oh, and smile for the camera - cheese!

Cookie eating.

We are experts at this, too.

Heh.  It's all the practicing we've been doing!

WE LOVE DECEMBER!

Now, if you'll excuse me... 

I decided that we didn't have enough sugar in the house yet.

So I stayed up late making gingerbread house pieces.

Joe and I assembled them,

then we let the kids at 'em with icing and candy.

Voila!  The happiest house around!

We also made a few more Christmas cookies.

Just to take the edge off.

Jonas is the king of the over-sprinkle.

MINE aren't over-sprinkled!  They're perfect!

OH!  I see a bare millimeter on this one...

This kid has frosting and sugar on his foot because he stepped on one of the cookies I was decorating.  Ter-ror-ist.

Do I have to caption these?

Do they not just fill you with holiday cheer?

Joe shows off the green shoes Jonas picked out.

How JOE managed to score a new pair of Chucks this Christmas and not me is a mystery for the ages.

At first, Jonas was convinced that what Daddy really wanted was green Crocs.  I should've let him get them just to see Joe's face.

No idea why we're cheering here, but it's cute.

What you can look at: our breakfast spread, the huge paper mess, cute kid, pretty tree, and lights.  What you cannot look at: my huge butt in reindeer jammies.  LOOK AWAY!

Breakfast spread: monkey bread, cookies, apples, bananas, carrots, and hot cocoa.  What was consumed: monkey bread, cookies, hot cocoa.

Everything's opened at last.

Hmph.  Everything?  You sure there isn't another one hiding somewhere?

Jonas loooves this toy.

He carefully checks the pattern, then builds his little towers to match.

Meanwhile, we get this great view from behind. ;)

Awww.  Looks like Santa read that last minute letter after all!

These are the real things - not quite as easy as those crappy plastic ones for toddlers. We considered strapping a pillow to her butt after about 10 minutes.

And the day ends with snuggles on the couch.

This is where Joe gets all artsy and tries to take our picture from behind the tree.

And this is where I start to wonder just what the hell Joe is doing behind the tree.  Merry Christmas, everyone!

Seriously?

Three?

My baby?

Love V in the background here.  Helping? 

I made a wish, Mommy.

I wished you were getting dressed to TAKE ME TO THE SKATE PARK!

But first, I'll open these presents.

Oooooh!  A LeapPad, instruments, and gum!  SCORE!

First I'll examine these gumballs...

then I'll set the beat with this castanet.

Now, wait for it.. HARMONICA!

And, finally, a little tambourine action.

Do you like my song?  It's called TAKE ME TO THE SKATE PARK!

Ooh.  Let's try this photo again.

There it is!

Big boy.

In his gear.

On his scooter.

Being three.

Yes, THREE!

See?

All that finger waving gave him the cold hands - Joe magnanimously offers his belly to warm them up.  The man is a saint.  I wouldn't let those icy fingers near my belly if you offered me the entire birthday cake.

Where is Violet?  Why isn't she in any of these photos?  The kid got a little hand-held video game for Christmas, and all she wanted to do was sit over by herself and play.  And so it begins.

Party time!  (Would you LOOK at this PICTURE!)

Jonas opens his gifts, under the very watchful eye of his big sister.

Hmmm. Looks like you got some good stuff here.  Might have to borrow this...

I don't know why I bothered with the pictures.  Once I saw his camera I should have just put mine away.

Awwwww.

Look at these beautiful girls.

No idea what they're looking at here.

Or why they're yelling in the bowling alley.

Joe attempts to instruct Jonas on the finer points of bowling while sitting.

DAD!  I KNOW!  Would you just let me bowl?

My boys.

Ok, seriously.  Would you LOOK at this PICTURE! We are so in love, and you can totally tell. :)

Thinking about his wish...

Another candle, successfully blown out.

Jonas and Chrysta felt the need to count m&m's, and make sure they had the exact same amount.

Violet just dug in.  That's my girl.

I'm out of captions, here.  Can I talk about the camera again?

Happy birthday, Boobah.  Love you.