Making Cookies

Blogging has gone to the wind in the new busyness in our life. Thankfully for the handy iPhone and its fantastic camera, documenting life has still happened. 

Yesterday, despite feeling sick, we made cookies. During Andrew's nap, Dave and I cranked out butter cookies and sugar cookie dough. As he woke up, we made the gingerbread dough to sit in the frig. Daddy showed Andrew how to lick the beaters.

Andrew seemed to know exactly how to make sugar cookies (even if he didn't want to wait for mommy to finish rolling out the dough).

His favorite part was decorating with sprinkles. He loved paying attention to 'details' for the most part.

Mommy stopped paying attention for just a second and the tree above resulted from that. Andrew also really wanted to add eyes to many cookies with the red hots.

Happy cookie eating!

Christmas Recap 7: Uncle Jesse and Aunt Nicole

 Aunt Nicole and Uncle Jesse were in Lakeside on the 29th too!  For our last Christmas of the year, we stopped by Grandma Linda's house and saw some of our favorite people.

 Grandma Linda bought Andrew a very cool Mac truck (from Cars) that loads and launches race cars.

 Uncle Jesse showed him how it worked twice and Andrew had it mastered. 

He launched trucks over and over again!

 Linda took us out to Mexican for dinner-yummy!

 Andrew behaved nicely, loved the music, and add a lot of beans, rice, guac! 

Aunt Nicole taught Andrew how to sword fight first with forks, then with straws (not nearly as fun), and last with knives (totally Aunt Nicole's idea).

After dinner and goodbyes, we headed back to Riverside. 

This time, Andrew slept almost the entire drive home!

Christmas Recap 6: Pfeffer Christmas

 December 29

We drove down to Lakeside for the day to visit Grandma and Grandpa Pfeffer.  Even though we left at 10 and Andrrew should have probably just fell asleep, he stayed away for the entire drive down and talked/played with mommy in the back seat.  The magna doodle provided a solid hour of enjoyment again (thanks Phyllis!).

 Andrew had to wait outside for his special present until Daddy got the camera ready to go...

 A HORSE!! 

A REAL ROCKING HORSE!!

He got on right away and figured out how to push the ears to make the head move and "neighs." 

 Grandma showed him how to do it!

 We shared a ham dinner with all the fixings and Andrew finally took his nap for the day. 

While Andrew napped, we opened presents for each other.

 

John got a big and heavy box (some drain thing).

 Dave opened his finish nailers from mom and our beautiful basket from Pauline.

 Andrew woke up in a horrible mood, super clingy and cranky (really, really hoping we're not getting sick) and wanted to having nothing to do with opening presents.  We opened them for him--a fluffy jacket, wheelie cars and a puzzle from Grandma and Grandpa, a doggie ornament from Alicia, and legos from Aunt Pauline.

 After some apple sauce and juice, Andrew was feeling a bit better and smiled with Grandma and Grandpa as he said 'Merry Christmas!'

Christmas Recap 5: Bennett Christmas

 December 26

We hung out at home, visited Desiree and Audrey, went to Target, and got ready to go to Grandma Bennett's house in Arroyo Grande.  When Melissa got off work at 7:30 pm, she came straight here and we loaded everyone (including the dog) into the car and took off.  Dave drove, Andrew and I slept, and Melissa was supposed to be the co-pilot (but she slept too).

 December 27

After breakfast at the hotel, we headed over the Great Grandma Bennett's.  Her village greeted us, along with a beautifully decorated house (all which was a bit stressful with Andrew, but he didn't much better than expected).

 While Dave and Dad installed lights for Grandma in the garage, Andrew and I prepared cherry crunch for dessert and green been casserole (first for everything).  After awhile later, the rest of the family arrived--Andrew and Abby found the stairs and each other pretty quickly!

 Baby Bennett (Hughes) smiled along with all the noise and people.

 Dave and Dad installed four lights

(seriously the garage is brighter than any other part of her house).

 We enjoyed lunch of ham, baked potatoes, green bean casserole, and salad in the garage.  After lunch, we moved to the living room and opened presents.

 Andrew was pretty into presents again--mainly he enjoyed giving them to people and throwing trash away for others.  The picture above was pretty funny--he was yelling 'dataa' over and over again at the bag!

 Great Grandma Bennett gave Andrew a fireman's hat! 

Grandma ended present opening with a sad announcement that this was her last huge Christmas year, the last of our cans, the last of her tree, the last of her Hallmark ornament tradition.  We all shared tears, but understood.  It was pretty evident that Grandma was overwhelmed and her eyesight was worse than even last summer. 

 Andrew and Abby provided some comic relief from the sadness.

They were pretty adorable playing together!

Grandma and her great grand kids
Grant+Abby, Sandy+Bennett, Great Grandma, Carolyn+Baby Girl, Jennifer+Andrew

Christmas Recap 4: Christmas Morning

After Andrew was nestled into his bed dreaming of sugar plums, Santa came to the Pfeffer house.  He left a few things in each of our stockings, helped Mommy bring the presents out of hiding, and left Andrew two presents--his very own kitchen and a book! 

 

We'll be participating in 'A Book on Every Bed' as a new family tradition (check it out here).

Andrew woke up at 6:45, but we promised the Grandparents we wouldn't start until they got there.  Instead we opened and read our book from Santa (Tacky Christmas) and opened the presents from Christmas eve that he wasn't awake to open.

Christmas morning excitement!

 Andrew's book from Santa!

 Opening Phyllis' present--a magnadoodle!  He was instantly engaged!

 We also opened a Barnyard book collection from Erika, a choo-choo book from Tracie, and a book and stuffed animal from Beverly (our neighbor).

 

When Grandma and Grandpa were here, the video camera was set-up, and everyone was in place ready to go, I walked Andrew around the corner into the dining room so he could see what Santa brought for the good boy!

 

Has face showed pretty intense concentration, but you could tell he was excited as he walked on his tip toes over to the kitchen and started playing with the facet and opening/closing the doors.

 He played and played as Grandma set up the rest of the presents that they brought with them!

 The Pfeffer's (and Andrew's whisk)

 Us with our stockings

 Andrew enjoyed helping pass out the presents and moving back and forth from his kitchen to our presents.

 These Melissa and Doug cookies were a hit--he especially liked that he could put on the mitt and "cut" them with the knife.  They are pretty nifty with Velcro that keeps them all together.

 helping Grandma open presents

 Aunt Melissa's coffee mug from Andrew

 Andrew's doctors kit from Grandma

 We paused half-way through opening presents to eat Breakfast.  Grandma made us all pancakes.

 Andrew played with the powdered sugar and loved the yummy pancake and bananas!

 

Back to opening presents--Andrew opened his fruit basket to add to his kitchen.

 "ap-pal" and "banana" seemed so real he wanted to eat it

 carrots, potatoes, and other veggies were exciting too!

 It was a Brighton Christmas for all the girls in the family!

 Loving Aunt Melissa!

 love the yearbook nerdiness of this shirt (from Dave)--do you get it?!? 

 Dave got me a new digital camera as a surprise!

 The two 'big' boxes came out next!  Andrew climbed right on top of it!

 We thought that he understood what it was by his smile, but then,

he just climbed right up on top of it!

 "Oh, it is more than just a box!"

 The second big box was fun to climb onto, but he really was into this picture!

 No assembly required--Andrew just sat and drove the truck body for a good hour!  There was no taking it away either; I literally had to peal him out of it for nap time!

 After a family nap time (this time we were all successful, including the adults!), Andrew could play with him assembled truck, which he thought was even better!

 Reese even fits in the trunk!

 

Grandpa made us all tacos for lunch/dinner!

 

We spend the rest of the day relaxing and playing with Andrew's toys--we never got out of our PJs!