Pictures from Christmas

One of the hardest things I do as a mother is to try to get pictures where both of my kids look like they are at least marginally normal. Usually L does the cheeseface and JJ scowls so I end up with pictures where one or the other of them looks awful. This Christmas was no exception.

They insisted on wearing their elf pajamas from last Christmas, which was fine with me but nothing I could do, not even sinking to bribery, could get one single picture with both of them looking like the angels I know they are. Or at least the angels I'd like to world to believe they are.

Christmas has come and gone...

But amazingly, the girls are still happily playing with all their stuff. The Wii turned out to be every bit as cool as I'd been told and Laura and Vince are getting really good at bowling and tennis. She's even beaten him a few times at baseball. We're all having a tough time with the Dancing with the Stars game as it requires coordination between the controller and the nunchuk - way beyond my abilities although Laura is muddling her way through. Even JiaJia has been playing a bit of Big Brain Academy, highly recommended by my friend Jamie and her four year old.

The day itself was quiet as I have another cold but I still managed to cook a gorgeous standing rib roast with potatoes and brussels sprouts (I know what you're thinking but we love them). The kids had cookies for dessert and I had a glass of wine then we all hit the hay early. What's not to like about that?

I'm working this week but it is very quiet, thankfully. It will give me time to get rested up because 2008 promises to be a really crazy year as far as work goes.

Next stop is New Year's and Vince's family celebration. We'll do ham and spoonbread as always but I'm still pondering what else we can have. No black eyed peas, though. Man, I hate those nasty little things.