In a year when I started thinking about Christmas in October, I was still a last minute Annie
Highlights include:
Fabric Spray Paint - the results are too painful to share - and the quest to make the perfect Hawk and Dove Tshirts for my nephews, Loch and Seaniebear. They came out better than expected...but the boys didn't know what the heck they were. I saved my bacon by making them initial shirts (which were awesome gray shirts with blackwatch plaid letters - cuz I roll like that!)
James had his first Christmas, which was very busy, and he tuckered out his mom and dad for sure. He has been crawling all over the place like a mad man.

Seaniebear got some pirate hats from Aunt Gail and Uncle Joe:

We went over to Inez and Tom's for dinner (and it was soooo good!)

and played with James some more!
The next day there was a BATTLE OF THE CLAUSES! Clausi? Clauseys?

"I'm so embarassed! I thought I'd be the only Claus here!"

Lochlain, puppet mastering Superman! Isn't he so grown up looking?

Carter, Loch and Seanie hiding from the monster!

Looking for the scoop!

Self portraits!

Katie and I go into the city and buy uberwarm hats!

The ladies put on a show!

James wore stripes!
So, picture those things along with a gabillion other things and you'll know why I still haven't caught up on sleep!
But, I did get Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Workshop on DVD! I know, don't hate!
One secret of the family:
Gail draws squirrels that look like beavers.

Snow.

My least favorite form of precipitation.
I hate hate hate snow. But the show (or parties!) must go on!

One Wedding and a Thanksgiving...

To sum up many events in one big block of words: me and my pops went to North Carolina for Tgiving to eat with Seaniebear, Lochlain, John and Beannie. It was easy peasy travelling and lots of laughing and a few rousing renditions of "On Top of Spaghetti", and a deeeeelicious dinner and yahtzee and HOBBY LOBBY (oh, sweet Hobby Lobby - you have unfrozen my cold stone heart) - For those of you who don't know HOBBY LOBBY is all the goodness of Michaels + all the wackadoodle cool stuff in Home Goods. And I love love loved it.

Seaniebear sort of sad...really just trying to get his way (!)

Self portraits!

World's Biggest Four Year Old! And what a handsome boy he is. My Loch. My friend.

Helping make "Mom's cookies" which are sugar cookies that you have to beat into submission. Lochlain was pretty good. Seaniebear was...three.

Sits with Peepah, wears Peepah's glasses...

Essentially how my pops looks in them, too.

Maybe my favorite picture of all time and space.

Family play time.

Another awesome pic!

some Meagher Men

A beautiful picture...that I'm sure Johnny will mosaic to contrast and compare...
And we had a Beanie Birthday party - a few months late.
On Saturday me and Pops and Joe and Gail met Johnny in New Jersey for a Meagher family wedding...Sarah Meagher's wedding! And it was super fun and really nice and a great wedding.

Sarah and John Burns!


Gail and Maddie

John and Mary Fran

Meaghers - and Walshs - dance


I know it's fuzzy, but it Nora! Katie! and Tine!
Well, I'll tell you this: We had a great time! We danced, we sang, we chatted! That makes two awesome family weddings this year: First Bill and Lorna and now Sarah and John! I love it when my family gets married!!!!

Tristan and Carter and James - Oh MY!

Last weekend, Richie's friend Steve got married out in Peconic right by Joey's Pop Pops house. So, Rich and Cass go off to rehearse and attend the wedding and Gail, Pops and I took care of the kiddies.
I joined them on Friday after work. Gail and Joe and James and Pops and Carter and Tristan were hanging out eating pizza when I got there. Tristan was having a bit of a hard time, but we went to find a quiet spot and hung out for a while and then we sat on the floor while (her cousin, my nephew) James laughed in her face, trying to get her to enjoy the play. She was...unsure, but the kid was alright.

Then we went into the car to travel out east to Peconic, while Joe and James went home for the evening. Carter and her Grandpa watched a Muppet show collection I had gotten out of the library - Aunt Gee has a TV in her car! But strangely, it only shows VHS! Tristan really dug being in the car. She blew the loudest LOUDEST rasberries for a long time and made me laugh a lot.

On Saturday it was rain rain raining! We made beaded necklaces, we colored (princess) puzzles, James and Uncle Joe came, we played on the floor, we went out for ice cream
we went on the Greenport carousel, we sang in the backseat, we watched some Dora, we ate Aunt Gee's spaghetti and meatballs, we had a special pajama party where we watched "Return to Neverland", and we colored a special princess poster, (Carter suggested that I keep my markers to my own princess- which I totally was), we had fun.




We sort of got to know Baby Tristan a little better, and sort of reached an understanding. Though we are not as great at comforting her as her mama and papa, Grandpa, Gee and I got quite a few smiles and even a giggle or two. She watches you, and she pats you, and she's interested in you.


James did not like sharing his Grandpa, that's for sure...and
wanted to be wherever Grandpa was, and making sure his Gpa was looking at him.


Rich and Cass stayed at Gail and Joe's on Sunday night, and me and Grandpa went, and we brought Katie. Katie and I had gone on the great teacup hunt that day, so she came along for dinner to meet Baby Tristan, and see Carter and James. Carter, Kate, Cass, Rich and I were in a band. But there were a lot of rules about the band, and we eventually broke up. I don't even remember our name. It was sad.
But then we ate chicken had some of Rob's brocolli (Brocolli Rabe) and had a delicious cake for dessert ( and sprinkle cookies)!

Scanned Photos from Long Ago
While we were at Bill and Lorna's wedding, we were able to check out their superawesome guest book, which was a Shutterfly photo album with embeded pics, many of which I'd never seen before. I lurv looking at pictures. Old pics, new pics. I love love love it! So, Gail and I were talking to Kathy about how cool it was, and how cool it was to see Uncle Bernie, who died probably 20 or 21 years ago this month, I believe. I know we have different pictures at our house that his kids probably haven't seen or at least haven't seen in a long time, so I scanned some when I got home. Forgive the poor quality, friends, but some were very very tiny 1x1 inch photos!

Mike and John and Rich, perhaps from some past New Year's Eve.

My mom, with party hat and balloons and party face.

My pop, with a gigantic beard!

Uncle Gene (?) but you can see Uncle Bernie and Vin in the background.

Uncle Bernie and Aunt Jean, Kim and Laurie (at one of my bday parties)

By the size of those drinks, I'd say they're at the Woodshed!

At Bear Camp Pond

Meaghers and Cooks at the top of a mountain. My favorite times every summer were when we went on trips together!

Sweet.

Family picture!

You can see Billy behind me, happy to dig.

Uncle Bernie, Kathy, Vin, Ben, Billy and me!
I'll keep scanning for sure!
But it will have to be next week!
I've got a craft fair to prepare for!