Pictures from Christmas - Enjoy!

Here are our long awaited Christmas pictures for you. Isabelle and I got Heather some flowers for letting us go see King Kong on Christmas Eve.


The complete picture before the girls awoke! Notice the Dog placed off to the right, guarding the fireplace from Santa... worthless dog, she obviously slept through his visit.


Isabelle got her American Girl Doll from Santa, it was the only year so far where she stated "I'm perfectly happy with the result!"





Ah, the joy of Daddy playing with the presents, Aubree got a sparkling ring thingy.



Heather, Aubree and Nala, all opening presents, isn't Heather fetching in her silky Christmas pj's?






Isabelle and Heather, all smiles.






Aubree is having a blast with all the new stuff, she has no clue what is going on, but look at all the shiny ripped up paper, yipee!





Heather and Aubree, she is eating my caclulator that says "Dad" on it. Not sure what Aubree is eating though...hmm.





Wow, I think Santa over did it again this year.... although Isabelle will strongly disagree.





Isabelle with her Pikachu doll. Also note the gingerbread house they made at Isabelle's last day of school.




Isabelle got a very colorful fuzzy blanket from Grandma Adams, she loves it! We are relaxing from a hard day of present opening.




Dad requested a good picture of just Aubree. The end, hope you enjoyed our pictures of Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas to all our Friends and Family!

Love,

Dan, Heather, Isabelle, & Aubree

Aubree chasing around Nala, trying to get her hair ribbon and jingle bell

Of Wedges and Logs

Well, you were right Dad! I found a wedge at Home Depot and got to work while the weather was good today. We have already burned through the pile in the garage and I have refilled it once since you and I did it. My "indestructible" axe (yes, it actually says that on the handle) is now cracked and split the length of the handle in several places right up by the head of the axe, I suppose it is very dangerous and I expect it will fly off and kill me one of these times, but it still works. I don't have a proper sledge hammer and thus, use the back side of the axe head to pound the wedge. Every bone in my body feels shattered and sore by whacking the steel on steel effect with the wedge but it is amazing how well a simple wedge can split a huge log, while an axe blow will bounce off and not scratch it. Tonight we are going to the Ward Christmas party (Dinner and music, which I am singing in of course).

Dad was right, a wedge works wonders on big logs

Project put to rest, literally

When dad last visited he brought some cabinet lights with him for the kitchen (very long story behind this) however let's just say that they were never used but we cut the cord length and could not return them. So basically they ended up in the "project gone astray" junkpile in the garage, to be revisited on a future honey-do list. Well, Heather just finished painting Aubree's bedroom and therefore Isabelle got her room back. So while we were rearranging the furniture I was assigned to cut a lamp in half to put under the bed, Heather not realizing that this is not something one just does with a 6 foot floor lamp ("come on! Just take out a middle section, oh, the cord won't magically pass through the section? Figure it out" she says). So to avoid this magical quest, I came up with a bright idea (quite literally, haha) to use Dad's cabinet lights! Brilliant! Hurray, Dan saves the day! So with very little effort, vwalla, let there be light. In the next picture you will see the happy result of a project laid to rest (under the bed that is, heee hee). It's 10:30pm, now I can go rest. Good night!

Exhibit A - Dad's lights put to good use

Exhibit B - Happy Heather

Aubree is trying on hats in the Mall tonight

Oh, the agony of tree decorating....

As you may or may not know, we have a 9 - foot fake tree which is rather large. So we have to re-arrange the living room to fit it in and I had to chop off a foot and it still bends at the top where it meets the ceiling. I'm not sure where Heather got her tree decorating traditions from (Martha Stewart eat your heart out) but let's just say that I am not allowed near the tree (although last year Isabelle and I were given special permission to decorate our way). So this year we got out the variety of colors and styles available and we chose blue and silver (yes, it has to be coordinated, and no, the expensive nutcracker ornaments that we have only used once do not match this years tree, however I ask this every year). So I of course get to assist in putting up the white lights with blue ribbon and silver, white, and blue ornaments. After hours of hard labor and repositioning for perfection, I learn that the tree decoration is not acceptable and am forced to then "un-decorate" the tree the next day. So then we go through another version of decorating experimentation and put up colored lights with ribbon and white and red ornaments with snowman decorations. Fortunately this particular design meets the standards of Heather and I am happy because now I get my multicolored blinking lights. Of course I am exaggerating a bit here but let's just say the tree is up and it looks spectacular!

Christmas Tree Version 3.1

Isabelle in Dance Class

Picture of Isabelle in Dance class. They held an open rehersal for parents to watch. She is taking Tap dance this year and is loving it.

Isabelle, center stage, now....pose

Frosty, Build a bear

Isabelle has been a very good girl lately and for a reward we took her to the mall and she got a frosty the snowman from Build-a-Bear. If you squeeze it's hand the cheeks light up red. Isabelle and Heather have been shopping for a girl off the "Angel Tree" to give a few items for Christmas. Heather thought it would be a great idea to help Isabelle and her learn to give and be Christlike instead of focusing on ourselves this Christmas. I think it is a great idea.

Frosty the snowman has arrived!

Help, I can't....move...my....arms....

Snow is here! Aubree is donning her winter Eskimo suit. It brings back memories of the kid in "Christmas Story" when he can't move his arms cause his mom bundled him up so tight in so many layers. She just laid there and couldn't move for awhile, pretty funny. Heather called her a big pink marshmallow. We got about 1-3 inches of snow, not very much but enough for me.

Help, I can't....move...my....arms....

Isabelle's three seconds of fame

Long story but I'll keep it short. Back when mom and dad were with us in October and Isabelle had a day off of school, they were all working/playing in the yard. Somebody happend to be walking up the street and asked if Dad had any grandchildren who would like to be in a commercial for a new book store that opened up just down the street from where we live. So Dad took Isabelle down to the bookstore and signed several documents and Isabelle worked her way into the commercial. We forgot all about this, then last night we were watching TV and Isabelle noticed the commercial for Best Bargain Books. She paused it (the miracle of PVR TV) and then grabbed us to watch it repeatedly. I took a shot of her on the screen to prove it. So let me publically thank Dad for helping Isabelle get her 3 seconds of fame on TV, she got a really big kick out of it. Isabelle is the second person to the left in the shot, note her superb facial expression and deft acting skills and how all the other children are listening to her read the book (what a ham!)

Best Bargain Books Commercial on TV

Weekend at a glance

We had a really good Thanksgiving weekend and it was way to short. We started off Thanksgiving morning traditionally by going to 7-eleven and getting a newspaper with ads to see if there are any early morning sales and luckily we found nothing worth while so I got to sleep in the next morning. Heather made a great Turkey diner for us with all the fix'ns, we rented and watched Christmas with the Krunks (thumbs down) and War of the Worlds (thumbs up). On Friday we slept in and did some light shopping in the early afternoon. I was rear-ended coming out of an intersection but there was not a scratch on either car (must have hit me just right), Heather had flames coming out of her ears so that was fun to see (new car, rear ended, end of the world..). On Saturday I did yard work all day long and got the front yard cleared of leaves while Heather put up our Christmas lights on the house and fence. Then we attempted to put up the tree and ran out of energy, so will continue on Family night. What a great weekend.

Aubree loves to play with Grandma's magnet alphabet she made years ago for Isabelle

Putting up the tree and decorations for Christmas

Working on the lights, Aubree is helping of course

Friday lunch at Olive Garden with the Girls

mmmm.... Turkey

Setting the table for our Thanksgiving Feast!

Aubree is dreaming of Turkey.... gobble gobble

Isabelle watching TV with her stuffed animal collection on the couch

Enjoying my long 4 day weekend

Happy Thanksgiving!

Aubree has learned the finer art of crawling

This was a great weekend. Heather had yet another Primary activity on Saturday with a Thanksgiving theme, I'm sorry I did not get pictures but I gave her the choice to help or stay home with the baby. So I got yet another opportunity to sway my precious daughter to move from a mamma's girl to a daddy's girl (a battle I am losing). Aubree has just over the past week learned to become very proficient at crawling (no small feat on slippery wood floors). She loves to take her ball and roll it across the wood floor and chase it (the Dog taught her this trick) and on Saturday she did this for about an hour, it was really funny to watch. We are now on constant baby watch as she loves cords and anything that would be a life threat to a baby, turn your head and she is in the other room chewing on a surge protector. Our house is far from babyproof. On another note, Isabelle was invited to a birthday party where she got a private viewing of Harry Potter on Saturday morning, she had a great time and claimed the movie was not too scary. Thumbs up for Isabelle on HP.

Aubree chasing a ball

Meeting Purgatory

I am completely burned out this week with never ending management meetings that go all day and never end. I think I have finally perfected the art of sleeping with my eyes open... sheesh. Management tip number 45 in my book, never, ever attend a meeting unless you absolutely have to and never plan a meeting for more than it will take to get it done (ie. if you can complete what you need to in 15min, then plan for a 15 min meeting, not an hour long meeting). I am well known throughout Esselte for a stunt I pulled off in my early years in a meeting with 20 people and a rambling very high up Executive who I rudely interrupted mid sentence and stated "excuse me, I have some work to get done, this is a waste of my time" and I promptly left the room with mouths agape from everyone in the room. Needless to say this executive no longer works for this company and I am still here getting things done... Although, the cruel irony is that as I have risen higher in this organization, I am now required to attend more meetings.... haha. Is it lunch yet? I have another meeting in 20 min... gotta go.

You handsome devil!

Beautiful view today from my office

Chicken Little 3D with Isabelle

I'll put some comments on this. Isabelle and I decided to go see a movie on Saturday and it was a toss up between Zathura and Chicken Little. In our theatre they are showing CL in both regular and seperately as Chicken Little in Disney 3D. I'm a sucker for new cool stuff so I convinced Isabelle to see it with me. They gave us cool glasses that we got to keep and they are not the cheap red and blue ones, but the nice polarized ones. Not sure how the technology works but it was really cool to see the movie in true 3D, just like you would see the shows in Disneyland (Honey I shrunk the whatever... shows or Muppets 3D). They did a really good job with it. The overall movie was very entertaining but felt too much like Jimmy Neutron to me. I give the experience a 10/10, the movie by itself was a 6/10. Kids will love it.

Chicken Little 3D with Isabelle

End of the trip last minute projects

Mom and Dad are going home tomorrow so we did our usual last minute project cram session. Dad and I have put off the electical work for two years now but Heather held us to the fire. We put in two very difficult ceiling fans where there was no electrical in the master bedroom and living room and a light fixture where none existed in Aubree's room. So now we finally have overhead lights in the house instead of lamps. It took us all day and a lot of crawling in the attic. I had to drill down through the wall from the attic and did so without being able to see exactly where I was drilling so we had one big oops when I drilled a two inch spade hold and missed the wall... We also re-cemented and morter'ed the froot stoop and chimney hearth and did loads of yard work last week.... fun stuff. I'm tired, they need to go home so I can rest!

Just a flesh wound... nothing a lot of spackling can't fix!

How many Adams' does it take to screw in a lightbulb...

Dad and Daniel doing electical wizardry in the basement

Tonights game of choice, Rook

Mom and Dad working hard in the yard

A Trip to Costco, Aubree next to Santa

Dad getting the bagged leaves and brush ready

Pendaflex and Xyron to Appear on Popular TV shows

Two of Esselte's brands will appear on TV channels throughout the US during the month of November and December.

Pendaflex
Pendaflex will appear on the highly acclaimed show Mission:Organization on HGTV (Home & Garden Television. Mission: Organization brings order to chaos by redesigning living spaces one room at a time.

See the "before" and "after," as experts work with real homeowners for an amazing transformation.

Home-Office Overhaul
Jeffrey Martini of Wilmington, Del., is a child counselor and motivator. It seems he needs some help motivating himself, though--his home office is a wreck! At 15 x 15 feet, the room is filled with files, luggage and mounds of clothes. Professional organizer Liz Witts answers his call for help and agrees to help him turn this room into the ultimate office space.
Show air dates are:
11/22 at 9:30 p.m.
11/23 at 1:30 a.m.
11/26 at 2:30 p.m.

Wanted: Orderly Home Office
The McGill family--Mike, Patty and children Patrick, Michael, Marguerite and baby John--are plagued by a cluttered, nonfunctional home office. Mile-high piles of homework, crafts and collectibles have made a hostile takeover of the 14 x 11-foot space. Expert organizer Terri Lynn Mabbitt is called upon to restore order and give the McGills the home office of their dreams.
Air dates for this episode are:
12/13 at 9:30 p.m.
12/14 at 1:30 a.m.
12/17 at 2:30 p.m.

XYRON
Xyron will appear in editorial segments on DIY -the Do-It-Yourself Network and HGTV on some of those network's most popular programs.

On DIY look for Xyron in the following episodes of Scrapbooking with Sandi Genovese:
* November 7 - Episode SCB-426 - Black & White Photo Layouts at 2:30 PM EST
* November 10 - Episode SCB-429 - Stickers to the Extreme at 2:30 PM EST
* November 18 - Episode SCB-435 - Fabric & Ribbon at 2:30 PM EST
* November 22 - Episode SCB-437 - Sparkling Pages at 2:30 PM EST

And see the new Xyron(r) Personal Cutting System(tm) on the 2005 DIY Holiday Wish List on:
* November 13 at 3:00 PM EST
* November 14 at 2:00 PM EST
* November 24 at 4:00 PM EST

On HGTV look for ...
* The 2" and 4" Cheetah Adhesive Runners on the Carol Duval Show, the Craft Products Variety Show!
* November 4 at 9:30 AM EST.
* The Xyron Model 900 Creative Station on Crafters Coast to Coast,
* November 9 at 7:30 AM EST.

Dad's finer taste for food

Dad and I love to eat some of his finer creations from his youth, Like a toasted peanut butter and drizzled honey with large hunks of cheddar cheeze on top. Don't knock it till you try it!

Honey and Peanutbutter with hunks of Cheddar, delicious

Isabelle and her farm tractors and crops, yeee haw

Canasta, the game of choice tonight

It's getting cold, break out the firewood

It's getting cold, only 44 degrees today. We use Heating oil on Long Island for the boiler and it is very expensive to fill my 300 gallon tank in the basement. I have been stockpiling tons of wood in the backyard (took out 5 huge trees last year) and plan on burning through it this winter to save costs. Nothing better than a roaring fire. I'm starting early this year and Dad helped me chop some wood today.

Fire in the house!

At the Ward Halloween pot luck. Aubree having fun eating my head.

Monkey Brains!

Tonight at 5pm is the Ward Pot Luck with a Trunk-or-Treat afterwards. Heather is famous for her Monkey bread, it's quite the unique recipe, very tasty. I think it looks like Monkey brains myself, it's made from Pillsbury biscuit dough cut up into small chunks with a chocolate chip in each piece then they are all glued together with cinnamon and sugar and then baked in a bunt cake mold.

Heather's famous Monkey Bread