Monday, December 22, 2008

Cooking at Aunt Amy's House!




























Sunday afternoon I kept my two year old niece, Kate. We had a blast baking! We baked cupcakes with snow sprinkles, sugar cookies with hershey kisses on top, and peanut butter cookies with a reeses on top. This past Fall we baked Halloweek cupcakes together and had a blast. So I wanted to start a tradition of baking with her. From the pictures above you can tell it was fun. Since I'm the aunt, and not the mom, I let her do the bad stuff, like eat cake batter and cookie dough. While decorating the cupcakes she loved licking the frosting off her fingers. I didn't fret with any of that stuff, I just told her to have fun. Since the goodies were going to be eaten by family members her sticking a finger in the frosting and stuff like that didn't matter. Of course we ran out of sprinkles because she covered the other cupcakes with the sprinkles. I didn't fret over that either, these were for her, so I let her have at it. When she was unwrapping the reeses peanut butter cups, she would unwrap them and stack them on top of each other. When I took the picture of her stack she accidently knocked them down. So I took the picture of her stack falling, she thought it was funny. What goodies didn't go home with her, went to grandma and pops-pops' house. All of us knows, kids can say the funniest and cutest things. While we were baking Jimmy came home. Kate loves her Uncle Jimmy. Well, he was in the living room watching tv and he sneezed a few times. Kate said "Bless you" from the kitchen. Jimmy didn't hear her so he didn't respond to her. Then she said, "Him won't talk to me". I was busy with the cooking and didn't acknowledge her. Again she said, a little bit louder, "Amy, him won't talk to me!". So I had to tell Jimmy that Kate told him "bless you" when he sneezed. So he said "Thank you Kate" and she sweetly responded "You're welcome". It was really cute and good to know that her mom and dad are teaching her manners. Children start learning what you teach them at a young age, so it's never to early to start teaching them manners. After the baking was over and we cleaned the kitchen, Miss Kate was tired. So she climbed in "her Uncle Jimmy's" lap and they played tic-tac-toe. I thought it was a cute picture! So I believe, I've started a tradition. Kate has a little sister (6 months old) Claire. So in about two more years I'll have me two little helpers in the kitchen. I can't wait!!

Christmas in Philly













This Saturday we celebrated Christmas with my parents, sister and her family. We usually do this the afternoon of Christmas Eve and later that evening my aunts, uncles and cousins come over the we do another celebration with them. But this year we just couldn't get all of my immediate family together on Christmas Eve. So we decided to get together on Saturday. We had a great time! My niece, Casey, brought her boyfriend, Bryce. This was the first time I met Bryce. He is a really nice guy. I hope we didn't scare him off! My youngest nephew, Buck, loves Star Wars. I got him a Star Wars Monopoly game. So after we unwrapped gifts, we had to play Star Wars Monopoly. Yes, in the group picture, my nephew has taken his shirt off. Those of you who knows my mom, knows that she is very cold natured. So she keeps the house HOT! We all was about to burn up. My little nephew couldn't help it, he started shedding clothes! The rest of us are not that fortunate to be able to do that! ha!


On another note, Sunday, I wanted Jimmy and I to take a nice Christmas picture. Jimmy can't stand to get his picture taken. So usually, he doesn't smile. He has such a pretty smile, when he shows his teeth, but he refuses to do so!! The picture on the far left is all of the smile I can get out of him! Merry Christmas!!