Time To make Xmas Cookies

Last night I baked some sugar cookies and let the kids decorate them...Well They decorated like 5 and I decorated all the rest...................................
I tried to get Parker to do more by telling him however many cookies you decorate are how many you can have....it didn't work

I had a bowl full of vanilla frosting for the cookies..Ava grabbed a quick taste with the spoon

Ava eat the cookie it has frosting on it too!!

Yeah...she eventually ate the cookie of course after she licked all the frosting and sprinkles off the cookie

MOM...must you take so many pictures of me eating cookies??

It's all fun but just for a little while.

After Parker left to go play some more video game...Looks like I better get started doing the rest....Maybe next time I will stick to the gingerbread houses.

Almost Potty Trained

Well..She is not QUITE there but at least she understands PEE PEE goes in the potty

Even though it is still in the diaper.........

Piaggio Party--# 3 at the Larson's

Every year I usually book a nice dinner for the staff at work and their spouses at a nice restaurant for a Xmas dinner. We have only 6 people that work in my office building where as the corporate office has ..hmm 30?
Anyway with the economy being as bad as it is everyone has been hurting and sacrifices had to be made and one of the sacrifices made by our company was No big xmas company dinner this year. The Corporate office just had some lunch brought in and some Champagne and let everyone leave early. I asked about a budget for us to use so we can do something here for the staff on the west coast and I was able to get a small budget.
We did not have enough to go out to a dinner but our boss Erik and His wife offered to make a dinner at their home and have everyone go to their place and eat and have some wine so that is what we did! I only took 3 pictures though cause I got too caught up with the good time. We were able to bring our kids so Sean and Erik were so nice enough to buy presents for the kids.
This photo is of Savannah (Erik's daughter who will be 3 on Feb 15) Ava ( 2) and Xander ( Josh's Son who is 19 months) opening their gifts from Sean and Julia which were Dr. Seuss Books and Stuffed Character. They got Parker a awesome outfit he loves and Cameron ( Erik's Son who is about 6 months older then Parker) a video game.

Patti made a fantastic dinner with A mixed green salad full of nuts and berries, a Gourmet Mac and Cheese, Green beans with Almonds and Asparagus, and Tri Tip. Oh and for dessert she made the most wonderful apple and berry turnover in that Fila Dough served with Vanilla Ice cream...pure heaven! after eating we had More wine ( think we went through about 6 bottles) then we played a game.

Patti fanned out a bunch of Wrapped Gift cards and the game was to draw a number and pick a gift card and then who ever was next could steal a gift card or draw a new one. I won a Gift card for the Movies!! Yay...cause I really want to see Little Fockers this weekend.

After the game we drank some more and socialized and had a lot of laughs. Erik bought toys for the kids so Ava was busy playing with her new Strawberry Shortcake doll with a scooter and Parker with his remote control Motorcycle Stunt man.

I took this photo...from left to right Gabe, Sean and Erik.

Sean and Julia and Gabe and I and the kids finally ended up leaving around midnight (everyone else left about 30 mintues to an hour earlier). I think that this was funner then our usual going out to eat at a restaurant routine...maybe next year we will do it again!

Xmas Party Number 2 -The Ellman's

Friday night was the Annual Xmas party with friends held at Josh and Vickie's.
A group of our friends get together every year which we like to refer to as the YULE LOG get together. It is usually hosted at the Raspet home or the Ellman home. This year it was the Ellman Home.
Every year at the annual Yule log there Must be a White Elephant gift exchange and some sort of theme.
This years was Festive Hats.
I brought a Bottle of Fernet Branca to the party. It is like a stimulating wonder tonic but it is the absolute worst VILE tasting stuff you will ever consume! It is HORRIBLE! My cousin and I pictured above had like at least 7 shots of it and I felt as if I drank a few energy drinks..I was a talking fool! I had no hangover.

The spread...I really wish I could have taken a picture of the HUGE clam shell on the table filled with Sangria...which was very potent looking at all who consumed it. I did not have any. I stuck with plain ol shots and cocktails..thankfully we had already arranged to stay the night at Josh and Vicki's.

I was making sure everyone tried the Fernet. Eric and Brian had a couple.

We even got Michael to try a couple...but of course he much rather stick with the rum and cokes.

Fernet anyone?????

I got some takers!!

It was soon time to round everyone for the white elephant gift exchange.

Josh going over the rules! This was the LONGEST white elephant gift exchange EVER!!. There was about 30 gifts to do! Plus with the stealing it was a long one.

Eric got to go first. He got a Carmen Miranda Platter ..giving her a drink of his beer

Oh not only a platter but a high heel mug to drink from!

Dave got a dali lama book...I thought to myself ..hmm how fitting and he actually said he already read the book.

Speaking of fitting...Sluggo's was right on Target hahahahahaha

Michael won a very obscene coloring book...it got stolen right away. It was a coloring book of Vagina's...It makes me think of the sex and the city episode when there was a famous artist that painted them. Anyway I didn't take pictures of all of the gifts cause it was just too many. Oh and my gift that I ended up with was the ever so popular SHAKE WEIGHT! Believe me I been using it too!

Ok Back to drinking and dancing....Josh was dancing to Come on Eileen in this picture...He played it 3 times in a row and was just dancing to himself in the living room.

The rest of the party was dancing outside on the deck or sitting by the fire. It was a LONG night...we didn't go to bed til about 4:30am!!

The next morning Gabe and I got up around 9 and Boy was that place WRECKED...it was a rager of a party! Good Times Indeed!

First Artificial Tree

We got our first artificial Tree this weekend! Ava was really excited to put up the decorations. This is just a temp tree though until I can get my hands on a vintage aluminum tree complete with color wheel.
Ava was having so much fun and wanted to rule the decorating that she got mad anytime any of us wanted to put up a ornament

She took all the animal character ornaments off and was putting themin the xmas train and other little vehicles and making them drive a cross country trip in the living room...it was funny!

Parker wanted to take pictures of each ornament.

Finally Ava let other put some stuff on the tree.

The tree is pretty much bare right now cause Ava collected all the decorations within her height and they are now hidden throughout the house. I can't wait to see how nice the tree will look once the gifts are under it...which I am waiting til xmas eve to do that or I would be wrapping presents everyday since Ava is all about opening presents.

The first of the December cocktail parties

This past Saturday after the Belmont Shore Boat Parade we headed to the first of the Holiday cocktail parties we been invited too. It was thrown by our friends Boxer and Julianna. I must say these two can throw a awesome party! Oh and their Mid Century home is to DIE for!!!
They hired a bartender for the evening and had a little sign posted of some reccomended drinks. I had the cranberry vodka martini. He actually crushed cranberries in my martini which was Devine!

A nice spread of stuff to munch on..I really was digging the marinated mushrooms on the weinie astro tree at the end of the table!

Saw LOTS of friends that night.. Ahh my gals Maria and Vickie!

Smoke break

The hired a fire dancer for our entertainment...she did a great job!

No one got hurt or burned!

Josh and Vickie...we are looking forward to their party this Friday!

Guys were djing all night!...Just getting started

Chris and Torino

Um yeah ...we went through a LOT of booze!! Gabe had us taking shots at one point of the evening

And when having lots of shots encourages lots of dancing

I was wioed out and soon people were dropping like flies come round 1am. as you can see from Josh....it was a good time!

Belmont Shore Xmas Boat Parade

Ok so time to catch up with my blog.
This past Saturday we were invited to go on our friend Rich's Boat for the annual xmas boat parade through Naples. Every year I used to go and watch the boats with the mass crowds of people in Belmont Shore but this year we finally got to be IN the parade.
Arriving at The marina

The sunset was beautiful as we walked to the slip. Rich's boat neighbor has a pet cat who came up to me before I boarded ..let me say I LOVE that cat..he is all black and just the sweetest thing. I should have taken a picture of him.

I always feel nervous when I walk down here like I am gonna fall in the water ...

Rich's boat Had a ton of lights and snowflakes,candy canes...

And a xmas tree in front.

We were number 3. This little boat behind us was Really fun!!

As we waited for the parade to begin we blasted some Ska, Ate some food, had some champagne and beer , danced and socialized. There was a total of 6 of us on the boat!

There were so many beautiful boats

The line behind us...not too much ahead of us since we were number 3 and up front.

We were dancing in the back of the boat..I had to take a pix of Gabe and Max.

Drinking some champagne and holding on for dear life that I don't fall overboard.

My hair was totally blown away..by the time I went to the other party we were attending that night My hair was a rat's nest.

Cap'n Rich

Rich's Girlfriend Asia

The boats tailing behind us

Hey Max...pass me that Champagne!

So hard to get good photos of the boats with us floating around.

I think this was suppose to be a whale!

There was another parade happening with smaller boats and then one with BIG boats. When we were done parading we sat in the middle of the harbor and watched the rest of parade

It was crazy some people were on dingy's in total darkness...I was so afraid someone was gonna get ran over.

Lots of Palm trees

Gabe and Max decided to sit on the very front of the boat and just chill with some beers

This was the Santa float...he traded in his reindeer for dolphins..

Rich and Asia

Max went back in the boat and I sat up in the front with Gabe

Gabe

I was making sure my feet were gripping on the front..it started getting cold and damp and slippery .

I had a little roof hatch porthole thing next to me and all of a sudden I just see a bottle of champagne coming through it...Now that's service!

Yeah...I was feeling a little smashed at this point!

OK pulling into the slip now. Time to get back in the boat and get ready to head out to our next party...it was so fun. We are talking about Next year already!