No child could resist the gingerbread house.

No child could resist the gingerbread house., originally uploaded by MonicaSmoot.

I picked up a gingerbread house kit at the store the other day. The kids have been home for winter break and I knew they would be looking for something new to do while the nasty weather kept them inside. It was so nice to see all three kids working together. The squabbling was kept to a minimum and together they created something no child lost in the forest could resist. And five minutes after I took the picture, they dug in. I can't believe they ate it, especially since hygiene isn't always in their vocabulary.

Tea Blossom

Tea Blossom, originally uploaded by MonicaSmoot.

It's so cold outside today, and I'm getting over a cold, so I decided to post this photo of the tea from the tea party to help me feel all warm inside. The tea was infused in a flower bud that blossoms when put in hot water. It's really neat and the tea was delicious.

Queen Mum

Queen Mum, originally uploaded by MonicaSmoot.

Tea parties are fun! We should have them more often.

Maya

Maya, originally uploaded by MonicaSmoot.

I've posted this one before but it really is one of the best pictures I have of her (at least digitally). Her face, her eyes, are so expressive. I really, really miss her. It's been one year today that she left us and I there's still a hole in my heart.

Tea Party

Tea Party, originally uploaded by MonicaSmoot.

A friend of mine threw a tea party for her birthday on Saturday. That sounds funny. Do you really throw a tea party? We didn't get wild and crazy but something about sipping tea from fancy teacups really gets the girl talk going. You would have blushed.

And yes, she threw her own birthday party. She provided the teacups, the cookies and cupcakes, the teapot and the tea. All we had to do was show up. She refused all offers for help, saying that the only way to insure she had the birthday party she wanted was to do it all herself. I think she may be right but I don't think I could do it all myself. I much prefer to delegate, even if it means I don't get exactly what I want.

A crisp day at the Capitol

A crisp day at the Capitol, originally uploaded by MonicaSmoot.

I have to say that the weather is just perfect these days. Well, we really need some rain so we can lift the burn ban, but other than that...

This is the kind of winter I like. It's cold, but not too cold, and windy, and the sky is cloudless and blue. Maybe not as blue as in this picture, thanks to my polarizer, but still a brilliant blue. My kids would say it would only be perfect if there was snow, but they have no idea what they are talking about.

I took this photo of the Capitol while I was waiting for the Wind Ensemble to arrive for their holiday concert.

holiday performance at the Capitol

holiday performance at the Capitol, originally uploaded by MonicaSmoot.

This has been the week of the oboe. My oldest had her holiday concert Wednesday night, then played for the elementary school Thursday morning, and then again at the Capitol Thursday during lunch.

The rotunda in the state Capitol is a popular spot for choral and music performances. I liked that I could go up to the second level and look down at the concert. My daughter didn't like that there weren't any chairs and the band had to play standing up. They sounded great anyway.

Next week we'll continue the music with my youngest singing with her class on Tuesday night and my oldest playing classical guitar on Thursday night. Wow, this is a busy time of year!

Rowan at football game

Rowan at football game, originally uploaded by MonicaSmoot.

Here's another from the very old roll of film. I made a few minor adjustments to the saturation and the contrast to get rid of that washed out look.

I can tell by his hair cut that this was taken not long after that dreadful lice incident. And now, we've discovered our oldest has been reinfected. So it's sheet changing time and laundry time and hair combing time and I'm so sick of it already. I should be at home taking care of those things today but there's this pesky thing called a job that I have to do instead. And this being holiday season, I can't take any extra time off from work because I need to save my vacation time for the end of the month. I swear I'm having a nightmare and I hope I wake up soon.

Film!

Liana at the car show, originally uploaded by MonicaSmoot.

A few months ago I bought a used film camera. I found an old roll of film in my dresser drawer and figured it would be perfect to use to test out the camera. It was really old, though, and the pictures were a little washed out. But then Christmas came early and I now have a new printer/scanner. So I threw on one of the prints and then bumped things up a little. I think it turned out pretty well.

Now I have a fresh roll of film in the camera and new motivation to finish it off. I can't wait to see the results!