Things We Couldn't Live Without

This is a list of things that have come along in the last 75 years.
I thought the list was pretty fun and amazing, so decided to share it.
As I read them, I thought of my life with them, and without them.

A-line skirts
Automatic drip coffeemakers
Body shapewear (Spanx anyone?)
Books on tape
BPA-free water bottles
Caller ID
Cell Phones
Chalkboard paint
Color TV
Cooking shears
Cordless vacuum cleaners
Cream concealer
Dishwashers
Duct tape
Emery boards
Eraser sponges
Fabric softener
Face moisturizer with SPF
Food processors
Garbage disposals
Gas grills
Ziploc bags
Hand sanitizer
Hot-glue gun
Kitchen islands
Labels
Makeovers
Meat thermometers
Microwave ovens
Nonstick cookware
OTC nondrowsy allergy meds
Paper towels
Patios
Eyeliner
Personal computers
Ready-made pie crust
Retinol creams
Reusable microfiber cloths
Salad spinners
Self-cleaning ovens
Sewing patterns
Slow cookers
Spray-on sunblock
Stain-remover pens
Superstores
Whitening toothpaste
Toaster ovens
Waterproof mascara
Velcro

What's your favorite?
Cooking shears is one of my newest finds. Wow!

Sidling

Max is so smart.
Max is so cute.
Max has learned a smart and cute
new trick.
He angles behind the table...









he sidles up to the chair and eases
himself...












down.













Just the right seat height for him
to sit...












and have a snack - in peace!
Claire and Brody are still napping.

Fingerpaint and Cheerios

Max is eating while Claire and Brody
are fingerpainting - he doesn't seem
to mind a bit.











In fact, he thinks it quite humorous.













Brody is just getting started on blue paint
for his snowman. By the time he is
finished, the entire snowman is BLUE.











Claire starts out very delicately. I wonder
if crazy, wild fingerpainting comes with
experience and maturity.











This is serious art!













Blue seems to be the theme of Brody's
day.

Papa and the Boys

Papa plays with the boys while Claire takes a long nap at the farm.


Papa feeds the boys their snack (mini banana muffins). Isn't it so cute
the way Brody delicately bites into his muffin? Papa begs a kiss from
Max in exchange for feeding him his muffin. Isn't it so cute the way
Max sidles up to the chair at the table and sits down? He does that
all the time!

Auntie Heather and Claire

Heather found a new "project" for
Claire (Claire LOVES projects) -
a paint-with-water book.











Then she talked Auntie Heather into
reading one of her favorites.












Auntie Heather looks intrigued
by the story.












What will happen next?













More painting...

Always Smiling

Had fun dressing Claire up in a skirt and
new tights with crazy slippers and a
grown up hairdo.
















She was willing to pose today.


















This is so much fun, right?


















Here's a side view of my hairdo.

















Always pals, always smiling...
today we are both wearing
Puma outfits. (Josh and
Bethanie LOVE Puma)

The Big B

Papa is learning all about Brody's new
Christmas tractor.












Brody explains to Papa how the
noise parts work.












Brody had the Zoo's turtle all to
himself.












I'm digging this turtle, man!













Omi and Brody checking out the
penguins - they loved playing
with us!

Claire's First Coffee Swirl

Claire helped Omi make Christmas Coffee
Swirl for the first time this year. She is
rolling...











...she is dipping into flour to keep it from
getting too sticky...












...she is patting and kneading...













...after her nap, the rising and baking was
done, here she is putting on frosting on her
tiny little personal swirl...











...and a little more frosting (what an
excellent technique)...












...one of the most important processes
is applying the SPRINKLES (and
licking fingers a little bit)...





















...let's just have a little taste...
























...ooo, that was pretty tasty, better
have another little bite...












...it was a pretty SMALL swirl!
Thanks for the help, honey!