The Clan McKinnon

Present time! John was a very good helper. Putting Sweetie Pie to sleep in my new doll bed! A cool new sled - now just need some snow to try it out! After my usual birthday dinner at Knight's, it was time for cake! No help needed to blow out my 5 candles!  Big piece of chocolate cake just for me! We finished the night but stopping to take a picture in front of Daddy's hotel - with purple turret lights! Daddy changed them from Christmas colors to purple just for me!

My first birthday activity was going ice skating! Being that I'm 5 now, I was all ready to go by myself with the trainer! John went once around the rink with Mommy.  And once around the rink with Daddy! I kept going round and round by myself.  Me in action! After two times around with help (and watching me), John was all set to go by himself too!  Early skaters duo!

Good thing Eve was invited to August's birthday party - otherwise we wouldn't have been able to climb up the ladder house by ourselves! I was super fast on the slides! Thomas (going backwards) and I racing down! Eve and the birthday boy August! Thomas and I took a momentary break for a quick picture. Eve had fun swinging all by herself on the rings. After all that running around, we focused on our cake and ice cream!

Just because it was a green Christmas doesn't mean we can't go outside and have fun! Teeter tottering with Grandma is lots of fun even bundled up! John and Daddy enjoyed it! We found a really big gingerbread house at the restaurant we went to! I think it must have taken them longer to make this one that than the few hours it took us to make our little tabletop one! And we discovered a sleigh filled with presents and I pretended to bring presents to people!

We did not awake to fresh snow but we did awake to find that Santa had brought us presents! I was excited for the present Eve gave me - a mini delicate cup just like hers! Eve was most excited for the one thing she kept asking Santa for - a watch (with numbers)! Excited for new legos! And me - Santa brought me the spiderman that I asked for! Eve also got a crown that she sometimes asked for  - along with a cape and magic wand to go with it! Playing with my new train accessories! After such an exciting morning, we both passed out on the drive over to Grandma and Papa Joe's!

December 24 - Walking downtown to meet Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Sarah for Christmas Eve brunch. Dressed for winter on the top half - and for summer on the bottom half with my pants rolled up. It was sunny out! Cousins! Grandparents and grandkids! Present time! Aunt Sarah gave me my own pair of onion goggles - pink! - so I'm better suited to help out in the kitchen! Nathan read us stories after dinner. Pajama time before heading home - with decorative animal masks!

Helping out in the kitchen once again. This time putting the white chocolate topping on the coconut snowball cookies! Yum!

Here are the photos the professional photographer snapped when we visited Santa. She managed to get one with John actually touching Santa and not crying!

We went to visit Santa at Kerrytown again this year. Eve was very excited to actually sit with Santa and tell him that she wanted a watch. Me? I was not very interested to get to close to him - I was excited to watch him from afar. Next up - time to help play the bells! Once again, Eve was all ready to participate and played Frosty the Snowman for all the market goers to hear! Me? I thought I could help a little too!

Tigers aren't your normal kitchen helper but this morning, we were a great help making chocolate kiss cookies (finished product in the background)! In afternoon, I became Mommy's shopping helper picking out a present for Daddy and running into the big man himself! Finally, at night, both John and I helped build our gingerbread house! Putting the finishing touches on a big day of helping!