Creating Cookies

I came home from Boston determined to curtail all baking and thus limit my temptations. However, Katie needed cookies for a museum event about the 1964 earthquake and subsequent tidal wave. She had purchased a wave cookie cutter. I happily volunteered to make the needed cookies. Thankfully they all went to the museum so I could stick to my resolution.

The last day we were in Boston I made this gingerbread boy for Rostam. We had been reading the story and I thought it would be a nice surprise for him to have his own very large gingerbread boy. I had to hand cut the cookie as there was no cutter big enough. Rostam carefully fingered the frosting off his hands and feet and I replaced it all when he went to bed. He also nibbled the right foot. You may notice that the raisin buttons are missing. He replaced and ate those several times during breakfast.

Final Days

Our month with the Pierce family is coming to an end and we will hate to leave this happy household. Here are some recent activities. First photo is Rostam modeling new tattoos that the real estate agent sent to him.

This next photo is similar to one Amy posted on her Facebook page under the title "real men wear babies" Bill is an old hand at this by now and today he wore the baby on a walk to the grocery store.

Rostam loves to make up games relating to books we have just read. Here he is on a picnic with me and he has a lego "pickle".

Tiny baby Alden continues to grow and is now noticing his environment.

He is also doing well at holding up his head and so is being given more "tummy time."

Amy is a beautiful and patient and caring mother. But wait...this is not Alden, this is baby Eva who spent a few hours with us. She is only 3 weeks old.

Everyday Activities

Life continues at a blissful pace here in Boston with most of our days spent watching Alden grow bigger and playing wonderful imagination games with Rostam. Today we tried some close-up shots of mom and baby. There were quite a few good ones. Here are just a couple.


I also got some bathtub photos a few days ago, well many many bathtub photos. It is hard to quit shooting when you have a happy wet baby.

Here Rostam is being a pirate and is pouring me a mug full of rum. He also keeps spilling the rum so must constantly swab the deck with his new broom.

This last one is for Auntie Anne because she is so very fond of baby bottoms.

Being Grandparents

Our newest grandson is now 4 weeks old.

Rostam has become quite adept at dismantling and reassembling his biplane with his "electric" tools.

Photos above and below were taken at an antique store in the town of Plymouth. You can imagine the delight of a two-year old when he got to play in the fire engine.

Visiting in Boston

On January 27 we arrived in Boston on the heels of a snowstorm. We are all snuggled cozily into Amelia and Jason's new home and are enjoying 2 year-old Rostam and his new baby brother Alden Edward.

Little Alden arrived three weeks early which is why we missed his birth. Although he was well over 6 pounds he still seemed small and at three weeks we are all still calling him "Tiny Baby", the name he had when Amelia was still carrying him.

He is pretty small especially when compared to the big hands of his grandfather who is holding him.

In addition to learning to share his mother with a new sibling, Rostam is learning how to manipulate the keypad on the computer.

Holiday Activities

Although Amelia and Rostam had to leave before Christmas, we had a good long visit from them with time for lots of fun activities. Here is Rostam with Yasent and Lucas.

Last year Anne won a buche de Noel from Mill Bay Coffee. We shared it for Christmas dinner and I was reminded that I used to make them regularly during the holiday season. But it was so long ago that not one of my children remembered. So I've started the tradition again and here is this year's effort.

For years the grandchildren have made gingerbread houses each Christmas. This year we did a variation and created sleighs complete with reindeer and decorated cookies to fill the sleighs. Doing four of them took about 3 days from beginning dough to the last one being secure enough to move. Here is Lucas with his sleigh. His reindeer were not yet ready when this was taken.

Yasent was very careful and elaborate with his creation.

Enjoying the Grandchildren

It is fall and school has started. Amelia and family came for a brief visit before their big move to Boston. Since they will not be here at Christmas we made a haunted spooky gingerbread house for Rostam.

Rostam was dressed for the holiday as a fuzzy-fronted bat. His cousin Maya opted out of her cheerleader costume for a lovely outfit brought to her from Vietnam by family friends.

Auntie Anne always jumps at the chance to read to her nieces and nephews. Maya is sporting the cheerleader outfit.

Yasent was here on picture-taking day so I was able to photograph him in the new shirt.

Maya's choice for an S item during alphabet week was an obvious one, a large snake made by my niece, Whitney.

Lucas is always making fantastic creatures out of legos.

Maya had a couple of sick days when her mother was out of town. She was a good patient and so sweet with her rosy pink cheeks.