Visit from Grandpa Terry

We were very lucky to have a visit from Grandpa Terry to do a little pre-Christmas celebration. Abram and Stella were both very excited to see Grandpa.  They started off with playdough.

Then they moved on to sugar cookies!

Of course we made time for presents :)  

It has been unseasonably warm here - we've only had a dusting of snow but at least one day during his visit it was cold enough to break out winter gear.

You can't have sugar cookies without frosting! The cookie that Abram is decorating is the last one that G-pa Terry, Stella and I cut out the day before. I'm not sure if anyone else gets tired toward the end of baking sugar cookies but you can see we decided to call it quits and make one big final cookie.  Abram didn't seem to mind - that is until he found out I ate the cookie without him one night.

This was taken the morning g-pa had to leave.  We were sad to see him go but hope he can come back soon to see the baby! 

Tonight we went to a holiday party and Josh and I worked together to exploit Abram's vanity to get him to wear this new sweater he got from grandma Linda.  He didn't want to try it on and I told him that I didn't want him to wear it because it might make him more handsome than papa.  I think he had it on within 5 seconds of that comment and was on his way to the mirror in under 10. He told papa not to worry and that they could both be handsome.

Once he saw how snazzy he looked he was all about the picture taking.

We've also decided that Abram can fill the open Secretary of State position.  He is very diplomatic and tries to make everyone feel good.  On the way to the party I asked Abram who is a better driver - mama or papa. Today he had given me several driving tips and I was wondering if he thought papa was any better. Without skipping a beat he said, "Papa tells you where we need to go and you drive him there."  He had moved the conversation forward 1) without telling either one of us we were good drivers 2) pointing out our strengths or at least true statements 3) made us both laugh.  Another good diplomatic technique that he employees is starting out with a request that is way more than he could ever get - "I'll do _____ if I can have a movie, popcorn, a fire in the fireplace, chocolate milk and candy"  We think we've won we suddenly we've agreed to let him watch a cartoon instead of a movie with popcorn and water in order to eat a few bites of PIZZA.  I'm pretty sure he's the only kids in the US that can get his parents to give him things in order to eat pizza.  I am positive there could be peace in the middle east by the New Year if he can just make it through those confirmation hearings without calling anyone a poopy head.