As I looked at these pictures I realized with some amusement how close to each of the kid's personalities their houses turned out. They all tried very hard but each had their own way of doing things. Interestingly enough the boys were at the table far longer then the girls and took much more time to plan. Since I'm the mom and the aunt I'm going to bore you to death with details!My beautiful goddaughter is first. Abby is talkative, bold and fun. She enjoys anything and brings a certain zest along with everything she does and anytime she is around. Just picturing Abby in my head brings a smile to my face - she reminds me SO much of all the best things about my brother when he was a kid. Abby slathered frosting on her roof the second Auntie Ann put it in front of her and just starting plopping candy on her house. She giggled and laughed and kept us all entertained. Abby was carefree and had a blast until each and every candy (close to 300 I bet) were placed on her house. She smiled proudly and then bounced out of her chair 30 minutes ahead of everyone else to go play!I am mesmerized by this sweet baby girl - I can't wait to see her as a teenager!
Peter is always hard to explain to people - he is at times sweet and affectionate, filled with kindness and at other times compulsive, overly organized and stressed out. Peter is the best challenge I face and his house was quite a challenge. He sat for 20 minutes (Abby was almost done already) trying to think of an appropriate pattern for his roof and what colors he wanted to use. He stressed about how many candies to use and if there were enough of the right colors. Once he got started he was worried about running out of frosting, worried about placing candies perfectly and worried about everyone finishing ahead of him. My boy is a ball of nerves, anxious to please and unable at times to relax and enjoy things. But Peter is bright and funny and kind - he helped more then one sibling or cousin with their project and took the time to give Mom and Auntie Ann several kisses and hugs. He said thank you to Auntie Ann many times even though he seemed to not be enjoying himself one bit. This is simply Pete - loving and tough and my absolute joy!
I feel as though Tyler and I have hit a new plane, a new level of understanding and bonding. Tyler is wonderful - he can be quiet but don't underestimate this silly, sweet kid. He blows me away sometimes. He is incredibly deep for a 6 year old and very thoughtful about EVERYthing. Tyler took several minutes to formulate a plan for his house. He perused the supplies, talked to cousins and aunts, asked questions and then dug in and we never heard from him again.....until he dissolved into giggles when his chair made a fart noise. For all who are interested if you want to hear Tyler laugh tickle his underarms and sit back and enjoy the show. Tyler has recently started to come into the kitchen and chat with me when he and Abby are over. He tells me about school, having a sibling and anything else of consequence in his life at the time. I adore this kid, I love the time he wants to spend with me and the little moments when he gives me his sage opinion on something. ( "Auntie Kasey, I think Mommy waited to have a baby until I was old enough to love her more than when I was five. I REALLY love her now that I am older!")
Molly is my dream daughter. She is smart and funny and loving. She accepts the challenges of being in our sometimes crazy family with ease and sensitivity. She is the first to defend her brother and to raise him up when he falters. She loves clothes and accessories and hair things. If you ask her what her favorite thing to do is she will tell you Irish Step Dancing and tea parties with Grammy. When we were making houses Molly found a way to accumulate every pink candy possible and every furry fuzzy animal and plopped them carelessly on her house. She made a small house for the bunnies and made flowers and butterflies out of jellybeans. Molly's only issue with the night is that Annie was at Grammy's house and she really missed her. She needs an Annie fix every few minutes - a kiss, hug, pat on the head or a tap on the bottom. Molly was born to be a big sister and she does it better then any kid I know. She is kind and attentive and the proudest big sister you have ever met. She is an angel and a joy to be with.
Julia is my other beautiful goddaughter. She is quiet and reserved at times but boy when she gets excited her voice raises, her eyes light up and she does things with a gusto. She LOVES being with Molly and follows her around the house doing anything and everything Molly tells her to - you should see the outfits she ends up in at times! Julia is famous for her love of books - sometimes to the exclusion of dealing with her crazy cousins but usually including them in her obsession and somehow making them enjoy it in the process! Julia was not quite interested in making a house. She had trouble with the concept of sticking perfectly good candy onto a house rather then eating it. She snuck more candy than all of the kids put together and kept asking if she could go play. She did end up with a cute little house filled with bunnies and eggs and was very proud of her creation once it was wrapped up and ready to go!
Bob found a way to escape most of the festivities by leaving to go to a movie with Uncle Colin. The kids were VERY excited at the prospect of Uncle Colin coming to visit for a minute before the movie but then he backed out and had Bob meet him at the theater. Tyler was very disappointed since he was the ONLY one who was going to have a godfather come and help with his house!
Auntie Ann is the queen of crafts. She plans them, buys supplies to make them, brings snacks for energy while making them and then helps the kids do them. She is taking a page out of the book of my own childhood by doing these things with my own children. I loved going for a day of crafts and cooking with Auntie Ann when I was young. There were unhealthy snacks, great craft projects and time away from my parents - time I got to spend with my cousins who are now some of my best friends in life. Imagine that! Auntie Ann always throws a bit of religion into the craft projects - most of the Christmas ornaments we made had to do with Jesus and came with a little lesson! This generation is as enamored with Auntie Ann and her "nights of crafts" as we were. She has found a soulmate in Tyler - the craft king! Not only does Auntie Ann do crafts with the kids but on every holiday she gives the kids all crafts to do at home. That is how Bob spends Saturday mornings with the kids when he wants to let me sleep! So the tradition continues and I couldn't be happier. The prospect of my kids knowing and loving Auntie Ann the way I did as a kid and also bonding with their cousins in a way that they will remember into adulthood brings me enormous happiness.
This is all of the kids posing with their houses for me at the end of a long night. I'm pretty sure a few of them were in sugar shock from all of the snacking on candy and Little Debby cakes supplied by Auntie Ann! What a beautiful brood!
