Locks of Love

So about 6 months ago I had this talk with Charlie about taking care of her hair. She wasn't really excited about washing it or brushing it more than once a week or so. So I gave her and ultimatum. I told her that she would have to start taking care of it or get a "boy" haircut. Well you guessed it, she did her part for about a week and then went back to once a week washings. I really hate it when you make deals with your kids and then you hate the outcome more than they do. I really didn't want to cut her hair because of all the time we put into growing it and how beautiful it looked. So I put it off for a few days and then a few weeks and then a couple of months. But it was always in the back of my mind. Then I talk to my sister Katie and she tells me that my niece had just donated her hair to Locks of Love. It was brilliant and the answer to my wavering. So I convinced Charlie that wanted to do the same. I let her wait until after the new year. This is her getting ready to get it cut.

This is Bliss. She is doing the deed. Charlie was really brave.Here she posses with her donation. She really looks great with shorter hair. And she got to do something great for someone else. I'm very proud of her.

Taking Buba to Venice

We took Buba to Venice yesterday. We had a great day. We saw the end of a glass blowing demonstration and then walked around Mirano and saw some amazing glass sculptures. Then wandered around Venice for a while. Some of us took a gondola ride to save Buba's legs a little. Then ended the day by taking the Vaperetto (aka water bus) back to the car. By the time that we got home we were to tired to stay up to greet the new year. So we just had a really great breakfast thanks to Sean.

Making Cookies and Caroling

We have a tradition that we make cookies and other treats for our friends and neighbors at Christmas time. I think that I made about a million cookies this year. Then we like to deliver them and sing a little Christmas carol. Now when I say "little" I mean little. We are what you would call a one hit wonder. We only sing We Wish You a Merry Christmas. But we love that we can do this for those close to us.

This is some of our Italian friends, Silvia and Naomi. They really liked the singing and later reported loving the fudge.

Buba is visiting us this year for Christmas and the New Year. So we dragged her along with us and our friends the Higbee's. It might look like it's snowing or raining but it was so foggy that the flash from the camera did this. It just makes me laugh. We had a great time. Can't wait till next year.