day 364/365 New Year's Eve!

day 364, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

Happy New Year. These were taken just before the clock struck 12!

day 363/365 smart

day 363, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

This TV really IS a smart TV!!!! New Christmas present was delivered today!  (Sorry for the glare!)

day 362/365 kisses

day 362, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

It's almost the end of the year!!!

day 361/365 buddies

day 361, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

Today was Yuki's birthday (the white one). She turned 8!!

day 360/365 skating tricks

day 360, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

She keeps trying. She keeps practicing. One day it will all pay off. Tonight was ice skating with her cousins!!!! So much fun.

day 359/365 hooray

day 359, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

day 358/365 thank you, santa

day 358, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

for my barbie townhouse with a "ricuzzi" on top!

day 357/365 the stockings are hung

day 357, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

Only...not by our chimney. I had them hung on our fireplace mantle with those heavy stocking hangers, but Cassidy pulled one of them down and nearly knocked herself out cold! So our stockings are hung on the staircase with care, with hopes that St. Nick soon will be there!!!

day 356/365 lemons

day 356, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

When life gives you lemons...I made lemon bars!!!

day 355/365 Disney on Ice

day 355, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

Our friends got a suite for Disney on Ice, Toy Story, and invited us for our Christmas present. So much fun! Cassidy loved watching the show and we had the best seats!

day 354/365 annual gift exchange

day 354, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

Look at all the barbies I got from our annual gift exchange with our old neighbors. Even though we moved, it's nice to carry on the traditions!

day 353/365 vampire

day 353, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

I went to Pick up Sticks today with my little vampire!

day 352/365 my present

day 352, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

Cassidy made me a "flamingo" ornament out of pipe cleaners.

day 351/365 piano recital

day 351, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

Cassidy had her first piano recital today! She did a great job -- played See You Tomorrow and sang Whales Sneezing! Great job!

day 350/365 cassidy & michelle

day 350, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

Tonight was Cassidy's figure skating show!! And guess who she met and took a picture with???? Only the best figure skater in the world!!!! When I told Cassidy that Michelle Kwan was the best skater in the world at one time, Cassidy's comment was, "am I number 2?" You have to love her confidence!!!! I told her with hard work and practice, she could become number 1 too!

day 349/365 holiday party at school

day 349, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

Enjoying pizza with her friends at the school holiday party!

day 348/365 gingerbread house

day 348, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

Cassidy made a gingerbread house at school today...she ate it when she got home from school.

day 347/365 rudolph

day 347, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

Cassidy came home from school with these antlers on! My own little rudolph!

day 346/365 share basket

day 346, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

Today's was Cassidy's day for the share basket from school. Of course, today was also a day that I was traveling for work and couldn't help her with her share basket. But when I came home, it was done!!! Yeah, daddy! She had to put two things in the share basket -- something that started with "C" and something that started with "V". So, of course, she chose her fake birthday "C"ake (the one from melissa & doug that are triangle pieces velcro'd together) and her purple bear, which is now to be known as the "V"iolet bear! Then she had to write three clues to give her class about her items so they can guess what is in the basket.

day 345/365 my artist

day 345, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

Cassidy drew this picture for me. I love it, especially the easel and cat painter. And she wrote "I luv you" all by herself.

day 344/365 contemplation

day 344, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

If I eat this cupcake, will I get totally sick to my stomach?

day 343/365 christmas tree pose

day 343, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

Come on...look happy that I'm taking your picture...

day 342/365 polymagic

day 342, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

I just found this app for the iPhone called PolyMagic...it's magic! You can put pictures in different frame with differently shaped places to insert the pictures and different backgrounds to choose from. So fun and there are endless possibilities.

day 341/365 ohhhh Christmas tree

day 341, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

day 340/365 santa video

day 340, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

Have you seen the personalized video you can have Santa send? Here's Cassidy watching her video…my husband took the first two pictures because she was sitting on my lap and he doesn't know about back button focus…but I love the excitement and emotion they show -- especially the middle picture with her mouth open, like she's in totally disbelief that Santa is talking to her. She was so nervous that she was going to be on the naughty list! Thank goodness she was on the nice list!

day 339/365 school project

day 339, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

I took pictures today of Cassidy's class for a Christmas project. It was fun to photograph all the kids!

day 338/365 the tree

day 338, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

Cassidy has been spending her every waking moment decorating our Christmas tree. She is putting every single ornament we own on the tree. I hope it doesn't fall over! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

day 337/365 christmas trees!

day 337, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

Do you prefer flocked or not flocked? I like the flocked ones because it reminds me of the snow…but we opted for a green one this year. It was nearly 75 degrees when we went Christmas tree shopping today! Whew! It doesn't feel like December at all!

day 336/365 tradition

day 336, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

Cassidy had to draw a picture of her favorite holiday tradition for a homework assignment. She drew this…I think it's a Christmas tree and our family getting together on Christmas and opening presents…I'm not sure who the kid to the left of the tree is…He doesn't look familiar at all!

day 335/365 sleeping

day 335, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

Tonight, we had my husband's office Christmas party at our house. Toward the end of the party, I couldn't find Cassidy anywhere and I started getting worried. I called her name, and she didn't respond, which is very unlike her. And then, I went into the living room and saw that she had made a fort out of a card table and some pillows…and next to the fort was the ottoman…and Cassidy, sleeping underneath! I don't even know how she squeezed under there! She was out cold! She must have been exhausted!

day 334/365 now you're cooking elf

day 334, a photo by Darolyn Hamada on Flickr.

literally!