Tree Decorating
Little Liam was so sick tonight as we put up our Christmas decorations. He wanted to be close to us and be a part of the action so badly. Leif made him a bed on the floor and he watched for as long as he could keep his little eyes open. With a 102 fever, it didn't take long - but, we loved having him there!
Kirkland Christmas Tree Lighting!
I remember 2 years ago when I changed Skyler on the ground in the 20 degree weather as Liam sat on his dad's shoulder's yelling "JUST LIGHT THE TREE!" How different it was this year! The kids could have stayed out all night they were so excited!
I had had one of those days where nothing went as planned - I tried to put up the electric gondola for Liam but it turns out you have to wind it every time it gets to the bottom which was too frustrating for the kids. Then I put up the mini tree on our mantel and it turns out that our electric is messed up and I could not plug in the lights! Finally, I tried the electric train set that my mom gave us. We had a great time putting it together but then one of the wires was split open so it did not work either. Then Liam got frustrated because the train kept falling off the tracks and it ended up in a full blown melt down. So...heading down to Kirkland, I was convinced that it was not going to go well.
Thank goodness I was wrong. There were a ton of kids activities, starting with a bouncy house and then a table full of crafts. Then it was pictures with frosty and hot apple cider. We knew better than to stand out in the cold and wait for the tree to be lit, so we went into a mexican restaurant on Lake Street where we could sit in a booth, have a beer, feed the kids, and see the tree when it finally did light up. It was PERFECT. More bouncy house, then pics with Santa and we ended our evening with the kids dancing on the stage just before they broke it down.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving this year turned out to be a combination of work and play. We decided to spend the day at home with no real "plans". Had breakfast with the kids and organized the house. The kids were 100% content just to hang out with mom and dad.
After Skyler woke up from her nap, we headed to Sean and Yuko's for a sushi feed. My aunt Chris was there as well as my cousin Travis and Matiko. The kids were great - ended up spending most of their time in the back room playing with the two big dogs. They were the center of attention of course and Leif and I were very proud of them. They really are becoming so close. Its awesome to watch.
Spooky baby
We were driving home from our friend's house tonight and Liam asked Skyler if she wanted to hear a story. We had been to church this morning so Liam started telling her stories about God. He said "so there was God and he made the trees and he made EVERYTHING and then....the spooky baby came". Leif and I couldn't stop laughing - I guess to a four year old, Jesus might be a little spooky!
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"Deflated"
The neighbor's have a gigantic blow up halloween cat that they inflate every night. It became a routine through October that right before bed, we would drive down the street with the kids in their jambes, and look at the cat. The other night, we were driving up the hill and the neighbor's had not yet inflated the cat (probably because Halloween is over).
Skyler: "Look! The cat's deflated!"
Leif: "Seriously Skyler? I didn't even learn that word till I was in college."
Best Mexico Trip Ever!
Having both the kids potty trained and both safe in the water (with water wings on Skyler) made for an amazing Mexico trip. Grandma, Gruncle and Grauntie all brought the fun and we spent every day playing and relaxing by the pool and catching up on some much needed rest! The kids could not get enough of the water - the only time we left the poolside was for nap time. Both kids would hit the sack for 2+ hours each day and Leif and I would get to read and relax in our 2 bedroom, 1800 sf room, with a jacuzzi on the deck. It was 85 every day. The highlight was swimming with the kids for sure. Even on the days that Leif and I went off on our own, we were in a hurry to get back to play. Who'd have thought!? Grandma took Liam to swim with the dolphins one day and Liam came back glowing with excitement. The pictures tell the story...
Girls day at the mall
Brie, Grandma Stephie and Skyler hit the mall for a day of fun. They shopped, had lunch (with a glass of wine) and even got Skyler her first hair cut! The gals were in heaven.
Bubbles!
Mr bubble man (.com) hosted Liam and Skyler's good buddy Casper's 5th birthday. The kids loved chasing the massive amounts of bubbles.
Back in Chelan
Brie's boss Jennifer generously gave us her lake house for the weekend again. The four of us had a wonderful time watching the classic hydroplane races, playing at the beach parks and sampling the wineries. We even stopped in Leavenworth on the way there (and back) for some October feast fun!
