Christmas Recap

As the kids get older, we've been starting a few traditions, such as going to the Festival of Trees, looking at Christmas lights around the area, and frosting sugar cookies on Christmas Eve.  We've done gingerbread houses a few times, but no one likes to eat the finished product and I have a hard time throwing away all that sugar.  So we (meaning I) have decided that frosting and decorating sugar cookies is a great alternative.  And this year, I spread out the "joy" by making the cookies on the 23rd and frosting them on Christmas Eve.  I can't handle too much "fun" in one day.  The girls did a great job frosting the cookies - much better than last year.  I think we're onto something.

The "decorating" part though, well, that could use a bit more practice.  I think we actually ran out of sprinkles before we were done decorating because they used so many.

After a Christmas Eve program (a few scriptures and Christmas hymns to go with) and setting out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer, the girls were nestled all snug in their beds.  Knowing how curious the girls are with the decorations/ornaments, we chose not to put out Christmas presents until Christmas Eve.  We'd already wrapped everything, so it was just a matter of bringing them out of hiding and putting on the final touches.  This is Ken's "hurry and take the picture, I'm trying to get this done so I can go to bed" face ;)

This is Sharon's "I'm trying to look cute by the tree when all I want to do is go to bed" face.

Amelia woke up at 6:30a and was ready to get started, but since Sophia wasn't awake yet, I let her open her stocking from Santa while we waited.  And then Ken suggested we have breakfast while we waited for Sophia to wake up.  And when Sophia woke up while we were eating, we all managed to finish our Christmas waffle breakfast BEFORE we opened presents.  I kind of like that tradition - not sure if the girls will let us keep that one though.

The "party" started soon after with Amelia discovering her new scooter, which led to Sophia finding her new scooter . . . and the "race" was on.

Here is Sophia trying out her new yo-yo from Santa.  Thank goodness Santa found a yo-yo that "always comes back".  And thank goodness no one has been hurt by a flying yo-yo yet. 

 Grandpa Ray sent art kits to both girls.  Here's Sophia displaying her first watercolor.

Grandma Diane sent a card making kit for Amelia and she quickly got to work making a card . . . for herself.  Because when she makes a card, it turns out so cute, she wants to keep it.

Everyone got things that made them happy and I was happy to be with my family.  We also had fun Skyping with my Dad and brother in UT.  And we ended the day with another one of our traditions, watching "The Nativity" on Christmas, to remind us once again, why it is we're celebrating the day.  We hope you all had a Merry Christmas . . . and to all, a good night.

The Santa Saga & Other Tidbits

Amelia has kind of a love/hate relationship with Santa.  This picture was taken when she was 9-months old - not screaming, but not really loving being with Santa.  And I'm okay with that - Santa's a great guy and everything, but he's definitely not the reason we celebrate Christmas.

Last Saturday we went as a family to the Christmas Forest, an event sponsored by Providence.  It's a bunch of fabulously decorated Christmas trees, Santa, and crafts for the kids.  Amelia loves the crafts and some of the trees, but she did NOT want to sit on Santa's lap.  Sophia, on the other hand, went right up to Santa, sat on his lap, and told him she wanted a yo-yo for Christmas.  She looked so cute - and would you believe we forgot our camera?  Not to be forgotten, however, Amelia told Daddy what she wanted (a toy car) and made Daddy tell Santa. 

That night we went to our ward's Christmas party.  Santa was there again and neither girl wanted to sit on his lap.  Sophia seemed to be like "I already told Santa what I wanted; I don't need to tell him again".  And Amelia just wanted nothing to do with him.

Last night was Ken's work's Christmas party.  Ken and the 2 Jim's played music, there was plenty of good food . . .

and then Santa showed up.  Surprisingly, Amelia was one of the first in line.

This Santa wasn't listening to what the kids wanted for Christmas, instead he just handed them an unwrapped toy.  Amelia got a cute little monkey (ironically, a monkey identical to the one she got for a brief ER visit about 2+ years ago).  Amelia was devastated and cried and cried.  Santa didn't bring her the car she wanted.

It took Sophia a while before she wanted to go visit Santa.  I don't think she would have gone at all, but then she realized he was giving out gifts, and didn't want to be left out.  So here she is sitting with Santa . . . 

 Then Amelia and Daddy showed up for a picture.  But Amelia was still mad at Santa and didn't want to sit on his lap, so she "hid" in the back with Daddy.

And here are the girls at home, wound up with party energy and frosting from their cupcakes, being silly and showing off their gifts from Santa.

 

And in other semi-related news:  I was successful in my attempts to make snow globes with the girls this month.  Now what to do with the 8 oz. (minus 1/8 tsp) of glycerin I have left?

Happy Thanksgiving

I wanted the girls to focus on thankfulness for the month of November, so I made a "Thankful Tree" and every day we've been adding leaves with things that we're thankful for.  Sometimes we're thankful for silly things like "purple monkeys" or "funny clowns" or "hula dancers", but I've been impressed with all the things that the girls have thought of.  Some of my favorites are "making words", "leaf storms", "rainbows", and "plants and grass".  I'm also very thankful for family, friends, Jesus Christ, and all that we have - a warm home, food to eat, and healthy bodies.  We truly are thankful for so many things and feel blessed that we have all we need.

One day I thought it would be fun to make turkeys.  I don't think they've ever seen real turkeys, so they weren't sure what we were making.  The girls kept calling them chickens.  And that night at dinner, they seemed very surprised to find out that we were going to eat turkey for Thanksgiving dinner in a few days.

Misc Ramblings

• Last night our ward had a Talent Show.  The girls have been so excited about being in the talent show.  Ken and I were worried that they'd get scared at the last minute and wouldn't want to participate so we kept it simple, but they surprised both of us and danced and participated in our skit just like true daughters of a thespian ;)
• I think Amelia has inherited some of my Dad's "engineering" genes.  She is always trying to make something with whatever is on hand.  The other day Amelia wanted to make a leotard for Sophia so that she'd have one to play in.  Amelia undid the serged edges on 3 scarves, then came and asked me for a needle so that she could sew the scarves together with the "yarn" she had just pulled off the edges of the scarves.  I was way impressed, and sorry that I couldn't actually make a leotard out of scarves - maybe I should have put on my "engineer" hat . . . or at least used some duct tape.
• One of Ken's bosses from AZ turned 50 and invited us to her Pajama & Whipped Cream Birthday Party.  Instead of attending the party in AZ, we had our own pajamas and whipped cream event.  Amelia loved it . . . Sophia thought we were too silly. 

• So a few weeks ago, I made this amazing caramel for dipping apples in.  It is delicious!  I halved the recipe and it still made a ton.  And who wants to eat that many apples, right?  But I discovered that if kept in the fridge, it is the perfect consistency to scoop out a chunk and eat like a piece of caramel candy.  Perfect for a little "I need a piece of sugar right now before I throw a fit too" moment.

Happy Halloween

I'm not a huge Halloween fan.  I've actually disliked it for quite a few years.  But I must admit that in the last few years, I've been warming up to the holiday.  I've always liked picking out and carving pumpkins . . . and it appears that my daughters like that too.  I was surprised that both girls "dug in" so enthusiastically.  Maybe it was because I gave them free reign to be dirty?

Neither girl would look up at me while they were digging out the "guts".  They were "too busy" to smile ;)

Apparently Daddy wasn't too busy to look up and smile for Amelia.  (And on a side note, I wish Sophia would keep her clothes on.)

2 of the 3 finished pumpkins.  We didn't get a picture of Ken's pumpkin with a light in it, but you can see his in the next picture.  

Choosing (and making) costumes is definitely the most stressful part of Halloween for me.  I stress about it for months.  I was thankful when the girls chose something easy (and both chose the same thing).  The costumes turned out like I had planned and the girls seemed to be happy with them, so that's a plus, right?

I went as the "Master Gardener".  I had a sign - so people wouldn't wonder why I was wandering around in gardening gloves - but hadn't put it on yet in this picture.  Me and my "can't hold still" blue flower - love her to pieces.

We went to our ward's Trunk or Treat as normal, then decided to come home and trick or treat a few houses in our cul-de-sac (the first time we've gone door-to-door).  Amelia loved that idea and wanted to keep going.  But then she complained that her trick-or-treat basket was too heavy . . . definitely time to go in. Amelia and Sophia's favorite treat?  A Pez dispenser they got from our neighbor.  They were fascinated by how it worked.  They haven't tried the candy yet, but I'm thinking the actual dispenser will be more of a hit than the actual candy ;)

Happy Birthday Sophia!

Our little girl is growing up.  "I'm a big girl now" she says.  And big she is getting.  She grew 2 1/2" in 6 months.  No wonder she's been complaining about achy knees - she's growing fast.  It was easy to plan a celebration for Sophia - all she wanted was purple balloons, party hats, and pink cupcakes - made by her and Daddy.  I spare no expense, as you can see by the $.88 cake mix, ha-ha.  3-yr olds aren't picky - at least not when it comes to cupcakes.

Daddy made the cupcakes, or rather, supervised the girls making the cupcakes, as you can see in the video, while I wrapped the presents.  A win-win for everyone.

I frosted and the girls sprinkled . . . and Amelia wondered why she couldn't have candles in her cupcake too ;)

We did a small party for Sophia with 2 of her friends.  Planning a party is easy for 3-yr olds.  Put a bunch of balloons into a big open room and let the kids go crazy with them.  That lasted about 30 minutes . . . and one of the girls told me it was the "best party ever" - wahoo!  And all I did was blow up a few dozen balloons.  Of course, we fed them too - that was only slightly chaotic . . . only one little ghost got a "black eye".

We colored and played and ate cupcakes.  And poor little Sophia couldn't get the candles on her cupcake to blow out . . . but Daddy stepped in and saved the day.

Amelia and Sophia are best friends . . . and best enemies.  They play together so well . . . and they're getting really good at fighting too.  Sophia doesn't let Amelia push her around - she just pushes right back.  She's definitely got a temper, but she's also so loving.  Sophia gives the best hugs and loves to cuddle.

We loved having Grandpa Ernie come up for the party too - friends, balloons, Grandpa, pink cupcakes, and presents - a practically perfect party.  When I asked Sophia if she had fun, she said "yes, but I am so tired".  And that my friends, is another sign of success - wear them out then put them to bed ;)

Happy Birthday to my "sweet pea".  

Nothing Better Than Homemade

I have had this recipe for homemade peppermint patties (recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe) on my "must try list" for almost a year now, and finally got around to making them today.

Mine didn't turn out nearly as pretty, but oh my, the flavor is amazing!  And WAY better than store-bought peppermint patties.  With dark chocolate on the outside . . . with no wheat, or oats, or peanuts inside . . . a totally no-guilt pleasure (BTW - eating sugar does NOT make me feel guilty). 

And the best part, the girls think the mint is "too spicy" and they're not really Ken's favorite treat, so it looks like the majority are all mine, mine, mine :)

And I think I'm going to be needing the entire bag of treats to handle my nearly 3-yr old, who has abruptly transitioned into the "Terrible Threes".  Today, Sophia got mad at me because I had to change her diaper.  So, in retaliation, she took all the clothes out of her dresser and threw them on the floor.  A few hours later, this was repeated after another needed diaper change: clothes all over the floor again, but this time, I found her naked, buried under the covers in her bed, sound asleep.

I may have to make a batch of these mints every few weeks to keep me smiling ;)

Family Outing

Ken had Monday off, so we spent the afternoon at Schilter's Farm playing around and picking out pumpkins - and enjoying the non-rainy day.  Amelia loved anything related to the hay - parked hay wagon, hay maze, hay jump, hay wagon ride.  I was trying hard not to sneeze ;)

The girls also loved the animals.  Sophia loved the small ponies and Amelia thought it was pretty cool to be able to hold a baby kitten.  My favorite was definitely the baby kittens . . . too bad they don't always stay that cute and small.

Sophia and I were a bit fearful of the roosters walking around the farm.  I kept my distance and my eyes on them.  But here's Sophia looking tough while driving a tractor.

Amelia's favorite part of the farm was a big fast slide they had - it was so fast I couldn't get a picture of her on it.  But here's one of her near where we picked our pumpkins. 

A fun family day followed by whining and an early bedtime.  So, all in all, a successful day!

One Liners

• Don't ya hate it when you're really looking forward to what you're fixing for dinner and then none of it turns out?
• There is nothing better than a homemade roll (or any other homemade bread product) . . . even if I am allergic to it.
• I started listening to Christmas music this week - it is never too early.
• It is the middle of October and our tomatoes are finally ripening faster than 1 every few weeks.
• Have you ever spent more time making room in the dishwasher for just one more dish, and realize you could have just washed it by hand in less time?
• We went to Tolmie State Park after General Conference to enjoy a beautiful Fall day.
  
  
  
  
• Looking at my Facebook feed with Amelia next to me is like playing the game of 20 questions.  I'm not sure why I do that to myself.
• I was reminded this week why it is important to practice the piano every day, and am grateful that the Primary program is still a few weeks away.
• I really dislike sweeping after every meal and snack.  Just sayin'
• We are approaching the 1-yr anniversary of my mom's death; somehow it seems a lot longer than 1 year.

Ballet and Other Interesting (or not) Tidbits

• I've been taking the girls to story time at the library as part of my at-home pre-schooling.  Amelia claims not to like it and doesn't want to go back, but she always participates when she's there . . . which is more than she's ever done in the past.  I'm hoping to compromise with her to go every other week.
• Last year, I knew for months what the girls were going to be for Halloween.  This year, I've been stressing for months because I had no idea what they wanted to be.  So I started asking them, and when their answers were consistent, I went with it . . . and then told them it was too late to change their minds ;)  So in the last few weeks, I've been working on Halloween costumes, which included dying shirts to match pants and tutus I bought.  Unfortunately, the dye did not turn out at all like I hoped.  My only consolation is that the girls don't seem to mind . . . and they'll be wearing the costumes at dusk/nighttime, so hopefully no one else will notice. 
• Amelia's 2nd ballet class started today - and she was so excited.  Afterwards she told me she already knew everything and wondered if her teacher knew anything else to teach her ;)  I love that she's all lined up, in position . . .

And I love that there is a little boy in her class.  Good for his parents!

• Sophia loves to dance as much as Amelia and has shown interest in taking a ballet class.  So we bought her a leotard, skirt and ballet shoes and told her she could take a dance class in the Fall.  But then when we went to register her for a class, we found out she wasn't old enough - by 4 weeks - so we couldn't do it.  Sophia took the news okay, but still talks about taking a dance class.  Today when Amelia's ballet class started, we found out we could get Sophia in a class anyway, but then Sophia told us she didn't want to go.  But she looks like she wants to go, right?

• General Conference is this weekend - and I am loving it.  Here are the girls waiting for it to start before they headed to the ballet class.  Last Gen. Conf. I was over-prepared for activities for the girls to do while watching conference.  This time, I pulled out all the stuff from last time, but added to it a buffet of snack foods.  That was a bigger hit than the activities - letting them graze for 2 hours at a time - and when they were eating, they weren't talking - so I think it was a win/win.  And even better, they were eating healthy snacks!

Leavenworth - Take 2

The first time I went to Leavenworth was a little over 9 years ago - on our honeymoon - and that was all a bit of a blur, due to my "3 days . . . 3 Emergency Rooms" experience.  So I was really looking forward to going back to Leavenworth - even if we were bringing the kids with us.

Just before we got to Leavenworth, we stopped at a fruit stand called Smallwood's Harvest.  It had a bunch of really fun things for the kids to do - all FREE - swings, pedal cars, etc.  And the kids were having a great time.  They also had a hen house . . . so I took Sophia down to look at all the pretty hens.  Out in front of the hen house, was a rooster - not penned in, so I gave it some space . . . I've heard roosters can be a bit mean.  Sophia and I were about 20-30 feet away from the rooster, looking at all the pretty hens, when suddenly I felt something hit my ankle.  And there was this mean, albeit pretty rooster, attacking me.

I immediately picked up Sophia, started screaming at the rooster and took off running.  Then I realized it was chasing me . . . . so I stop running and start kicking it, all while still screaming at it . . . but it just keeps attacking me . . . so I start running again . . . and finally make it back to Ken.  "Did you see the hens?", he asks.  Oh yeah, I saw them!  I've got blood pouring out of my right ankle and scratch marks all over my left leg.  Thank goodness Sophia didn't get hurt . . . just scared . . . and rightly so.  I couldn't believe that had just happened.  So I go to the fruit stand to ask them if I can have some bandaids because "their rooster just attacked me", and one of their employees/owners tells me it isn't even their rooster. Apparently somebody just dropped it off there the day before.  Great!  Attacked by a random rooster from who knows where.  By this time the bleeding was under control but my ankle was starting to swell.  I spent most of the evening with an ice pack on it . . . it's a good thing we hadn't planned any hiking or extensive walking while we were in Leavenworth.  I joked about going to the Emergency Room in Leavenworth, but frankly, I couldn't get myself to do it.  It just seemed like an experience I didn't want to do twice.

But enough about me, how about some fun, cute happenings?  On our walk into town the next morning, we discovered goats along the sidewalk (safely penned in), so we stopped for a photo op.  Sophia did not want to get close to the "wildlife", and I don't blame her ;)

The flowers around town were beautiful.  This was a great time of year to go - the flowers were still gorgeous, the crowds were minimal, and the leaves on the surrounding mountains were just starting to turn colors.

Here's Amelia's picture of Ken and the flowers. 

Apparently we're not so good at getting our picture taken when there are 3 girls involved who all like to talk or can't seem to smile at the same time.  Amelia has been asking for a "rainbow swirl" sucker for months now.  I usually find some good excuse not to get her one, but I figured our vacation was a perfect reason to get one.  I think the idea of the sucker was better than the sucker itself for Amelia - it took her 3 days of eating it and she's still not done.  Sophia and I, on the other hand, got something on the softer side - salt water taffy - yummy!  

Right in the center of town is a gazebo with Bavarian music piped in.  Sophia immediately started dancing . . . and kept wanting to go back that way so that she could dance more.  Wouldn't she look cute wearing some lederhosen?

We enjoyed walking around the town - checking out shops, stopping for treats, and getting drinks from doggie water fountains ;)

We played a little mini-golf . . . it was perfect weather - sunny, but not too hot.  Amelia loved the mini-golf . . . when she wasn't exploring the golf course . . . and wants to go back.  She finally started to get the hang of it around the 12th hole and seemed to enjoy the last 6 holes the best.

This was Sophia's first time.  She was excited about the first 2 holes, then threw down her club and spent the rest of the time exploring the golf course.  She did come back to finish the last 2 holes, but 18 holes was WAY too many for her.

We also went to a Salmon Festival at the Leavenworth Fish Hatchery.  It was a perfect family friendly event - lots of crafts to do, fun fish games to play, and not too big.   All in all, we had a great time in Leavenworth and we'd love to go back . . . but I'll be skipping that fruit stand.  When I asked Amelia what her favorite part of the vacation was, she told me it was playing on the playgrounds.  Oh yeah, we did that too - every time we came upon one.

And as of today, my ankle is still swollen (although now only the size of a walnut, rather than a softball) and I went into the ER in Olympia to get a tetanus shot after we got home.  Stupid rooster!

Dragon Dance

Today during Quiet Time, the girls chose an "Angelina Ballerina" video we had borrowed from the library.  The last episode was of Angelina learning about the Chinese dragon dance.  As soon as the show was over, Amelia asked if we could make our own dragon to have our own dragon dance.  Not to dampen their enthusiasm, I quickly said yes, and we got right to work.  Amelia drew the head, Sophia drew a body piece, and I drew a few extra pieces.  Here they are displaying their creations. 

And thanks to Youtube, I found perfect Chinese dragon music to go with their creation.

The "complete" dragon

I'm not sure where they get it from, but I'm grateful for creative children . . . and try hard not to dampen their enthusiasm.