"Dad?"
"yeah, Kenzie?"
"um... why are you a man who's nice?"
That's the kind of week it's been so far. Everything is exciting to the kids, they are very purposefully embracing the Christmas spirit, and they keep things happy and light around here.
We've been enjoying the usual holiday fare, with food, games, and movies being the dominant activities. We've done a couple of outings, and we are enjoying the rare sunny weather, getting the kids out for some much needed exercise on their winter break.
Our house is filled with more cookies than an army of elves could eat. Cookie day was a big hit, with Marsha and Steph baking 6 kinds of cookies, with a total tally in the ballpark of 15 dozen. Magical, zero calorie cookies. A Christmas Miracle!!
Busy bakers!
Kenzie samples a pizzelle, the Best in Show winner this year!
Jackson has been very busy making lists, his newest hobby since he discovered writing
Last Friday, the kids made ginger bread houses with their good friends Abby and Elliott McNear, an annual tradition. They have been eating away at them ever since... one piece after dinner each night!
Checking the consistency of the icing...
Kenzie, all focus and concentration
Ready for consumption!
Monday night we ventured out to the Bellevue Botanical Gardens to check out the lights display. They have done a masterful job of bringing the gardens to life with very creative lighting displays. The kids had fun spotting all of the animals and flowers made out of lights. The adults had fun dressing them in their animal snow hats from Grandma Amy and animal scarves from Grandma Marsha.
Checking out a cool parrot
The kids have been endlessly asking us if it's going to snow. Whenever I tell them I don't think so, I get something in response like "yes it might!", or "you don't know that, the weatherman might be wrong!" So we figured we should take them up to the mountains for some snow fun.
The day started ominously, as the tubing park at Snoqualmie was sold out. I didn't know that mountains sold out! Well, fortunately, I thought ahead and packed the sleds "just in case", because things just go wrong sometimes, and trekking a 3yr old and 5yr old an hour into the mountains and finding out they are closed is major disaster / state of emergency stuff.
We were able to find a good sledding area nearby, and the kids never knew the difference. We had a great time, with the bonus of a nice workout towing the kids up the hill over and over, which will serves us well as we continue to eat the cookie mountain.
The sledding itself was ideal, and both kids loved the rush of bouncing and slipping their way down the hill. Jackson surprisingly did not express any safety concerns.
Steph and Kenzie, slip slidin' away
Winter bliss!
Just me and my Kenzo, rollin' on our sled-o!
Star sledders!
Finally, here's some footage of the kids doing a run together... check back tomorrow for a very special Christmas video from the kids!
