Merry times

"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!

Week of Play

We are officially into the long anticipated holiday family week of play. We have been faithfully working to get everything done in advance, and I am happy to say that all the shopping is done, the cards are in the mail, the house is clean, the presents are wrapped, and we have no responsibilities other than fun for the next 7 days.

As I type, the kids are watching The Care Bears Nutcracker in the family room, and Steph is hosting the annual KD Christmas brunch in our living room. I am drinking the leftover champagne from their mimosas. All is good.

On the docket for the week: Steph/Marsha Christmas cookie bake-off; kiddie train and one horse open sleigh ride at Redmond Town Center; Bellevue Botanical Gardens (weather pending); sledding at Snoqualmie; UW Huskies vs Texas A&M basketball game; lots of walks with Smokey; Christmas Eve church and driving around looking at lights; and of course, loads of Christmas movies, books, games and treats.

With that, I'll let the anticipation marinate with a look back at Werners' Christmases past:

2003 (Steph, Smokey, and bun in the oven!)

2004 - Little buddy's first Christmas

2005 -

First Christmas in our new home in Sammamish

2006 - First Christmas as a family of 4

2007 - 2 walkers walking!

2008 - Snowiest Christmas ever!!!

Holiday Fun

The Werners have been keeping busy the past couple of weeks ushering in some serious holiday spirit. All fueled up from our recent Starbucks binge, Steph and I have vowed to get everything done early this year, with the end goal of having Christmas week be 7 days of play, with no shopping, wrapping, or work to be done!

We kicked off Yulefest 2009 by hosting our annual Psi U Christmas get together. It was great getting together again with all of our friends, and pretty amazing to see the velocity of population growth within our little demographic. Just a few years back, we and the Jasons were the lone sets of parents, changing diapers while the rest of the group was sipping eggnog. Now the kids are just multiplying like crazy.

6 short years ago there were none, now there are many! Not pictured, Sam Forell, dozing away upstairs in the pack 'n play

We did the usual ornament exchange and kids gift exchange, and per the normal tradition, Keith stole the show with his unique offerings.

Kenzie borrows Jackson's candy "grill" that he got from Keith and Peyton

Craig proudly displays Keith's modest Christmas ornament contribution

Kenzie, pleased with her new Snow White puzzle

The following day, we got our tree, and the kids were their usual big help decorating. I love a Christmas tree decorated by little kids, with all of its little imperfections... such as 5 ornaments all on the same twig. We have a beautiful tree!

Smokey just loves decorating night, when he gets to wear a collar of jingle bells that rings in his ears every time he moves.

And finally, last Thursday was a big day for the whole family. I took the day off, and both sets of grandparents joined us to watch both kids' Christmas programs at their school. Jackson was perfect as a cow in his program. And he was very proud of how clearly and audibly he spoke his line into the microphone: "Who is coming to our house?"

We were also lucky that his class was short an actress, and enlisted Mackenzie to play the role of Mary. She very dutifully watched baby Jesus.

All smiles after their stellar performance!

After retiring to her trailer and being attended to by her entourage, Mackenzie returned for an encore performance as an angel in the 3 year olds' christmas program. Her versatility and professionalism really shone through!

In celebration of all their hard work and success in their Christmas programs, we took the kids straight to Bellevue Square, where Santa was scheduled to arrive and take in wish lists from good little boys and girls.

Celebrating a successful morning, and ready to go see the man!

Looking out on snowflake lane at lunch

Checking out Rudolph and the rest of the team.

the anticipation builds as the kids enter Santa's workshop.

Mission accomplished!!!

For the record, Jackson asked Santa for a slinky, a puzzle, and a new squirt gun. Mackenzie asked for a "tiny pink baby doll house with a green roof that looks just like my real baby doll house, only tiny", a pink squirt gun, and a pink leapster.