Entries from December 2014 ↓

Ezri came out of her room and stared at her full stocking and bounced on her toes. Behind her was the tree with presents, but all her attention was on the change of stocking state, “Look! Look!”

Queen Elsa was the first gift she found because Santa does not wrap. She did a little checklist looking at her and pointing at her features to make sure she was right. “Crown – check, Braid – check, Make-up above her eyes – check, glitter blue dress – check, fancy shoes – check, Yep, she’s Elsa alright.” She left presents for awhile to have breakfast and wait for the gentleman of the house to awaken.

She made a smiley pancake at brunch.

Bacon was a highlight.

The kids love the new magnatiles which have so far been – an ambulance, a palace, a rocketship, a San Fransokyo skyscraper, a cat, a zooble house, and a prison.

Ezri pointing out how Eric’s gift from the kids has ALL the ghostbusters. Eric then tried to explain about the Gozarian and his incarnation as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

There really was not a single gift that didn’t make them smile this year. Hello Kitty Megablocks made her squeal and, oh my, does she want to try kinetic sand.

For Hanukkah the kids tried to recreate a photo of their aunt and dad when they were kids.

Some random words of the Ezri:

Playing with the advent calendar
e: what do you want to do with the body of the dead horse?
i: I want to make a robot out of it.
e: well, that won’t work because it would still be a dead horse.

i: A predator is coming! It’s a bobcat!
e: It’s just Manchi.
i: A predator is coming! It’s a bobcat!
e: It’s just Manchi.
i: A predator is coming! It’s a bobcat!
e: Ivan, it is just Manchi.
They were not playing the same game.

e: Can I practice for Christmas and open a package?
A: We will open our Christmas presents on Christmas.
e: Maybe I can wrap something to practice.
A: You want to wrap something you have and then practice opening it?
e: YEAH YEAH YEAH!
And we had a very fun (if slightly wasteful) wrapping and opening of existing toys around the house.

Lighting the menorah with friends. Eric has had some great help lighting this year.

Brilliant Susan brought a craft to make a marshmallow & candy corn menorah.

What’s the best part of a marshmallow menorah? Eating it.

She danced to Sugar Plum Fairy music. She smiled during her performance and while some beats were missed she knew her steps.

We also saw bobcats, a spotted llama, and some cool chickens.

We made some crafts, listened to stories, and were given cookies.

Photo of breakfast on the day it was “superhero day” at school.

Another collection of Ezri’s words and conversations:

Argument over which imaginary paint to use on the imaginary rocket ship they were building and painting.
e: No, IVAN! It’s rainbow on the outside. Rainbow paint!
i: No, I’m painting red -RED! RED!
e: IVAN, NOOOOOOOO!

“Ivan, tonight for special you can sleep with both Magics.”
Magic is a small plush unicorn from a happy meal and we have two of them and they both belong to Ezri, but she shares the magic.

“Pretend you are a ninja turtle and just relax. Just relax. I am going to put your shell on you.”  Ezri putting an inflatable life vest on Ivan.

“I am really good at math.  I think about it when I’m on the potty.  That’s how I got so good.”  After explaining that Ivan will be half her age when she turns 6.  And how he was half her age when she was 4 and he was 2.  And she was pretty sure that when she turned 8, he would be 4.  We figured out together that, while she would always be older than Ivan, he will not always be half her age.

Eric asked Ezri what she thought they should buy for Amanda for a Christmas present and this is what she said,
“I think we should ask her what she really wants and then get that.” If that wasn’t the plan she thought maybe I’d like wings that fold up small on my back and can be unfurled so I can fly.

This cat meows and purrs. Its name is “Meow Meow” if you ask Ezri. Ivan calls her “Kitty Witty” but Ezri assures me that is just a nickname.

Ezri selected Meow Meow at her school’s annual Toy Swap run by the school’s Earth Club. We traded in some plastic elephants, puzzles, and magnetic travel games. Ivan selected a bat mobile and a cement mixer. Both kids are very pleased with their new toys. It was a great way to trade toys and let the kids “shop” for themselves. Every toy swapped gets you one ticket. Each ticket gets you a new toy. So, there’s no need to understand money or change or to figure what you have enough to buy.

Ezri wanted to make Cranberry bread.  It was not originally on the menu, but Grandma Liz made it happen.  It happened first thing so the kids helped in their pajamas.

Aprons and potatoes for later Thanksgiving cooking