Entries from December 2017 ↓

Upon learning that it would be right around 4 degrees for our annual trip to the arboretum for their outdoors light show, Eric spent the morning using a pattern from the Internet, scrap fleece, and our serger to craft bella klava style hoods for us to wear. Here is Ezri modeling hers in the warmth of our home.

Ezri testing her outfit’s warmth in our driveway before heading out. She’s brandishing an icicle.

Very few photos were taken outside, thick gloves and cameras don’t play nicely together. But here are the kids hugging the tree that changes lighted colors when you squeeze it. Ivan enjoyed hunting for the “Glowman” a lighted snowman along the path that earned him a glow stick when he told the folks inside where we’d seen it.

Here we are back inside at the visitors’ center. We ate some chocolate and played some Yeti in Spaghetti.

That’s Meghan the friend who accompanied us. I assume you can now pick her out of any line-up.

There’s an elf riding a reindeer.

The Santa breakfast has both pancakes and Santa.

The Ornament Smash – Another tradition is the pointless but satisfying destruction of glass ornaments. You hurl an ornament at the wall to shatter it. If there’s a golden ticket in it you get a prize. If not, they can’t take away the joy of hearing the glass crunch against the wall.

The Brownie troop had a bake and craft sale table. The girls made unicorn ornaments and brought other home made crafts and baked goods to sell. Ezri made magnets to sell. Her magnet craft made around $24 dollars for her troop. The troop will donate most of the profit this year’s sale to a holiday fund for families at the school who could use help and keep a bit in the troop coffers to pay for their activities.

Brownies, their leader, and Santa

This Monday morning Ezri told her little brother that it was Sunday and he would get to play video games.
I did not hear this exchange.
But when we told him it was Monday and he needed to get ready for school and he realized he’d been duped, he broke down sobbing.

Ezri apologized and faced consequences. She really thought it would be a funny joke when Ivan realized the prank.
Ivan was heartbroken. Ezri then cried because she realized she’d done wrong.

I find it super-funny in hindsight considering we all made it to school and work on time.

If someone had told me I’d get to linger in PJ bottoms with my coffee and then had shaken me awake and said, “Ha Ha, really it’s Monday.” Well, I can imagine how Ivan felt.

This year we built our gingerbread houses in December instead of January.
Quite a bit of frosting and candy was eaten, but a lot of it made onto the houses too.