Happy New Year!

 Jim's BFF G-Ball came to town for New Year's weekend.  His name isn't really G-Ball, it's Greg, but we never call him that.  Day one, Jim and he decide to hang out at a coffee shop, but Jim locks his keys in the trunk and they end up at Nye's Polonaisse instead.  Guess all the customers haven't shown up yet.

 When they get back, Greg gets to meet Mia for the first time.  They hit it off right away.  Well, she is pretty fun.

 He found my favorite pastime of mimicking her funny faces.

 He even let her wear his glasses!

 Our new neighborhood has so many perks.  One being that we have a wonderful 16 year old sitter living right across the street.  She and a friend came over tonight so we could go out.  I haven't gone out on New Year's since two years before Owen was born!  Of course it snowed.  It always has to snow.  Why not add weather conditions to an already dangerous night for driving?  Luckily, we had a sober cab.  Gina and Adam joined us and we also met Guerkink's sister and her husband.  It was so. much. fun.  Can you tell we're having fun?

How about now?

Boys in Motion: a playdate long overdue

Being in school really puts a cramp in Owen's playdates.  Fortunately we now live in a neighborhood teeming with kids.  But, we still miss our old friends.  Playdates now must be squeezed into vacations and planned weeks in advance.  With Christmas falling on a weekend this year, the schools didn't have a full 2 weeks off, so we really had to struggle to find a date to just chill out with our friends.

 Playdates have been insane for awhile, but now they also include partial nudity.  Something about our basement, which is not particularly warm I might add, makes boys think they need to remove their shirts.  Like there's a sign at the top of the stairs that says, "Please remove your shirt" instead of shoes. Or more like if you are a boy wearing a shirt in this basement, you may not be cool or able to wrestle to your best abilities or play air guitar.

Whatever the reason, shirts go off and kids are happy.  I mean, I guess it has been an extremely mild winter, but still, most people consider it a time of year to cover up.  I think these guys are just practicing to be adult Minnesotans.  You know, the ones who wear shorts in the spring when it's 50˚ because, hey, it's scorching compared the below temps we had the several months before.  I do believe that we are raising those people.  It sort of baffles me.  I have Raynaud's for crying out loud.  My fingers freeze if I walk into an air conditioned building.  Put your shirt on, you're making me cold!

Here are some more sensible children.  Warmly dressed.  How nice.  They are playing chess.  

This is Dawn's niece.  She is Evan's age and once they found each other, in amongst all the other crazy in the house,  they had a fabulous time together.  Evan taught her to play chess.  They never really played an actual game, although they started to.  Then they got distracted by creating some sort of theatrical storyline with the pieces.

Wyatt was kind enough to sit still and let me practice using my new camera while the big boys whizzed by...

 

for about 1/2 a minute.  Oh well.  Guess I'm going to have to get good at taking photos in motion.

Hidden Lake

 We can't go up north without taking full advantage of the surroundings.  Jim has been wanting to check out Frog Lake.  My folks needed to regroup for their 3rd Christmas and we needed to wear our kids out for the ride home, so off we went in search of a hidden lake.

 It was a pretty cold today.  Most of us got new winter gear from Ya-ya & Bumpa for Christmas, so we were pretty warm, but my feet were freezing despite the toe warmers my dad handed me as we were leaving.

 I was too cold to appreciate the stillness of the cold.  Once we stepped out onto the lake, the woods no longer a shield and the wind began to get the best of me.

 Then we saw these...

 Here's a closer look.  That is one big paw print.  Those are some big claws too.  Yikes.

 But still we traipsed onward.

Jim wanted to get some video of Mia in nature for her video.  He's made a video of each of the kids and mentioned that we have significantly less video of her than we have of the boys at the same age.  In our defense, our digital camera only took 30 second videos without sound when the boys were little.  Now most of our videos are taken with our camera or our phone, both of which do a great job.  So much has changed in the world in just 5 short years , but places like this ... no matter how old or young you are, you can breath the air, watch the birds, listen to the trees, bask in the sun...

 "Mom. It's cold."

"Yeah, I know."

 "Are we done yet?"

"Yeah, we can go."

 

"I'm ready to go."

Goodbye woods.  See you in the spring.

Extending Christmas with Extended Family (a.k.a the post of many tangents)

 The day after Christmas, we cooked and cleaned all day in preparations for Christmas #3 (at least in our case.)  The Lundberg clan joined us for a the first extended family Christmas we've had in a long time.  It was probably me that brought a close to our previous family holiday traditions, since I either have to travel to three locations across two states or host and then still travel to two locations in order to see everyone.  But whatever the reason, it was exciting to have everyone getting together again (and I only had to host once and then travel to one location.)

 One thing I've noticed looking at people's Christmas photos on Facebook or where-have-you, is that there are a lot of photos of people sitting around looking at screens.  I took a lot of "screen" photos myself this year (with my new fancy smancy camera - thanks Mom & Dad.)  I like this photo because everyone is sitting around looking at the same screen and it's engaging.  Jim was showing pictures and videos from the trail camera at The Land (formerly known as The Property.) 

I have been struggling a lot right now with "screen time."  It's hard, in an age where technology is advancing at alarming rates, to know how much access to allow and how to limit or control that access.  I wish there was a rule book or at least a guide book on this issue.  There are so many great learning tools that technology presents, but there is also so much bad junk out there, and all of it is right there at our fingertips.  It's not like driving or drinking, where, by law, you have to be a certain age.

Lucky for me, my cousin has a 12 year old son, so I can watch how she deals with these things and see how it goes before I jump in.

My cousin is also very thoughtful.  It's a trait that runs strong in my mother's family; one that I greatly admire and try to embrace into my own life.  Kristin, my cousin, is thoughtful in all areas of her life.  She brought some delicious white hot chocolate to the family gathering.  She always brings something and I have no idea how she gets out the door with three kids and homemade treats.... and she showers!  And exercises.  And, in addition to a successful career, she also does CSA and blogs about Cooking in the Moment.  (That was a plug.  I admit it.)

Back to Christmas... kind of.  Last May, you may remember, my Grandfather passed away.  It has been a hard several years for my mom and her sister.  They lost more than half their family in the past 6 years and both parents in the past 2 years.  This year they decided to spend some money on making things a little nicer for themselves, and in consistence with their thoughtful nature, that spilled over to others.  My mom and I both enjoy watching people open something that is really special.  We both put a lot of thought into the gifts we give for Christmas and birthdays.  I feel so very blessed that I can give such gifts to others and it's a way that I express how much I appreciate that person being in my life.  It's not about materialism to me, it's about gratitude and spreading joy.  I know this isn't how everyone sees Christmas, but to me that is part of the magic of the season.  This "extended" Christmas extended that feeling.

My Aunt Peggy and Uncle Dave gave Mia a doll that talks.  It was just perfect.  As you can tell.  She adores her doll.

 

Later that night, after all the guests had left, we were exhausted from the work that it takes to have that much fun.  We snuggled up to watch Emmet Otters Jugband Christmas, a long standing family Christmas season tradition with me and my folks.

Merry Christmas - 2011

When Mia came into the living room at Ya-ya & Bumpa's this morning, I asked her if Santa came.  She said, "No."  I guess she doesn't really remember what Christmas looks like.  There was some confusion since Evan laid claims on the pink stocking, but it clearly had gifts inside for Mia.  Mia has a new love for Madeline.  She especially likes to recite the story so that she has a viable reason to say, "Pooh, pooh."

Mia sat back and ate her candy while the boys tore through their stockings.  It reminded me very much of Evan at the same age.  Candy is still the part of Christmas that Evan looks forward to most.  Owen was very pleased with the new, more grown up, boxer shorts he found in his stocking.

Bumpa was again summoned to recite "Thank You, Pooh!"

When I look at this picture, I realize that Evan has some of me in him.  Usually I look at him and see only Jim.  If it was Owen watching me, he would have just stared at me with a blank face.  Evan, like myself, is easily amused.

Santa came through.

Evan's favorite gift was also from Santa: Woodland Animals.

Owen made this gift for Jim and I at school last week.  He hid it under the Christmas tree and packed it in the car where we wouldn't see it. He colored the ornament and the handmade envelope.  His school picture and the year are on the body of the snowman.  What a great idea!

We gave Mia an "infant" carrier for Christmas.  She grabbed the nearest doll, buckled her in, and headed to the door saying, "Bye.  See you later."  She wanted her hat, coat, boots and scarf because she was going to the store.  It was so dang cute.

Ya-ya and Bumpa gave Owen and Evan Spooner Boards, which are like strapless indoor/outdoor snowboard or a wheelless skateboard or a waterless surfboard.  I tried it myself.  They are pretty fun.  Even Ya-ya wanted to give it a try.  Then Mia decided she needed to check it out too.

I think she's going to be our little athlete.  When Great-Aunt Sarah arrived, Mia ran to get the ball so she could play catch with her.

 

About 5 years ago, my now deceased Great Aunt Dorothy played this same game in this same spot with a same aged Owen.  Dorothy was Sarah's sister-in-law.  I found it interesting that of all the people in the house on both occasions, the kids chose these elderly women to play catch with.  It just reaffirms my theory on the importance of bringing generations together.

Owen was eager to get outside and try out his new hockey stick.  Jim and Bumpa cleared a patch of snow on the ice to make a nice rink for him.

While Mia napped, Evan and I finally got a chance to build with his new Quadrilla marble maze.  This toy is awesome, but does take some adult help.  The right brained, Type A, oldest/only, anal child in me would not allow me to deviate from the suggested building plans.  The end product, however, was very worth the effort.  Later Jim came in and attempted to create his own design and found that it wasn't that easy.  The coolest thing about this particular marble maze is that you can buy attachment pieces and they are planning to come out with musical pieces soon.

I think Ya-ya must have made at least 18 different kids of cookies.  We were all plenty sugared up for the day.  But she also bought these really cute snowman cupcakes that the kids just couldn't resist.  Since we won't see Ya-ya for her birthday, we decided to sing happy birthday to her and polish off the cupcakes in her honor.  Hey.  It's Christmas.  We start sugar detox on Wednesday.

 

We are book junkies.  The kids have almost all of my childhood books plus books from my years of teaching and tons of books that they have each gotten as gifts, etc. over the years.  Despite all of that, it is still always fun to read a new book and it's a great way to wind down at the end of a very fun-filled day.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Twas the Night Before Christmas

 

We usually travel to Ya-ya & Bumpa's at night so we can drive while the kids sleep, but Jim had a really hectic work week and didn't get home until after 10 p.m. Friday night.  We suspected such and made a switch to drive Up North on Christmas Eve day.  After days of demanding we leave for Ya-ya's house, Mia decided she wanted to go home when we were within a half hour of our destination.  To her defense, it wasn't the most comfortable ride for any of us.  We have a very roomy mini van and were still packed in like sardines.

 And we didn't want to make any unnecessary stops because we knew Great Aunt Sarah was waiting for us at the other end.  With it getting dark so early these days, visiting time can get cut short.  We decided to exchange gifts with Sarah today.  Mom picked up this hat for her at a craft fair.  We both agreed that it looked just like her.

 Sarah is one of many talented artists on my dad's side of the family.  She has painted several unique items for each family member.  When Owen was born, she gave him two paintings of snowmen reaching for the stars.  Mia received a plate with her birth information on it.  Jim and I have a painting of an egret on slate and now a beautiful vase with handpainted poppies.  Evan received a box last year to keep his treasures in.  Apparently, Owen really liked this box.  Word got back to Sarah and this year, Owen received his own handpainted treasure box.

 After a lot of good food and visiting, it was finally time to get ready for bed.  Since nobody napped in the car, everyone fell right asleep tonight.  Lucky for Santa.

 That is a stocking on Evan's head because I couldn't find all of the Santa hats.  They are buried somewhere in the car and may not be found until spring.

 The kids left Santa some cookies & milk and carrots for the reindeer.  Evan made a special telescope for him too. He received a note from Santa thanking him for his thoughtfulness.  He thought he might use the telescope to look for Addie's house on his way to Minnesota.

A Visit to THE Santa Claus

We visited Santa tonight.  We almost didn't get an appointment this year.  His schedule booked up early.  Santa is nice to let us bring our own camera to record their visit, but this year we not only forgot our camera, but neither Jim nor I had our phone with us.  Luckily this photo turned out great.  When they pulled it up on screen, I couldn't believe how big they all looked.  And I was really surprised to see Mia looks a lot like me at age 3.  Maybe you don't notice these things when you're looking through your own lens.

Anyway, the kids had a really nice visit with Santa.  Santa's old ears had trouble hearing Mia, so Owen repeated her desires.  She would like a tiger book and a present.  Evan wants a glue project and Owen asked for a hockey stick and puck.  Santa remembered the boys from years past, but had to be reminded on a few details like their names and ages.  I thought Mia might be a little scared of Santa, but she must have remembered him too.

Letts Family Christmas 2011

We celebrated a little early with the Letts clan this year.  Grandma made her traditional (and one less traditional) tea ring.  My biggest sweet tooth and his bosom cousin bellied up to the frosting bowl right away.

While we waited for our special guest to arrive from India, we decided to play a game of bowling on the Wii.  Look who cuddled into my lap when it wasn't my turn.  I hardly wanted to play anymore I was so excited to get some impulse cuddling.

Ellie and I played against Tom and Jen.  Ellie loved beating her parents, 

 

although there was a little cheating towards the end when Owen and Ellie decided to block the screen during Tom's move.

Mia and Margaux were pretty much inseparable all night.  After gift opening, we loaded up two cars to drive through the "Lights in the Park" display on Lake Phalen.  Mia thought she was going to ride with Margaux.  When that didn't happen, she was unable to focus on anything else.  As my mom says, "The girl is like an elephant."  Ellie came in our van and doted on Mia the whole time which helped tremendously.

Grandpa has taught the two eldest grandchildren how to play chess.  Jim and I were planning on giving Owen a chess board for Christmas, however, we decided to pull the gift out a little early since chess was on the mind.

Grandma Connie soaked in as much cuddle time as she could before her 1 month vacation down south.  They leave for Florida in a week.  If all goes well, we'll be able to visit them.

And here is our special guest. Gina picked Sol up at the airport on the way to our house.  The poor guy was so jet lagged he could hardly keep his eyes open, but it was great to have him at a family gathering once again.  He entertained us briefly on the piano, which warmed my heart, but not nearly as much as the genuine effort he took to ask each child about their Christmas wishes.

Addie wrapped a special gift for Evan on the day after Thanksgiving.  After a month of waiting, she was so eager for him to open it.  She knows him so well and his reaction surely was worth waiting for.

Light sabers.  There was a time when I would have been horrified at the thought of the boys playing with these in the house.  Now I am actually excited about it.  They are so cool.  They make realistic sounds when you clash them together and they ripple up when you turn them on.  Awesome.  Thanks Tom & Jen.

Gina has given up on converting Owen to a Vikings fan.  And Ellie sticks with Owen.  Tom actually admitted that, after the Vikings, the Bears and the Packers are his favorite teams.  ... You would never hear that from a Packer fan.  Evan got his Viking jersey for his birthday, and Addie got hers today.  Mia got a match to Margaux's pink #4 Vikings jersey and they put it on her!  I'm hoping I can use it as kindling when we finally use our fireplace.  I'm only slightly kidding.  Gina and Adam also gave each child and couple a photo album with individually picked pictures from their wedding.  They didn't actually have ours finished, but the sentiment was there.

Jim took this.  Cracks me up.  Tom is being goofy, but isn't Addie a-stinking-dorable!?

More sweet moments captured by Jim.

Jen (my SIL) and I always do a calendar and a photo book for the grandparents.  It's fun to look back at the year in pictures. 

Showing off the loot from Grandma & Grandpa. Much to my pleasure, they turned this years monetary gift into a lesson on how many ways you can use different bills to make the same amount of money.  We are so blessed.  This year's celebration truly reminded me of the way I remember Christmas as a kid: the room bustling, adults playing like children, wrapping paper so thick you can barely see the floor and cousins.  It reminds me how much I love my cousins.

After Lights in the Park, the guests left.  The boys zoomed into the sunroom.  Owen had promised Evan he would teach him how to play chess.  Evan was fascinated.  I was exhausted and fell asleep when I put Mia down.  They didn't come upstairs for another two hours!  It was midnight before they finally called their game a draw!