Winter Wonderland

J: I'm gonna kiss Santa if I'm on the nice list. Or hug.

Watching me write this~
J: Are you texting Santa?

D: If you want to be on the naughty list, be naughty. If you want to be on the nice list, you get presents.

C: Won't we all be on the naughty list if Santa is a Trump fan?
Dad: Well, let's think about this logically...
C: He's nice.
Dad: Santa *gives*. Do you really think he's Trumpian? He's more of a Bernie fan, if anything.


D: I'm handing out napkins!
C: His last ditch effort to get on the nice list.
D: Yeah.

D: Snow, I'm going outside to feel you.
S: Stop saying that! I'm feeling triggered!

Dad: (opening cabinet) Duck.

J: Duck? 

D: He was telling me to duck. 

Dad: Yeah, so I don't hit D in the head with the cabinet door. 

J: Oh. It's okay if you hit D in the head.

J (on his new jammies): I'm just getting softed out!

(12/20) Day off for me and the kiddos today.  D greeted me by saying he played too hard and bonked into J, dislodging his top tooth. I looked closer, and see the line of a bigger tooth coming in, so I guess it was time?  Sarah and I went to Zumba this morning, and then we reconvened at her house for gingerbread cookies this afternoon.  As D was going to bed tonight, he said he thought he could just pull out another really super loose tooth, and voilà!  Twofer!

(12/21) Work day for me, and Dad had the kiddos. Dad took the bigs to see the Stanley Cup tonight.  They stood in line for a long time, but it was worth it.


(12/22) Work day for me, and Dad had the kiddos again.  Dad made Jack Daniels fudge the other night, which I took in to work this morning.  My office closed early, and I went out to drinks with a coworker who worked her last day with the company.  I'm gonna miss her!  After I got home and had dinner, I locked myself away to wrap and wrap and wrap.


(12/23) Merry Christmas Eve Eve!  Dad made the kiddos Dutch babies and I went out to Zumba. I went in to donate blood this morning, and was pleased to see it packed.  The woman helping me this morning said it's been solid since the train crash earlier this week. She said there's always a great need around this time of the year, so I was glad I found a spare moment to go.


(12/24) Christmas Eve!  Dad had to work today.  I made monkey bread for the kids, and then met Sarah for a walk to coffee.  She said it smelled like snow, and we were excited to get a light dusting this evening! The kids and I did some emergency baking this afternoon because somehow--and I have no idea how--all the gingerbread cookies we made a few days ago got de-candied. We let the kiddos open two gifts this evening, after the traditional dinner of 7-layer bean dip?  LOL!


(12/25) Merry Christmas! Dad had to work this morning, and I was showered and dressed before the kiddos even got up. The kiddos had a blast opening presents, which I videoed and paparazzi'd for Dad.  He'll join us for dinner this evening, and maybe we'll let him open his gifts.

One Holiday at a Time!

C: So, I've been wondering... Where did Santa come from?

Me: The North Pole. 

C: Oh.  And what football team do they have there?

C: I heard that we're going to watch the puberty movie after break. I can't wait!!

C: I'm excited for dinner tonight! Dad's doing flank steak. 

J: Noooooo! I hate flank steak! I just like normal steak! 

C: Flank steak is normal steak. 

J: Well, I'm more of a meatloaf lover.

D: I sure wish it was April so we can hide Easter eggs.

C: Dad, can you make me some toast? I can't think of anything better to go with black tea and annoying homework.

J: See Mom? I pretty much saved you.

Crazy hair day at school ~ C's looks pretty normal

(12/1) Work day for me, and the boys had school.  I left work early to take them to see Mr. Popper's Penguins at the Seattle Children's Theatre.  The boys were convinced we had dinner at Panda Express since there was a panda on the sign.  Sure, we'll go with that.  We got to see the amazing train exhibit at the Seattle Center.  The Needle was beautiful tonight, even wrapped up for construction.

(12/2) Dad took the twins to practice so I could go to Zumba with Sarah.  We all went to C's game this afternoon, so we could book it from there to the Tips' game where they were doing their annual teddy bear toss.  SO.MUCH.HOCKEY.

Teddy Bear Toss

C is #52 white

(12/3) C had pictures for hockey today, so I unplugged the children and made them put on clothes.  I know!  Meanest mom ever.  The twins had a game after that.  There were lots of ice angels today, and D was a total pill throughout.  We ended our day on a fun note by stopping off at Sarah's to play their new VR games. She happened to have a balloon kit for her boys, and J made himself some awesome armor.

D is #21 here

(12/4) Work day for Dad & me, and school for the boys.  C started off the day as a bear, and didn't improve.  He rolled his ankle in PE today (which I'm sure didn't help things), so we kept him home from hockey practice tonight.


(12/5) Work day for Dad & me. We had our annual safety training today, and I re-upped my CPR and first aid certifications.  Why not, when it's provided?  After work, the whole fam went to see Santa.  I love our picture this year. C is such a goof.


(12/6) I worked in the twinsies' classes today.  I got to make reindeer in J's class.  The best part about helping in the classroom is the art projects.  We all know I'm five at heart.

(12/7) Work day for me.  It was a short one though since my company's holiday party was tonight. We went on a cruise again of Lake Washington.  Since the start time was bumped up, we were treated to a beautiful sunset.  After a lovely evening, I headed home in time to tuck the kiddos in.

(12/8) Work day for me, and school for the boys.  My company said to "sleep in," so I did, and was in around 10. Sure made for a short day!

(12/9) The twins had practice this morning, and C had a game.  C's team only had 7 players show initially.  Eeps!  They had a few more stragglers come in, thankfully, but they still got creamed.  C played really hard tonight though. He probably played the best he has all season.


(12/10) The twinsies had their last hockey game today.  They played the most that they have all season, so yay?  That's not really saying a whole lot though.  We've decided they've had enough, and aren't registering them for the second half of the season.  C & I got to go see Elf at the Paramount this evening.  What an excellent production!

J doing ice angels

(12/11) Work day for Dad & me.  I collected the kiddos from school early so we could go to C's appointment.  And while I finished out the day working from home, the twinadoes watched TV, and C left for hockey.

(12/12) Work day for Dad & me.  My work had a cookie exchange this morning, so I baked up some of the cookie dough that I had purchased for another kiddo's school fundraiser earlier this season. I bribed the boys to eat breakfast so they could also have a breakfast cookie.  Balance in all things.

(12/13) I worked in J & D's classrooms today.  J's class was writing about the characters in the gingerbread man story, and in D's class, I pealed crayons for a teacher craft. I had a whole group of kiddos helping me. D's class constructed traps to try and catch the pesky gingerbread man that kept coming into their classrooms and leaving messes.  We made one out of an egg carton and an old soda box. D decorated it to be nice and sparkly, but alas, didn't catch the fella.


(12/14) Work day for me, and Dad had the kiddos.  It took forever to get home today, and I had only a couple minutes to wolf down some dinner, and the boys and I were off to Zumba.  It was worth it.

(12/15) Work day for me, and last day of school for the boys until break!  D immediately stripped down to his underwear when he got home. Because, D. My work adopted a couple of families from the YWCA and went in on presents for five kiddos. I had a lot of fun shopping and wrapping for this event ~ it's one of my favorite things to do!

(12/16) Dad & I had tickets to see Christopher Titus tonight! Nanan came early to watch the kids so we could go out to dinner. We went to our favorite sushi haunt, and the waitress said she missed the kids, lol.  It was nice to sit and chat over a meal instead of refereeing. Titus was awesome, as usual, as was his opener, Rachel Bradley.

(12/17) Nanan stayed with the boys this morning while I ran the 12Ks of Christmas with Sarah & her mom.  We went for Starbucks afterward to warm up and visit.  It didn't rain on us, thankfully, and it was really fun to be back out there, especially at a run so festive. Once I got home, and had doled out lunch, the boys and I lounged around and watched videos. I may have watched the movies through the backs of my eyelids though.

(12/18) Work day for Dad and the boys started their winter break.  The twins went to hang with Amanda for the day, and C went with Sarah & Co down to Seattle to check out the Gingerbread Village. Nanan had surgery today, so I ferried her to and fro.  She'll be recuperating at our house for a bit.


(12/19) Work day for Dad & me, and the kiddos are having a proper lazy day. I ended up working from home today, and none of us has gotten out of jammies.