Christmas 2016

Christmas was lovely this year. I've done a great job of not writing about much of anything this year and now I must do a recap. I left you off with Greta being sick, which led to her not being able to go see Santa at the library. She was bummed, we were bummed but we still had one kid wanting to go. So Wesley and I went and had a jolly good time seeing the senior elf himself and Mrs. Claus too.

Then we celebrated Sean's birthday by going out to eat with my parents and opening presents. Sean had a nice birthday.

We did our traditional sugar cookie decorating the day before Christmas. The kids sure enjoy this!

We celebrated Christmas with my parents at home this year. Santa came and left some goodies for each kid. Wesley was very much into science kits and got his very first pocket knife and Greta loves her Shopkins. I received an Echo Dot which I'm thoroughly enjoying! Alexa tells me the weather and lets me listen to NPR programs that I have missed (love that Moth Radio Hour), love it!

 

Merry Christmas everyone!

Sick Greta

Poor Greta caught some bug and started having a fever on Saturday. It's now Wednesday and she's been home from school for three days. She's got a sore throat, fever and can't talk. Doctor checked her out yesterday and said it's probably just a virus. She's watched every Christmas movie on Netflix and decided to take a break from TV and play with my camera. She likes taking selfies apparently (which isn't easy to do with a traditional camera). These are my favorite.

The child's hair will need some serious help before heading back to school. Hehe. She did manage to take this gem of a picture of Winston. The dog is super difficult to photograph, he's always in motion....she did great.

Back to the doctor tomorrow to see if she has strep throat. Poor kid.

KC Trip

This year for Thanksgiving we went to Kansas City to celebrate my sister's 40th birthday. She wanted to celebrate it in the Embassy Suites hotel in the same manner that my father celebrated his 40th birthday there some 25 years ago. We were there for three nights and the kids sure enjoyed playing with their cousins, swimming and playing games.

We went and walked around Union Station on Thanksgiving morning knowing that everyone would be home cooking. It was deserted which was nice.

This is Wesley's "How you doin'?" look.

I love these boys looking into a little window filled with a festive Lego scene.

All made out of Lego's!

We hopped in the streetcar out in front of Union Station and made the loop. What a nice piece of free public transportation.

One of the stops takes you right to a Chinese grocery store and, on impulse, we decided to go see what it consisted of.

So in we ventured to the Chinatown Food Market. The smell as you enter was, umm, interesting? Memorable might be the word. Obviously everything was labeled in Chinese so it was a guess as to what its contents were. The live seafood room was so sad I couldn't even go in. Large aquariums with schools of catfish and other live fish all awaiting their fate. We did get a few items to try. Ginger candy was fabulous as were the strawberry cracker cookies.  All in all a good experience.

We went to a restaurant for Thanksgiving and had a nice traditional meal without all the cooking and clean up. Then on Friday we tried our hand at bowling. I hadn't bowled since college so I wasn't surprised when I sucked at it. Too bad it's not as easy as the bowling on the Wii. I was hopeful.The kids had a nice time bowling too. My kids had never been and Wesley really thought it was great. Greta gave it a try and decided it wasn't for her. I'm sure if we go locally as a family she'll warm up to it.

Decorated

I really love this time of the year. We aren't big into decorating for pretty much any holiday other than Christmas. We do love Christmas decorations! This year we decided we needed a bigger tree than the "slim" fake tree I've been using for the last decade. Don't get me wrong, I love that tree but as far as available real estate, it was lacking on room. I adore all the homemade ornaments the kids bring home and there wasn't anymore room so when my parents offered me the use of their large fake tree I took them up on it. It's a lovely fat tree compared to our old one and there is so much room for ornaments.

This year I set the kids lose decorating while I made dinner and fed animals. I'm trying to lighten up on my controlling nature. :)

I put Sean in charge of managing the decorating (making sure glass ornaments didn't get broken and such) and came inside after feeding the livestock to find this.

Poor guy was exhausted. I hope everyone reading this has a wonderful Holiday season!

Special Visit!

We were so thrilled that Granny Randi and Papa Rich came to visit early in the month. We really miss them as we live several states apart. The kids could hardly wait! Randi brought her knitting gear and taught Greta to knit. Greta had been asking me to teach her for ages and I have no idea how to knit, so this was perfect!

We broke out the WiiU and did a little Mario Kart too. Which provided some hilarious entertainment. :)

We took them to the air and space museum while the kids were in school (the kids and I went not too long ago, so I was fine going while they were at school). It was an enjoyable day.

We had some really beautiful weather while they were here and we enjoyed it by going to the park and playing around like monkeys. They kids adore their silly granny.

My folks wanted to see them while they were visiting so we all went out to dinner one night and had a nice time. My kids have some wonderful grandparents.

Puppy Days

We haven't had a puppy in the house since Sean and I got our very first dog together right after we got married in 2001. It's amazing how little I remember about that puppy stage. Winston is growing like crazy, packing on about a pound a week. He is ornery and sweet at the same time. Loves to lick my chin for some reason and then bite it with his tiny piranha teeth. He's lovingly gained the name "piranha pup" because he chomps on anything and everyone he encounters.

He sleeps all the time. Usually on his back. I find it hilarious. His favorite place to sleep upside down right behind me on the computer chair while snoring loudly. He's doing it right now.

I'd like to say the potty training is coming along, but it's not. He must poop eight times a day and at least 2-3 of those are in the house. Unfortunately he likes to poo on the rug by the back door. The rug that is fairly busy in print and camouflages the poo nicely until someone comes along and steps in it. That someone has been me, twice. First time I was wearing shoes and didn't realize I had stepped in it and then proceeded to walk all over the house with my poo shoe. Sigh. This too shall pass. Good thing he's cute.

A quiet puppy is a mischievous puppy.