Time to See Santa!

So excited to see the big guy!

What's a trip to the mall without hot pretzels?!

They were literally so excited to see him that they didn't even ask for anything!  Sophia just sat there saying, I love you, Santa!

The next day we went to Bass Pro Shop to check out their Christmas display.  It said on their schedule that Santa wasn't going to be there, but we were pleasantly surprised to find out that information was incorrect.  So...we saw Santa twice.

Leo, Andres, and Sophia enjoyed racing the cars around the track.

The kids enjoyed testing out Ralphie's Red Ryder BB guns

Andres and Leo get really involved in fish watching.

Interestingly, when we were heading home, Sophia told me that she thought there must be 2 Santas.  When I asked her why she thought that she said because this Santa looked different from the other Santa.  Internally I did mental flips trying to come up with the right answer!  Yipes!  I gave her the whole "Santa's helpers" story and she seemed okay with it.  But she's been asking a lot of questions the last few months and although I don't know if she's really starting to figure it out so much as she's kind of realizing things need to make sense!  I don't know whether to be proud or cry! ;)  That night at dinner though she told Charlie, today we just saw a Santa's helper, yesterday we saw the real one.  

Holiday Spirit

Here are some random shots from moments we were feeling Christmas-y!  The kids are getting more and more excited each day and like to keep track using our Santa Claus Advent calendar.

reading by the tree with Bama

Oh yes, very interesting!

I made a little "hot chocolate" dessert out of pudding.

I guess this isn't particularly Christmas-y but this is Sophia's preschool picture for this year.  Cute.

Playing with Jingle and Bell.

Each year we're getting a little more Griswald! ;)
We even put our tree in front of the window and I really like that!  It actually worked better than we thought it would.

Sophia had candy cane day at school last week so I treated Leo to a candy cane/brownie pop...Yummy!

My little cookie eater!  Each year my mom makes these cookies covered in powdered sugar and Leo is IN LOVE!  Who can blame him, he learned to like the good stuff!

Christmas Tree Shopping

We get live trees every year and it's always a highlight to go and pick one out.  Sophia is always SO, so, so very excited about it.  Last year Shelby went with us to pick out a tree and I got so many cute pictures.*  In fact, they are some of my favorite pictures of Shelby and the kids.  I even commented about that at the time and although I'm glad I have them, it didn't bring all that much comfort when we arrived at the tree lot this year.  I missed her and remembered all the cute pictures and all the fun the three of them had running through the trees.  At least this year it was warmer and no hats and coats need be involved.

Doing the happy Christmas tree dance!  Woo hoo!

This. Is. Our. Tree.

I just had to add this picture of Walter.  He is such a silly dog sometimes!  Notice that his front half is two steps down from his back half!

* I just looked at the link and it appears that I didn't post that many of Shelby in the original post. :(  And to boot, they are saved on our other computer and I can't access them.  Bummer.  But trust me, they were very cute! :)

Swimming Lessons

Aubrey looking pensive with her noodle!

Geronimo!

being lazy in the lazy river!

Lauren smiling for the camera!

Aubrey got brave for an underwater picture!

Leo is finally in swimming lessons!  I had tried last winter to put him in lessons but he just wasn't ready.  At the end of the summer he was really so, so close to swimming and would do it for very short distances so  I wanted to make sure he really got some practice this winter.  Jill was also up for putting her girls in the mix, so the three of them had a semi-private lesson together.  I've found these private lessons are really a better deal because my kids don't seem to fit into the age group ability levels that are pre-set for them, plus it's always nice to have smaller groups and more one on one attention.  I think all three kids did a great job and made some progress.  Next up is Sophia's lessons where we are talking about having her train for swim team.  She seems interested in the idea so we'll see how it goes.

Thanksgiving!

Helping Daddy blow out his birthday candles!

pre-race encouragement hug!

Off they go!
Leo is on the far left in the blue sweatsuit and Sophia is to his right

Leo couldn't quite make it...Daddy had to help him across

Whew, she needs a drink!

After Mommy's race!

Looking out at the lake

Cody and the kids

Post race trio

Aunt Ellyn making gravy

Bret carving

Pies, Yum!  Cody helped with the decorations on the pumpkin pies!

Our long table!

Ahh, nothing like pumpkin pie to end the night

Thanksgiving was one busy day!  This year Charlie's birthday happened to fall on Thanksgiving so he got quite a celebration! ;)  He had his carrot cake for breakfast, as he should, and he had two happy helpers to eat it too!  We all decided to do a 5K that morning through downtown Duluth and it was pretty fun, not too cold and we got to see some of the city.  The kids (Sophia, Leo and Brendan) did the 1/4 mile kid's run, Charlie, Me, Louise, Bret, and Maren did the 5K, and Ellyn and Scott did the 2 mile walk.  Cody watched the three younger ones while we were running and they had fun adventures down by the lake climbing on rocks and throwing pebbles in the water.

Louise cooked yummy turkey and we had a fabulous dinner.  It was a big group between our family and Bret's family, but isn't that what it's all about?! 

It started snowing just before dinner and piled up about 5" by morning.  The really terrible mother didn't pack the snow clothes b/c the weather forecast was clear and warm!  ARG!  What was I thinking, I mean it's Minnesota in November, anything can happen!  The kids were disappointed they couldn't play in it and I felt like a clod. :(  But, we won't make that mistake again!

We were leaving Friday morning anyway, so I guess it was fine, but the snowy roads and the ice covered windshield wipers made for a bit longer trip, at least until we were far enough south that it didn't matter any more!  Our trip home was fine, but we had to stop a few more times than we planned (icy windshield wipers, Leo needing to potty, etc.), but we made it home in one day after 11.5 hours in the car.  The kids did amazingly well and Leo was a champ about pottying at every single stop.  He wasn't really thrilled about it, but he did it and there were no accidents!