Happy New Year

I can't remember a holiday season passing as quickly as this one did.  I guess that means I'm getting old - time seems to be going by faster and faster.  We had a great Christmas.

Traditionally we set up our tree on Christmas eve (the same one we've had for 11 years since our days as poor college students), read the bible story, act out the nativity and generally try to keep that evening as Christ centered as possible since we know Christmas morning is all about the toys.  Benjamin wanted to make the star this year so he secretly went downstairs and spent a long time constructing and painting it before returning with his contribution to the evening.  He then sweetly let Christian place it.   My favorite part of Christmas eve is acting out the nativity with the kids.  This year I expected them to use a doll as baby Jesus, but Christian wanted that role again.  They were so cute and all did a really great job.  Of course, we ended up doing it at least 4 times.

Christmas morning was a blast too.  Kelly and I slept in the living room so we wouldn't miss the kids coming in.  The kids loved their presents and I loved seeing their faces light up.  We had our traditional breakfast (ham and egg croissant sandwiches) and spent most of the day playing with all the toys.

Then we had to get out and play in the snow that fell on Christmas eve.  Kelly hooked up ropes to the sled like a harness and he and I took turns running the kids around the yard.  It was a blast as long as no one tipped and face planted in the snow (read: Bella...poor thing)

The kids also wanted to snow paint.  I filled some squirt bottles with colored water and they had a blast.  This picture was taken before my fingers went numb from filling water bottles in sub-freezing temps, so it looks plain but it got quite colorful out there.

I decided trying to do home school lessons during Christmas time was a wasted effort so we declared it science project week and we did fun science projects every day.   This one involves lighting a tea bag on fire and watching it shoot up in the air as the hot air inside drives it up.  I love this picture because Bella actually really loved this experiment and wanted to do it again and again, but nothing can push her to stop sucking her thumb, not even fire flying through the air.

I realize I actually didn't take too many science project pics.  Sadly, I think I was too busy running them.  This one was fun, too, though.  It involved putting tiny, tiny gel balls in water and seeing how they expand as they absorb the water. We also did a similar one with sodium polyacrylate.  That stuff is a lot of fun and cool for science projects too.  We tested how adding sodium chloride disrupts its ability to bind water and why.

January 2 was Benjamin's 6 and 1/2 birthday.  Half birthdays are big around here.  He got to have a cake, decide the entire day's menu (oatmeal for breakfast, grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, spinach soup and hot dogs for dinner), and have some friends over to play.  No real party, but a fun play date.  He also kept reminding us all day whenever he didn't get his way, "You should do what I want, it's my half birthday."

Then this Sunday, Christian was so excited because he was going into a new nursery class and Bella was so excited to start CTR 4 class and no longer be in the youngest class in primary.  They felt like such big kids and kept asking, "So this will be my class for the whole rest of the year!?!"  They both really love their teachers this year too, which is great.

Now everything is getting back into its normal routine.  Piano, swim lessons, school, etc.  It all went so fast, but we had a wonderful holiday season.  Just wish we could have had a bit more family around with whom to celebrate it.