We found Santa!

As he was approaching, the kids went into a little alcove and hid.  Then, just as he stepped fully onto the sidewalk, Anna went skipping over to greet Santa!  Quickly, the boys went to chat with Santa for a bit and they got shy about what they wanted.  

They are a happy crew with the jolly man around!  

Christmas Parade Time

Today we enjoyed the kick off of the Christmas holiday season by attending the local Christmas parade.  Since it had rained the day before and on and off that morning it was difficult to keep the kids entertained but we did make these "Christmas" trees (a.k.a. sugar cones with green frosting and cake decorations).  It was fun to see how the kids decorated them and then they got to eat them.  

Grandpa joined in the fun.  

And since it looked yummy, Michelle and I had a bit too!  And it was yummy!

We finished off the day at the Christmas parade and really enjoyed it!  Thankful for the early start and end time too!  

A tree IN the library

We visited a local library (not our normal one which is undergoing renovations) and the kids really liked this lifelike tree that was inside.  And it looks like a bunny might have been hidden in the tree too...

Or was that Daddy?  :-)

Thanksgiving brunch with this crazy bunch!

Grandma Linda with her crazy crew of grand children.  She would be happy to know that a friend of mine saw this photo and had go back and review it in detail because she didn't realize Grandma was in the photo!  She just looked like one of the crew!  :-)

Special treat!

Today Matt and I enjoyed a very special treat thanks to is wonderful mother!  She is a tour guide at Heart Castle and she provided us with tickets to an evening tour.  What made it extra special is that she was part of what they call living history tonight and was part of the staff replicating what visitors might have been wearing and doing back when the castle was in its prime.  And this time of year it is decorated for the holidays.  We saw parts of the castle that we had never seen before and really enjoyed ourselves.  Many thanks for the special treat.  

Happy 7th Birthday Olivier and Mason!

After an early morning (cousin Eli spent the night) the boys were excited to open their "morning" present from us.  They got balls that can be used for playing in the back yard, and for Mason's favorite thing lately (hand ball).

 It is hard to believe how big they are now!

 We had a party at the park with family and a few close friends from school.  The baseball diamond was roped off because they are trying to bring the grass back to life (poor grass in this drought) so they made to on the basketball court and it worked out well.

 After they had played for a bit it was time to sing happy birthday.  We got donuts instead of cake.  They wanted maple bars with their names, donut holes...

 And "Great balls" (from Pokemon).  Very tasty!

 One of the friends from school that joined us has the same birthday!  It added to the fun!

 We came home, they opened gift (so much easier to do at home, especially with two kids trying to open gifts!).  Once things had settled down, I asked them the same questions we have asked over the last few years.  It is interesting to watch what stays the same and what changes.

Olivier:
What is your favorite color:  green
What is your favorite book:  Captain Underpants
What is your favorite gift:  Nerf dart gun (we will be finding darts for the next 10 years...!)
What do you want to be when you grow up:  video game tester
Who is your best friend:  Aiden (from across the street)
What is your favorite thing to do:  play Wii
What is your favorite thing to do at school:  free center time
What is your favorite food:  pizza
Where is your favorite place:  home
How old will you be when you grow up:  72
How old will you be when you get married:  20
How old will you be when you have a baby:  24
He is 4' 1.5"
He weights 55.2 lbs

Mason:
What is your favorite color:  blue
What is your favorite book:  Stick Dog
What is your favorite gift:  robot (he got an interactive little robot)
What do you want to be when you grow up:  Police officer
Who is your best friend:  Hazel and Julia
What is your favorite thing to do:  play hand ball
What is your favorite thing to do at school:  art
What is your favorite food:  pizza
Where is your favorite place:  Disneyland
How old will you be when you grow up:  20
How old will you be when you get married:  (he wasn't sure)
How old will you be when you have a baby:  25
He is 4' 2.5"
He weights 58.8 lbs

We are all looking forward to some good sleep tonight!  :-)

Mason's award!

Today Mason got an award for being a self directed learner at school.  He is a sponge that just keeps getting bigger.  He is soaking it all up and ready for more!