Christmas Eve

As usual, Christmas was spread out over a 2 day period for us this year. Christmas Eve started off with some dancing in the kitchen while we waited for Sandma Steffie, Sampa Lee, Aunt Molly, and Jeff to arrive.


We always enjoy seeing the kids play nicely together. Unfortunately, the dancing was shortly followed by an incident on the stairs.

Li-li recovered nicely once Santa's helpers arrived bearing gifts.


DHV was especially excited about his new parking garage.

Later on, he took many many pictures of us with his new camera. Say cheese!

Next up: Christmas Day with Lindy and Sandma and Sampa Vining.

Winter Share Dance

Last Tuesday was the Winter Share Dance at Danny's school. The class interpreted a farm scene painting for our entertainment. Danny was the farmer (although he wanted desperately to be a horse). Unfortunately he forgot to wear his farmer's hat, which was the best element of his costume.

Here comes the farmer, a horse, and some pigs!

There was lots of dancing, running, and skipping. As well as a lot of staring at the moms and dads in attendance.


The farmer's main role was to pump water from the well. Danny performed this task with gusto.

And then everyone drank.

Later on, everyone rolled around in the mud with the pigs.


And then they played with water, represented by these blue streamers.


A good time was had by all, even our reluctant little farmer.

Christmas Tree

Today, for the first time, ever, we cut our own tree.
Danny's asking me why I am wearing an Eagles hat. Leigh is looking for the way out.
Danny was very happy when we let him handle the saw. "I will carry it." "I want to help." "Let me do it myself!"
Danny, saw.
Leigh, wary.
Countless trips with suitcases lashed to the Grandparent V's station prepared Daddy for this task. He fell back on the old axiom: some knots, good; more knots, better. And next year, bring some bungie cords.
To home, and ornamenting of said tree.Leigh found some packing paper that made crinkling noises.Cause and effect.They became good friend, Leigh and that Amazon brown paper. Like Linus and his blanket."Ta-Daaaa!"Only two ornaments were broken in the making of this post. Maybe closer supervision next year.

First Snow!

We woke up this morning to find a winter wonderland waiting for us outside. Unfortunately the snow had already turned to freezing rain but that didn't stop us from bundling up and getting out there to play.

DHV worked on snowballs...

... while Leigh focused on staying upright.

And once DadKV made it out, a rather messy episode of "the Eagles game" broke out.

Nikolaustag!

We enjoyed the German tradition of Nikolaustag so much last year that we decided to make it a family tradition. So on Saturday night we put the kids' boots outside, dressed them in their Christmas pajamas, and watched the season's first snow fall just in time for Nikolaus' arrival.

DHV ran straight to the porch door on Sunday morning to look at his boots.

"I see one clementine Mommy!"

This was definitely exciting stuff.


Both kids waited patiently for Janine to come downstairs.

And then they inspected their treats.



The clementines were a popular item. DHV proclaimed that he would eat them for lunch. And he did.


Thank you Nikolaus!

Getting into the Spirit

With our bellies still full of turkey and pie, we set out last Saturday to take a short trolley ride from East Haven to the North Pole. DHV was pretty pumped for the ride and grew a bit impatient as we waited for the next car to arrive.

"Will it be coming from this way or that way Daddy?"

"When will it be here? Where's Santa? Who's driving the train?"

Finally we got to board and took our seats at the front of the car.

Once we started moving everyone was quickly entranced by the passing scenery (think plastic snowmen and reindeers, along with some unlucky people's backyards).


When the trolley turned to head back DHV began to get worried that all of the Santa talk had been false advertising. Luckily we did stop at the North Pole as promised and Old Saint Nick himself greeted us with cookies, hot chocolate, and a coloring book. DHV didn't want to take a photo with the man in red but we did catch him eating his cookie aboard some sort of Thomas the Train toy in Santa's workshop.

And when we finally got home from our travels, we decorated the gingerbread house that we'd assembled earlier that morning. Contrary to all predictions, it is still standing a week later.

Next up: Nikolaustag!