gingerbread houses 2009

This year we built a village of smaller houses as opposed to one large one. Logan trimmed the edges, Mom and Dad "glued" the walls together, and both boys decorated two houses each.

dog blog

Logan and Owen have been drawing a lot lately on the new doodles. Once a subject is selected both boys then draw their interpretation. Today's artwork features dogs.

white christmas

22 inches of white frozen fun! The snow started on Thursday and didn't really let up until Saturday so the boys spent a lot of time outside enjoying the winter wonderland.

cookie time

Can't celebrate the holidays without some homemade cookies. Tracy and the boys prepared the dough, cut out the shapes, and did the baking. Dad came home and got to help apply the frosting and toppings.

merry christmas

holiday table

Even the blizzard that kept us home this Christmas was no match for dinner by candlelight, sparkling cider, and being together at home.

handmade gifts

You don't have to look very far to see our holiday plans in action around here: painting, gluing, felting, weaving, and planting are among the activities as both boys get in on the merry making. The creativity and love that goes into each handmade gift is priceless.

just doodling

The number of MagnaDoodles in our house now exceeds the number of people. We celebrated our family Christmas early and Owen was delighted to get his own full-size model. Perfect for drawing and spelling one's name.

peepers puppet

Let me introduce you to mrs. pink. She's simple, yet so much fun. She has come to live with us along with mr. blue, ms. green eyes, and dr. green. If you haven't checked out Peeper Puppets yet, click on over now. The video brings a smile every time.

logan's holiday concert

Logan peformed in the holiday concert at his school today and did a wonderful job. The second-graders sang three selections and he was picked to be in a small group in front for the first song.

Setlist:

• Christmas A Come - Jamaican Folk Song
• Hag Shavuot - Traditional Israeli Holiday Song
• Over the River and Through the Woods - American Folk Melody/Lyrics by Lydia Maria Childs

o christmas tree 2009

Although we intended to go to a tree farm and cut our own, the arctic weather changed our plans. A quick trip to Gordy's provided a beautiful pre-cut tree that couldn't have been more perfect. The boys helped adjust the stand, test the lights, and could barely wait to unwrap the ornaments and start decorating.

construction zone

The boys have been on a building craze lately. We spend a lot of time downstairs in the family room using our Lincoln Logs and wooden blocks.

Logan poses by his recently designed log hotel.



Owen shows off one of his creations.

three musketeers

This afternoon the whole family attended a production of the Three Musketeers at the Duluth Playhouse. The boys loved all of the swashbuckling, Rochefort and his eye patch, and were surprised when D'Artagnan swung off the balcony on a rope. Every time Cardinal Richelieu appeared, Owen whispered to me, "Ooh, the Cardinal!" The rest of the day was spent in a massive, over-the-top swordfight worthy of the time capsule.



Be on the lookout for this man. He is armed and extremely dangerous.



He has been known to associate with this man, who is equally armed and dangerous.

turkey day activities

Following a last minute cancellation by our prospective guests, the four of us found ourselves facing a 24 pound bird and all of the fixings. After ingesting massive amounts of tryptophan, we spent the rest of the afternoon engaged in a variety of indoor activities.

The boys rediscovered our Playfoam and spent the next hour building sculptures. Pictured here are Owen's blue whale, green dragon (with yellow spines and pink tongue), Logan's lamb, birthday cake, and three ice cream cones.



Logan poses by the completed rainforest jigsaw puzzle.



The boys shucked some of our decorative corn for one of Mama's crafty projects.



Owen declared himself the official Thanksgiving Day photographer.



Logan entertained us with some lovely piano playing in the afternoon.



Owen warps his mini-loom in preparation for a new pot holder.

happy thanksgiving

Gratitude                      Peace                      Joy                       Love

playground scenes

Another beautiful day filled with a fun trip to the school playground.

fall afternoon

After a cold and wet October, this month has been unseasonly warm and sunny. This afternoon was perfect for raking leaves, enjoying nature, and playing outside.

meet the teachers

The boys turned our house into a school this weekend. A lot of time was spent in teacher meetings, classroom preparation, and trips to the cafeteria. Please allow me to introduce you to Mr. Bobstein. He teaches first grade in room R11.



I'm also pleased to introduce Mr. Griggs who teaches third grade in room R12.

wurlitzer's last waltz

The boys pose for one last photo in front of the Wurlitzer organ. After acquiring a piano two years ago, the plan was to give the organ away but previous efforts never panned out. As of this morning the keyboard is on the way to its new home in Menahga, Minnesota. Prior to final unplugging, Logan, Owen, and Tony performed an epic final jam.

preparing for winter's chill

The boys had so much fun mixing and matching and trying on our winter accessories, fresh from the laundry. Let's hope that this winter's weather does not require quite so much layering.

happy halloween

Our spooky hallway.



The boys hand out candy and pretzels.



After serving the masses, Logan and Owen suit up and hit the street for their own treats.