Sometimes Ralph falls victim to unsolicited accessorizing.
The kids can't help it.
He's just so darn cute.
You know what December means, right?
No. I did not mean gaining ANOTHER 10 pounds.
Although, that is a given.
It means, holiday party time!
We had a great time at our neighborhood holiday party - kid version.
Kids just don't get White Elephant gift exchanges.
Not one kid stole someone else's gift.
NOT ONE!
There was a football game on too.
I think of Mikey and Ralph as "Brothers From Another Mother".
They get in trouble just as much as the other.
They are annoying as much as the other.
They are pretty much interchangeable.
I frequently call Mikey, Ralph and vice versa.
Mikey likes to cuddle. So does Ralph.
In this picture you can see Mikey laying his head on Huzbends lap and Ralph laying his head on Mikey's foot.
A cuddle pile.
It was field trip time.
Mikey went to the Pacific Science Center to visit the butterflies and watch an 3D IMAX movie.
I'm not sure what happened to the photos I took.
Take aways from that trip:
- 1st graders think fart noises are hilarious
- we saw a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis
- some 1st graders (& 2nd graders) are completely freaked out by 3D IMAX movies
- Grasshopper mice KICK MAJOR ASS.
Look it up. Really.
Katie had a field trip too and this time I didn't lose the pictures.
They went to the Brightwater Center and did science.
Like, actually DID science.
It was a really cool trip.
They had to study the types and amounts of water bugs in two different ponds on site.
Here they are out in the pouring rain collecting samples.
Then it was time to identify our captives.
Yes. I took pictures of water bugs.
Not only that, but I took pictures of them magnified.
Why?
Because I could.
As we inched closer to Christmas Day, we got more in the holiday spirit.
Some mysterious people dropped a package off at our front door one evening with these gems inside.
We decided to finally (since it had been like two or three weeks) decorate our lonely Christmas tree.
We put it downstairs so Ralph couldn't snack on it.
Ralph was disappointed when he learned that he couldn't help decorate the tree, eat the ornaments on the tree, sample the candy canes hanging on the tree, sniff the tree, lick the tree, nibble at the tree or taste the water underneath the tree.
"Maaaaannnnnnnn."
No matter how hard Katie tried to cheer him up, he refused to participate in such injustice to doggie kind.
Then there was a day where A LOT of things happened.
First, Mikey had a honest to goodness (non-religious) Holiday party.
The kids had done reports on the multiple holidays happening around this time: Las Posadas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas & Diwali.
Each holiday had a table dedicated to it.
I stationed myself at the Hanukkah table so I could play some dreidel.
The kids quickly became obsessed with the game.
Our table was hands down the rowdiest table.
As soon as gimmel was rolled, you could hear the screams of disappointed dreidel players throughout the campus.
Protecting his stash.....
After games and crafts it was time to eat a selection of treats from each holiday.
Mikey ate a nut-safe churro for the first time.
GIMME MORE SUGAR!!!!!
After the holiday party and school, it was time for the Drama Club's Parent Presentation.
They were playing office workers.
Here they are screaming at their boss.
The End.
TAAAAA-DAAAAAAA!!!!
Katie got a nice certificate and, her favorite part, a gluten-free allergy-safe candy cane.
And, I'm not kidding about busy, that same day was my birthday.
42.
It was kinda good to be busy that day. Less time to think about the number.
And more time for hugs.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF.
Been wishing for the same thing for quite a few years now.
There ain't nothin' like a Ralph hug.
The day after my birthday was the last day of school.
Thus began the kids (and Huzbends) two week Winter Vacation.
They got right to work.....
Okay.
So, something cool did come outta that.
A full fledged Boba Fett helmet was made as well.
The next mess project was building and decorating our gingerbread house.
One candy for the house....three candies for me....one candy for the house......six for me.....
The finished product.
Huzbend's side.
"HELL" spelled with Pez and a skull.
Katie's side.
With a nice bench made out of Peppermint Patties to sit on.
Mine.
Kinda lame.
I was distracted with attempting to limit kid candy intake and wasn't really focused on presentation.
Mikey's.
Well, it's very, uh, Mikey.
And then, it was THE day.
PRESENT DAY!
The kids always have the BEST gift opening expressions.
This year, once more, they did not disappoint.
Here is a sampling.....
They even got excited when they opened presents for Ralph.
This bear only lasted about 20 minutes.
Then it was on to the beaver.
He would lose his tail by the time we left for the movie theater.
After present opening we headed out to catch a showing of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in IMAX 3D. It was a little loud (the kids had headphones and earplugs), but they both enjoyed it.
Whaddya mean we haf' ta go ta bed?
Ain't happening.
The next day was spent enjoying various gifts.....
(Thank you to all!)
.....and, eating the gingerbread house.
It disappeared quickly.
To get a change of scenery, we paid a visit to the PacSci Center.
The kids climbed on some skin.
And made fart noises.
Then we got tired of them.
No. Not really.
We saw a planetarium show, ate lunch, visited butterflies (without Huzbend, who does not enjoy such crawly things), and played with mirrors.
And no visit to Seattle Center is complete without stopping at the fountain.
I HATE the fountain.
Why, you ask?
Because my children cannot stay out of it.
It was the end of December and although our temps don't get below freezing very often, it was cold out on this day.
That did not stop Mikey from declaring that he would touch the fountain.
Which he accomplished.
Not to be outdone by Little Brother. Katie got into the act too.
And not to be out-outdone by Big Sister, Little Brother had to have at it one more time.
Needless to say, this was a cold/wet end to our day at Seattle Center.
Next up was New Years.
We had some friends over for dinner....
...movies....
...and midnight.
Is it time yet?!?!?
Can I go to sleep now?
As you can see, we really know how to party.
Ha!
The countdown and.....
...HAPPY NEW YEAR - SEATTLE STYLE!!!
