Winter Wonderland

On Christmas Eve, my cousin Harry was telling my dad and Mike about a trail he had packed in the woods behind his house. They both thought it sounded really cool and scored us an invitation to come out on the day after Christmas with the kids to explore it.

Not only was it a nice packed trail through the snow, Harry had gone all out to truly make it a winter wonderland. There was Present Valley (complete with presents hanging from the trees), the wild, untamed Grinch Woods (which Mike and Declan braved), Spooky Swamp (that I made scaredy-cat Fiona go through with me), and Candy Cane Forest (yep, with candy canes on the trees). I loved the signs he had on the trees that gave it that extra touch of magic!

My gang (including snow dog Yogi), my parents, my sister, and my cousins Brenda and Olivia all headed out on Saturday afternoon with Harry as our guide. It was snowing lightly and the sun was out. The blondes were happy to be pulled along in sleds - until there were treasures to pick from the trees! Declan was not a huge fan of the snow falling on his face, so he preferred to be carried over riding in the sled. Snowflakes on the face - a tough concept at his age.

We had such fun and it was glorious day to be outside in the snowy woods. We were so sad that Otto couldn't make it out that day and I know Brenda was making plans for when she could come back with him! And I'm pretty sure Yogi was trying to figure out how he could campaign for us to move up there. We were in the woods pretty much every day of Christmas break.

Harry won Q's heart when we were done exploring by making hot chocolate ... with marshmallows! And her dad told her that she could eat her score from Candy Cane Forest before sugar-limiting mom said no. It was a perfect way to spend our last full day of Christmas break up north.

I love the signs

Braving Grinch Woods

Packing trail

Christmas: the Eve and the Day

Christmas morning

It's a power-packed couple days, but I really love that our Christmas is pretty much done in two days. All our family celebrations are in Grand Rapids and the schedule has been the same for years - so we don't feel like we have to choose between the families. It's busy, but short enough that the kids (and parents) don't get too overwhelmed.

On Christmas Eve, we had a relaxing day at Grandma's. Fiona and Auntie went out to brunch, Quinn and I ran some errands, Declan took a nap, Daddy and Grandpa went ice fishing. When afternoon nap was deemed a complete failure, we decided to frost the Christmas cookies. Even Dec got in on the action and frosted his own work of art - that he then got to eat!

Otto and Declan

After washing off the frosting, we got ready for the Johnson family Christmas at my cousin Brenda's. We have gone to B's for Christmas Eve forever and it's just part of the holiday tradition now. As soon as we walked in, Dec and Otto had to see each other. I held them both as they chattered and touched each other. And when I put them down, they immediately hugged. So cute! They will be best buds growing up! We barely saw the girls during the party. They were incredibly busy upstairs in the playroom. That is, until Fiona found a snake in a can. Then she was the life of the party, tricking people into opening it and shrieking with glee when the snake popped out.

Christmas morning, we found that Santa had filled everyone's stockings (he leaves a present for each of them under the tree at our house and we open those when we get home). We sang happy birthday to Jesus and then had a lovely time opening the gifts. The kids had a great time and were very excited and grateful for their gifts. Declan seemed to understand it a little bit this year, which was fun to watch.

Sugar high!

After a yummy pancake breakfast and a little bit of playtime, we headed over to Mike's sister's house to celebrate with his family. Grandpa V and Grandma and Grandpa N were all there too! We opened more presents, ate lots of food, played games (Telestrations ... seriously fun), played with new toys, and sang karaoke. My sister headed over to join the karaoke, which was awesome. Quinn was a total ham with the microphone and enjoyed singing way more than any of us expected. She was especially thrilled when Auntie Tracey put on her favorite song (Walk the Moon's Shut Up and Dance with Me). All the boys sang a rousing version of Friends in Low Places and even Dec joined in.

Our kids were getting pretty tired, so we had to cut the karaoke session short. But I'm hoping that becomes an annual part of the holidays!

Sweet Q at Brenda's

Singing karaoke with Dad

Friends in Low Places

Eight Plus Hours to Snow

Sad, carsick baby

I hung out with the kids on Tuesday and we had a great day together. We played and they also entertained themselves enough for me to get us partly packed up by the time Mike got home from work. We did a killer job on cleaning out the fridge and it felt very Grinch-like ... as I'm pretty sure the crumbs we left were too small for a mouse.

Wednesday morning, we got up and Mike finished loading the car while I got the kids ready. Quinn was complaining about her tummy and that she was hungry. I gave them each a bowl of dry cereal to eat while watching a cartoon as we finished getting packed. We had taken Q to the doctor last Saturday after a few rough nights to find that she had a sinus infection that was also moving to her ear. So she was on antibiotics. I gave her the pink meds, but she was still looking a little off. On a whim, I grabbed a bowl on my way out the door.

Dec rocked the
dress up bin at
Gma's

We were about 45 minutes from home, just going through Elk River, when Quinn said quite urgently, "I need to go potty." We were coming up on a McDonald's so I told Mike to pull off. I had barely finished telling him to turn when Q said more urgently, "I NEED THE PUKE BOWL." And yep, she did. She tried her best to hit the bowl, but her sweatshirt and the carseat took a hit as well. So we continued to the McD's parking lot where I handed Mike the pack of Wet Wipes, grabbed a Q, and headed inside to clean her up. (Also - worst place to deal with this ever. No paper towels in the bathroom and very little water pressure)

A stomach bug had been going around day care, so we turned around and headed back home. We didn't want to be the ones to bring the stomach flu to Christmas. Bugs was super bummed, but we had a quick talk about not making her sister feel bad because it wasn't her fault. I was also sad as I realized that I have never not been in GR for Christmas. 

We found snow!

Quinn did okay on the ride home and about halfway there, she started asking if we had waffles at home. I told her that I could make waffles if she wanted them. And she did. We barely got in the door before she was asking for a shower and then waffles. I got her cleaned up and tried to scrounge up enough ingredients to make some waffles. Quinn ate FOUR waffles - in record time. Then she headed down to the basement with her siblings and ran around like crazy for the next two hours. 

Without a crystal ball, Mike and I made the best call that we could - and that was carsick combined with mucus and antibiotics in stomach. So we talked to the gang and all decided to try again. We repacked the few things we had unloaded and headed back north. Eight and a half hours after our initial departure, we pulled into my parents' driveway. 

Bugs and Daddy made
snow angels

About 30 minutes before we got to GR, Q let out a big sigh (she was done being in the car. She has the hardest time with the long trips). I turned around and asked her if she was sick of the car. She looked at me and said, "No. I don't need the puke bowl." My bad on the wording!

There was a beautiful covering of snow up there (hooray!) and my mom really wanted to take the kids on a nighttime walk through the woods. It sounded like fun and the fresh air sounded nice, but it also sounded like a lot of work to wrangle three kids plus dog into winter gear. And then get all ours on too. But my mom and the kids were excited, so Mike and I suppressed our laziness and did it. You guys, grandmas are smart and we should listen to them! It was such a lovely way to end what had been a very long day. There was crisp air, snow, a few runs down the sledding hill, and one Declan sled crash into a tree. 

The trip north didn't quite go as planned, but we were all glad to finally make it up there!

Christmas Break

Hoping for angels

The gang is officially on Christmas break. Bugs had pajama day at school on Friday and the whole team headed to A's today for the day care Christmas party. We're starting to get a little holiday hyper around here. They swing between good playing and listening and complete lack of hearing and that toy is "miiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeeeee."

We are heading north to our favorite people (and SNOW!) in a couple days. I'm off with the team tomorrow and am hoping that they will be more on the good playing/listening side of life so that I can get our packing done. I have a few fun toys up my sleeve (or in the storage room) to hopefully move the odds in my favor.

We celebrated daddy's birthday yesterday with ice cream sundaes, pancakes, and turkey and mashed potatoes. Oh, and pickles with breakfast. Because I wouldn't let him eat ice cream for breakfast. The kids thought pickles with their pancakes was a fantastic idea! Now that daddy's birthday is in the books, we are fully focused on Christmas and enjoying the break together.

Holly Jolly (With a Side of Mud)

Winter Wonderland (no snow)

The blondes have softened Mike's inner grinch (methinks his holiday heart has grown two sizes this year) and he has been enjoying (or faking it convincingly) our family festivities.

On Friday morning, Quinn discovered our Elf Tyler upside down in a coffee mug, holding three packets of hot chocolate. What a nice little elf to bring them such a sweet treat! So after dinner on Friday night, the gang kicked off a fun filled holiday weekend with hot cocoa and marshmallows. Declan even got his first cocoa in a tiny espresso mug (with mom hovering nearby).

Serious decorators

Saturday afternoon, Mike and I put together the structure and the girls worked together to decorate a gingerbread house. There was some semi-authorized snacking on the decor and a lot of good teamwork. It is now the centerpiece of our table - which makes them both proud and confused ... there's so much good candy on there that no one is eating! Saturday night, the blondes and I decided that we were taking a trip to the S-town Winter Wonderland. It's a home in town that goes all out with lights. You get to walk around their yard, see Santa and Mrs. Claus, and go in the garage for cocoa, cookies, and crafts. Quinn was a bit suspicious of Santa until he mentioned that he had candy canes. She literally ran to him and they are totally best friends now. It was very cool to see - although it would have been prettier with snow on the ground (hint: Mother Nature. Need snow). Then we drove around town a bit more to look at the lights.

Disney on Ice

We took our annual trip to Disney on Ice on Sunday. This year, Declan got to come with too. We had tickets to the 5pm show, so I packed up some sandwiches, string cheese, and puff corn and off we went. It was a princess-centric show (Snow White, Cinderella, and Rapunzel) and the girls LOVED it. They both love the Rapunzel movie and that was one of the longer stories at the show - with some very cool acrobatics using ribbon. Declan was really excited about the show as well - although he kept saying "hockey" and Mike continued to remind him that "this is NOT hockey." I would seriously pay money to sit next to Fiona during these shows. They are pure magic to her and she is so happy to actively participate in the show. Q was sitting on Mike's lap and he said that she was so excited every time there was a lift or spin. They are both really excited for skating lessons this winter!

After the show, we walked through Rice Park in downtown St. Paul to see the Christmas lights. It was so pretty! The only strange part was walking through mud to see the Christmas tree. (One final plea: Send snow!) We sang carols together on the way home to keep everyone awake and had so much fun.

SANTA!!!!!!!!!

Declan - 18 Months

A few weeks ago, I picked Declan up at A's and he was trying to do something that 2-year-olds would do. I picked him up, looked him in the eye, and told him that he was not two. He looked at me and let out a yell. He was not happy that I had told him he was not two. A and I got quite the giggle out of his reaction!

I maintain, he is not two ... yet. But he did turn 18 months today. The girls threw him a fantastic duplo cake half birthday party this morning to celebrate. They did want to know why there weren't any presents!

At newly 18 months, Declan is:

• Climbing. On everything. He can get up in his booster chair, on the kitchen table chairs (that he tipped over this morning), on the couches, tables ... doesn't matter if he should climb on it or not. He'll climb it! And laugh at you when you tell him to get down. Oh yeah, and he climbed out of his crib the day after Thanksgiving. That was a first for us! His mattress is now down to the lowest level (except the floor), so hopefully that holds him for a few months.
• Talking. He's got quite a few words now and is doing well at telling us what he wants. He has finally figured out how to say "Quinny" (to her delight) and it's his new favorite word. He wanders around the house, following his "Kinny" and "Nona." We enjoy asking him questions and hearing his little "yeah" (or "yesh") as a response. He is perfectly willing to have a fit if something doesn't go his way that, with two siblings, never happens.
• On borrowed time with his pacifier. I'm not taking it away from a three year old again. So after the holidays, it's going away. For the moment, he calls it his "cookie" ... so occasionally, I'll hear him in the middle of the night calling for a cookie. I get that - I often want a 2 am cookie myself!
• Growing. I am finally putting some 18 month clothes in his drawer. He's getting long enough, but he is so skinny that the pants just fall down. He never stops moving unless he's asleep, so I think that will be a common theme. We are just about ready to turn his car seat around because he's getting squished sitting in it. He will be so thrilled!
• Game for anything. He is such a go with the flow dude. He embraces new people and new experiences. In fact, he thrives in them. If it looks like a good time, Dec is in. He is happily the life of any party! He's so laid back that I discovered a new tooth had popped through today and I didn't even know it was coming in!
• Always moving. He is so busy and loves playing. He races up and down the hall with his sisters, plays wild Ring Around the Rosie, throws (and catches!) balls constantly, and shrieks with glee at the top of his lungs. He equally enjoys racing his cars and playing babies with the girls.

He is enjoying the hustle of the holidays and all the music that we've been playing. He's a great dancer and is so funny when we ask him to show off his moves. He occasionally pays attention to the holiday shows that the girls are watching and especially loves the cartoon Paw Patrol (because there are puppies!). While he may not be two yet, it is great to be one and a half.

I Was Wrong

We got a middle of the night text from A Tuesday night. She had a sick kiddo and needed to close on Wednesday. My day didn't look too bad, so I said I would stay home with Q and D. We had a great day together ... even after it started out a little bumpy.

I took advantage of staying home and slept in an extra 30 minutes. So I hadn't showered yet when they got up. They were playing so nicely after Fiona and Mike left that I figured I could take a quick 5 minute shower. I was wrong.

I told them where I was going, highlighted the ground rules, and left all the doors open so they could easily get to me. I was just putting conditioner in my hair when I heard Dec start to scream. I rinsed my hair while expecting Quinn to come running in to fill me in on whatever catastrophe had befallen the dude. No Q. So I figured she had stolen a toy from him. I had just turned the water off when two figures appeared in the doorway (I could still hear screaming). I peeked out the shower door to find Dec dripping blood down his chin.

Apparently there had been some wild Ring Around the Rosie and he had "all fall down"ed himself into Q's bedframe. He has a pretty fat lip, but the cut is pretty small (I suspect a tooth). It's more newsworthy these days when he doesn't have a split lip, so he's tolerating it really well. And now I know, 3 and 18 months isn't quite old enough for unsupervised during shower. But game on when the 5 year old is home too!

Later in the day, I took a video of their full contact Rosie-ing. Dec loves it and will spin by himself in the middle of the room singing "ashies ashies" on repeat!

Santa at the Legion

Last year, we decided to boycott the crowds at the mall and had pancakes with Santa at the KC Hall. We had a blast and were looking forward to doing it again this year. Except there was no breakfast with Santa at the KC this year. They were doing a spaghetti dinner - but Mike had a hockey game that night. Three kids. One camera. Spaghetti. Santa. I'm brave, but that didn't sound like something I wanted to attempt solo. Then Mike noticed on a sign at the school that there was a pancake breakfast with Santa at the American Legion this last weekend. So we decided to check it out.

What fun! They put on a full party, complete with craft tables, face and fingernail painting, a pancake, egg, and sausages breakfast, Santa, and several gifts. For free! We did not know it was full on party, so arrived right at 9:00 am. Santa didn't show up until 10:00, but between the crafts and breakfast, there was plenty to do to keep everyone entertained. The girls made ornaments for the tree, Fiona got a Rudolph painted on her face, and we saw Santa!

Quinn got really nervous when Santa came in, but was fine once we told her that she could stand next to him instead of sitting on his lap. She was perfectly happy to tell him what she wanted, as long as her feet stayed firmly on the floor. Declan was SO excited when Santa came in and kept saying "Santa. Santa." And Fiona hopped right up on his lap as well.

We stayed at the party until about 10:30 and then headed home. It was a very fun way to spend the morning together, while getting our Santa visit checked off the list.

Ho Ho Ho

Santa Declan wants to wish you a very Merry Christmas. [he didn't know I was taking a video, so he was saying "cheese" too ...]

First Snow

Thanksgiving day was made even better by the first snow fall of the year. It was so cozy to wake up to the flakes coming down and bang around in my kitchen in sweats, drinking coffee and making our holiday meal. The snow was even better once everyone arrived at our house safely!

Mike and I watched out the window all morning, willing the white to stick to the ground and accumulate enough so that we could go play in it. I mean ... bring the kids out to play in it. As we were putting the food on the buffet table, we agreed that the magic was happening. There was enough snow! We held that little news until after the meal and then told all the kids that we were going sledding. The people were super excited!!!

Serious sledders

We managed to cobble together enough snow gear from our stock to outfit our nephews, our smalls, ourselves, and my sister. Mike's sister had enough gear of her own. Some of the outfits (cough, Em, cough) were "special," but they worked perfectly for winter fun! While the rest of the group held down the dessert table, we headed off down the block to the field - now transformed into an awesome sledding hill!

Nate and Ben had grabbed a couple of the saucers before we left so they were flying down the hill about half a second after we got there. Not to be outdone, Dec plopped his little butt down on the snow and then looked confused at why he was not sailing down the slopes like the big boys. Luckily daddy and auntie were hustling down the road with the rest of the sleds!

Dec and Ben. I love this!

It was D's first time sledding and he had zero hesitation hopping in the sled, laying down on his belly, and sliding down head first - just like his sisters. We haven't gotten him good outside mittens yet, so he got to wear his pink "it's hard to have sisters" mittens. Sorry, dude! We promise we'll get you non-pink mittens before the next trip to the sledding hill.

Fiona and Quinn were immediately into the adventure as well. Quinn really did a great job on the sledding. Last year, she would do two or three runs down the hill and then would want to be done. This time, she really had a good time. And Fiona ... well, Grandma claims she's part Eskimo. She just flies down that hill and completely mastered the art of the saucer. She even managed to talk Auntie into staying out a few extra minutes with her after her sibs got cold.

Getting ready to race

Em, Mike, and I had a blast racing each other (or the kids) down the hill. We even piled in a single sled for an unforgettable photo op for Tracey (**my phone is ridiculous and can't hold a charge when it's cold. So big thanks to Em and Tracey. All these pictures are from them!**) Believe it or not, we didn't even break the sled! Tracey stood at the bottom of the hill and used her awesome photography skills. Thankfully, we didn't need to try very hard to convince her to take a couple runs as well!

We hope this is the first of many, many trips to the sledding hill this winter!

Brave Quinn

First saucer trip (he started out sitting!)

Doesn't she look like she just hates it? Ha!