Christmas Eve Fondue Dinner at home

We had a wonderful family Christmas at home in Denver. The kids were so excited about the whole Christmas celebration this year, especially Santa and the presents of course. It started on Christmas Eve where we had a special dinner in the living room. We had a yummy cheese fondue and we cracked open a bottle of champagne.

On Christmas morning, surprisingly the kids slept in until their typical wake up time but were super excited to come downstairs to see what Santa and the family had brought them.

Anna jumps up and down when she sees her Hello Kitty gloves and hat

The weather was beautiful on Christmas Day and so we took advantage. One of Jude’s presents was a soccer ball so we all went up to the park to play some soccer. Anna is not normally that into soccer but she enjoyed it this day and Jude couldn’t get enough of it. We stayed on and kept playing after Marcy took Anna home.

We had our traditional Indian food Christmas dinner but this time instead of getting takeout we decided to go to the restaurant to eat. It was delicious. After we got home Jude and Anna got out their bows and arrows and practiced in the backyard. Jude actually received his for his birthday, for Anna it was a Christmas present.

Jude and Anna line up their bow and arrows in the backyard

The day after Christmas we had to run some errands during the day (getting Anna’s passport for our Mexico trip) and we started getting ready for our trip to Iowa. Then on Friday night we did our annual trip to see the Zoo Lights. It was a beautiful warm day which meant a warm evening and thousands of people in line. The kids really enjoyed seeing all the lights and Anna especially was sad to go home.

Riding the carousel at Zoo Lights

Yesterday morning we loaded up the car bright and early and drove to Iowa where we will be until after New Year. More on this trip next week.

Jude pulls out his second tooth and proudly shows off his new grin

Well, Jude actually wants more for Christmas than just two teeth but I couldn’t resist titling the post this way given the season and what happened last night. Marcy and I had just settled in to watch a movie when we heard Jude moving around upstairs. Marcy went up to see what was happening. Next thing I know, Marcy and Jude come downstairs and he was so very excited to have lost his second front tooth. That is two front teeth lost in two weeks.

But the highlight of this past week was our trip to Canon City to ride the Santa Express again. We did this last year and the kids loved it so much we decided to do it again. Canon City is about a two hour drive from Denver and we left Friday afternoon.

We were about a half hour out from Denver when Anna started complaining of a sore tummy. She kept complaining and we eventually stopped so she could go to the bathroom. But that didn’t help and soon Anna announced she was going to throw up. Thankfully, she gave us some warning and a mess was avoided.

Anna feeling very crappy and comforted by Jude

Anyway, we got to our hotel without further incident but Anna still felt lousy and started throwing up again. She was a real trooper, though, always giving us a few seconds warning so Marcy would rush a bucket to her. But so began a long night with Anna being sick probably every half hour or 45 minutes until well past midnight.

We think the cause was food poisoning. Friday was the last day of school before Christmas break and a classmate’s mom brought a bag of cookies for each child. Anna had finished her bag off by the time Marcy arrived. The cookies were not gluten free and Anna’s body just couldn’t handle that much. None of the rest of us has shown any flu-like symptoms, strengthening our case.

Anna recovered enough to take the Santa Express train

Thankfully, in the morning she awoke feeling much better and surprisingly with enough energy to swim in the hotel pool before we headed out for the train. She was so excited to see Santa and ride the train that it gave her the energy she needed. She was great the whole ride although her appetite was way down naturally.

Riding the Santa Express train through the Royal Gorge

Jude enjoyed himself as well. And he loved seeing Santa as much as Anna did. We don’t know how many more years we have with the excitement and wonder of Santa with Christmas so we were glad we made the effort again this year to ride the train. But next year we will probably go back to doing a night ride – it is just a bit more magical in the night.

Jude and me on the Santa Express train

Singing Happy Birthday to Marcy

Today was Marcy’s birthday and we had quite the birthday celebration. It started off early as we all went out for breakfast to Watercourse, one of Marcy;s favorite restaurants. Then we all went to a 90 minute yoga class where they had a separate kids class so Marcy and I could enjoy our own class. Then it was home to rest up for a while before cake. We bought some delicious cupcakes at breakfast and we all sang Happy Birthday before devouring the cakes.

Playing soccer at City Park on Marcy’s birthday

It was a beautiful day in Denver, in the 50’s, and we decided to ride our bikes to the park. We took the soccer ball, Jude has been really into soccer lately and we played for almost an hour – although Anna was done well before that and decided to ride her bike around the lake with Marcy. With all the cold weather we have been having the lake was frozen solid so we ventured out to walk on it, although we stayed close to the edge the whole time.

Walking on the ice at City Park

Marcy volunteers at Jude’s class once a week for handwork, which these days is knitting. It used to be on Thursdays but when she got a part time job at a yoga studio she switched it to Tuesdays. That is Anna’s day off school so now she comes along as well. She is under strict instructions to be quiet and observe while Marcy is helping out in class.

Anna loves finger knitting so much she did it while waiting in line at the post office

Anyway, this past week Anna asked Marcy to teach her how to finger knit. To say she loved it is an understatement. She spent the rest of the day doing it every second she could. In the post office, before dinner, even as we were reading books before bed, she wanted to do finger knitting.

Yesterday was the annual Holiday Fair at the Denver Waldorf School so we spent most of the day there. When we arrived there was a photographer setting up in Anna’s classroom and so we spontaneously did some family photos. They came came out really well – probably the best we have had as a family.

At the fair there was lots of crafty things to do – Anna made a crown that she wore proudly all day and Jude made some candles from hot bees wax.

Jude hard at work making a candle at the Waldorf School Holiday Fair

We also bought our Christmas tree at the fair and put it up when we got home. It was a team effort although Marcy did most of the work. And Anna just loved helping out with the decorating.

Anna adding decorations to our Christmas tree

And here is the tree in all its glory.

It has been so cold in Denver this week. The last five days have been below freezing every day and we even dipped below zero a few nights. So, there has not been much outside time. So, when the sun came out this afternoon we decided to take advantage and head to the playground. But Anna wanted to stop and build a snow castle on the way.

Finally, just before I started writing this post tonight Jude came downstairs with some big news. He had lost another tooth – and this one was one of his top teeth. It had been more than three months since his previous tooth came out and he was super excited. He pulled it out by himself in our bedroom with Marcy cheering him on. He was so excited he literally couldn’t stop jumping up and down.

Sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner with the entire Des Moines family

On Tuesday we made the long car ride to Des Moines, Iowa for Thanksgiving. Jude and Anna had the entire week off from school and were very excited to see everyone again. It took just over 10 hours door to door which was not bad.

This trip was not just about Thanksgiving, Jude and Anna both got to celebrate their birthdays again. As Baba does every year, she bakes a cake in the shape of the number they are turning.

Happy to be Five…and to have cake!

Seven candles on Jude’s “7” cake

On Thanksgiving night we did something really cool. We all went to a local lake where we lit paper lanterns and watched as they floated high in the sky. The kids were all mesmerized by these things. Once the air in these “balloons” was hot enough the kids let them go and they sailed hundreds of yards into the sky.

Jude setting his hot air balloons into the air while Anna looks up at hers.

It was a chilly but festive Thanksgiving night.

The visit was over all too quickly and we arrived back in Denver on Saturday night. Today was a beautiful day so it was spent in the yard running around and doing some yard work. And we all watch the Bronco game in the afternoon – well Jude and Anna watched the fourth quarter with me.

Anna filled her little wheelbarrow with dirt because she was making clay.