Our Little Reindeer

Look what Grandma got for Storm! Reindeer antlers. While Cole is pretty happy about them, someone else doesn't seem to know what to do about his new gift.

Christkindlmarket

The last time we attempted to visit the Christkindlmarket, it was the weekend of Thanksgiving. And extremely crowded. But we've been going pretty much since it first started, and have traditions we need to continue, so back we went. We typically take the blue line, which drops you off right in front of the market. Fortunately I was actually paying attention to the posted notices during my commute this week, and saw that service was going to be interrupted right along our route. So instead we took the Metra -- the boys first trip on a Metra. To them, this probably was the highlight of the day. As a daily "L" commuter, I will agree -- the Metra is awesome. We were downtown in less than 15 minutes. The ride was smooth. The train car did not smell like urine. It was kind of a treat. Once we reached the market, we sampled some bratwurst with sauerkraut, potato pancakes, Glühwein and sugared almonds. Then the boys got to pick out their ornaments, which was honestly the main reason we went back. I always look forward to seeing what they pick out. H got an electric guitar. C a miniature present. We didn't get many pictures documenting the day. And you may notice a couple rather glum faces. In the one of C and me, we were standing on a bridge and he was a little leery. But my favorite is the one of C & H. C had just gotten his almonds, and was ecstatic. H on the other hand, had just gotten scared out his mind. All day he was being an absolute space case, and Brian walked a mere two feet away from him. He got completely freaked out because he couldn't see us. Overall though, it was a pretty good day.

Gingerbread House

For the past few years, I've been amusing the kids by making a gingerbread house with them. I kind of rate it up there with pumpkin carving (i.e. yuck --that icing just drives me nuts). But the kids love it, and I was the same way when I was their age. There's just something about a cookie house loaded with icing and candy that's irresistible. Here's this year's creation. Not bad -- just don't look at it up too close.

Holiday Party with C

C started asking if it was time to go to his school holiday party as soon as he woke up this morning. He was ready for it all day. This year, he decided to wear a tie. As he told his brother the other night at the dinner table, "when you are 18 and start dating, you should wear a tie because the girls like that." Honestly, he didn't even know he owned a tie until this morning when he asked for one. He even wore it to the grocery store -- outside his jacket. Once it was finally time to go to the party, the kids put on a little performance in their classrooms, then we all got to mingle. These parties tend to overwhelm me a bit, but it was a nice time and all those kids are so unbelievably cute! C had a blast. Can you tell?

Brrrr....

The temperature reads 9 degrees. It's a bit warmer than yesterday, but another frigid morning. Brrrrr.

Sophie's Tree

Brian's mom gave us this little tree this year. It belonged to "Grandma Soph," who was a little Polish spitfire. We have a few things of hers, but this is one item that Brian remembers absolutely loving as a kid. It's pretty fragile -- there used to be a star on the top. But otherwise, it's in perfect shape.

A Gift

When we got home from our Wisconsin weekend, C presented me with a gift from him and H -- the heart ring on the right. It came in a plastic container from "a vending machine at the Piggly Wiggly." I've worn it two days now, and even though it's not adjustable, it fits perfect. It hasn't even come close to bending and actually pretty sturdy. Best of all, you should have seen their proud faces when they gave it to me. I love my little guys.

Art by C: Turtles

Hello Santa

This is our eighth year coming up to Wisconsin for brunch with Santa at the country club. It's a big deal for the boys, and something I know they will always look back on as one of the highlights of the holiday season. They love it. This year we went with my sister and her family. C was the first of the group to sit on the Big Guy's lap. He was really nervous, but such a trooper (he asked for an electric train). H was another story. It took him an hour to muster up the courage, but he finally did it (he asked for a race car track). He wore his new Santa hat from St. Nicholas, and Santa complimented him on his taste. He even gave him a tip on what to do with it when he gets too hot. After wards, we headed over to the Lake Country Players to watch my niece in her first play -- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. It was so cute, and she did an excellent job. The boys had spent the night at my sister's house the night before, and we were not even out of the driveway before they started saying how much they missed their cousins. It was a fun weekend, for sure.

Holiday Dinner in Wisconsin

Last year, we started an annual tradition with our friends Scott & Ali, and Andrew & Shelly. We met up at Jake's Restaurant for a holiday dinner. It's such a great excuse to get together -- these are definitely some people I wish we could see more. Looking back at last year's picture (which, oddly, doesn't look much different -- we were even at the same table), it's fun to realize everything that has happened. Two of us turned 40, one turned 30 and next year at this time, Scott & Ali will have a 9-month old baby. So exciting.

Art by H: 3D Paper Project

Wish List by C

It seems that Magic did in fact bring H's wish list to the North Pole last night. So C decided it might be a good idea if he got his list in too, and asked Brian to write it down for him. He wants a real bunny rabbit and cage, real telephone, magic ball, little monster truck that is real and moves, handcuffs - real, a bike with handbrakes (blue with stickers) and two new blankets. Yikes. That's some list.

Ambulance

H has had a bit of a cold. At dinner, we mentioned it would be a good idea to put the humidifier in his room. But we forgot. So when I was tucking him in to bed, he said, "Mom, we forgot the thing you were going to put in my room. But that's ok, I really didn't want it anyway. When I wake up, you can get me some ambulance." I started laughing, and asked if he meant Emergen-C. Fortunately, he did.

Magic

Last year, Magic the elf made his first appearance at our house. The boys (especially H) were eagerly awaiting his arrival last night. And sure enough, there he was on our shelf this morning. Every night, Magic goes back to the North Pole to report on how the boys are doing. The next morning, he shows up in a different spot. I caught H standing under Magic with a wish list he wrote over the weekend, asking him to bring it with him to the North Pole tonight. I think Magic may have already made his way there, because when I looked tonight, he was gone. I wonder where he'll show up tomorrow.