Navy Pier Children's Museum

We LOVE the Navy Pier Children's Museum - it has fabulous play areas and much of it is set up for different age groups. So we've only navigated 1/3 to 1/2 of the Museum and enjoy it every time! This trip we took Mormor for morning visit and stayed for lunch.

The twins enjoy - every time - the Dinosaur Bones. Digging for Dino Bones is never ending fun - and this time there was a special added exhibit with small plastic figures, rocks, magnifying glasses and other fun things to touch and discover. Mormor led Dinosaur learning time for them. It was cute - and their attention to all the details continues to amaze me.

We enjoyed the Flowering Garden room - and found that the coolest new discovery was the waterfall walls... Your shadow on a screen creates a scene with 'falling water'... hard to explain. Check out the picture of Mormor and Signe.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Just in time for Christmas we had snow - so we had a Christmas morning romp in the snow, see this post, and then with Mormor the day after. Linnea and Signe LOVE the snow... so we went out shopping the day after Christmas looking for a sled. We thought they'd LOVE a sled. We were wrong. Turns out I did NOT take my mothers advice and pull very very slowly the first time and scared them completely. Only later when my mom told the girls "Mormor will pull you very slowly, not fast like Mommy" did they get on again... traitors!

So here's what we've got for our adventure/walk to the park. Everyone and their neighbors were probably wondering how all the snow climbed out of their nice neat piles and back into the sidewalks... yup, that was my kids having a blast!

Christmas Morning: Part 2

The second half of Christmas Day was spent out in the BEAUTIFUL fresh snow we woke up too... every inch of snow was used and enjoyed by the girls. Dan built up a huge pile for them which the proceed to pretend was a mountain. They'd climb to the top and declare "I climbed the mountain!" It was very exciting. And we brought out the play slide which just added another element of fun. Total they were outside for a good hour to hour and a half! Love the energy. And exhausting - they took a GREAT nap, Merry Christmas to Mom and Dad!

During naptime, I picked up my mom at the airport and brought her back to very excited girls! Linnea and Signe we're very happy to have her! They celebrate a bit more with a stocking full of goodies from Mormor and then enjoyed playing the day away... I think my Mom gave them the best gift and most unexpected... harmonicas! They have carried them around in their purses ever since and apply their new chapstick between each play of the harmonica! It's hilarious. Mormor also filled their purses with new brushes with little mirrors - it is pure girl and they LOVE it! It is such a joy watching the girls explore and play all the new things.

Christmas Morning: Part 1

Christmas morning had Dan and I up at 6am so that we could be showered and dressed before the girls woke up! Though we didn't relish the idea of getting up early it made for a very relaxed morning for us adults. We had breakfast ready and on the table before the girls got up.

Needless to say it took the girls all of 25minutes to finish off opening presents... they enjoyed every minute and we did too! The excitement over snowflake socks was just as grand as their excitement over ToyStory toys and a bean bag toss. I was able to surprise Dan with a coffee grinder - totally thought he knew when the whole beans I ordered from Alterra Coffee came and he kept shaking it before I could put them away. To think he was just excited over delicious coffee - and he has been enjoying and using his grinder every morning for fresh coffee! I got a dutch oven which I was VERY excited about. I have a pile of recipes that I was waiting to try for the day I got a dutch oven. So we'll see what I can cook up!

So here's the view from Christmas morning....

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all

and to all

a good night!

Merry Christmas!

Love from all of us - on this Christmas eve!

The girls were so well behaved at church this evening - an hour and 10 mins!

It was a wonderful service and a blessed reminder of our Savior born unto us!

So excited to celebrate Jesus birthday with our family.

Goodnight!

Kismas Day

L&S: "Merry Kismas"

Me: And who comes on Christmas day?

L&S: "Santa and Mormor come on Kismas Day"

Me: And what will Santa bring you?

L&S: "New Shirts!"

Me: New shirts? And what else?

L&S: "Puzzles and games"

Linnea & Signe wish you a very Merry Kismas!

And we do too... Merry Christmas from all of us!

Sugar Cookies

My favorite Christmas cookies have always been my Aunt Colleen's sugar cookies. Each year she brings them to family Christmas with extras usually set aside in a baggie just for me. She knows I love them! So I was excited to share my love of sugar cookies with the twins this year. We broke out our aprons and stools, managed to make 6 dozen sugar cookies (thats only one recipe) and eat them in a ridiculously short amount of time!! Which is why I will not be making anymore cookies this Christmas.

Call me Scrooge if you must - but I have NO self control about Christmas cookies!

Sunglasses in the Snow

Toddlers have the best fashion sense - didn't you know? Signe doing all the hard work, shoveling with Daddy as Linnea builds a snowman with Mommy!