Christmas 2009

I made a full recovery from my stomach flu for Christmas morning (it was a chicken noodle Christmas Eve). Just in the nick of time as well. Elsie came down to a new dollhouse "I can't believe this Dad it is so amazing! Santa just left this here for me?" and Henry got four new cars that he has played with nonstop. It's funny, Elsa likes to dress up her polly pocket dolls while Henry makes car sounds and crashes them into walls. Are we encouraging stereotypical gender roles? They do see that Ruth likes to bake and I like to cure and smoke meat. But Ruth goes to boot camp twice a week at 6AM and I make homemade jam in the summer!

Maybe the H-Man will be the first openly gay USC Heisman trophy-winning quarterback...

Other holiday highlights:

Getting my mojo back on the squash court

Taking Elsie to see Fantastic Mr. Fox at the Cinema

Henry hugs (he's really into Dad right now)

Pork roast with glazed turnips and carrots on Christmas Day

Scotch from Santa

A phone chat with Charles

Badgers over the U!

Bears over the Vikings on MNF!

Cribbage games with Ruth

Hearing Henry say Santa (SIN-duh!) - just like he said LIN-da last summer in Wisco...

Lucky Penny for Santa

Santa is one penny richer this Christmas season. Elsie was intent on giving him a "lucky penny" when she met him at the Children's Museum last week.

She's a believer! It's fun to listen to her rationalize his existence in the face of some offhand comments she hears from bigger kids - "he has to live at the North Pole, someone has to take care of the reindeer..." Ah, the innocence of youth! She wants to give him a big fat carrot and other "healthy snacks" (under advice from Mum). I keep hinting that what Santa really wants is scotch.

Elsa is 5

On Sunday we took six of Elsa's friends to see The Princess and the Frog, then after had ice cream cake. Monday night we had a family party- complete with rose petals decorating yet another cake.

That's our son Henry in the bottom left hand corner.

Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down!

Cross the laces, pull tight, make two loops, wrap them together, pull tight.

At 4 years, 351 days, 12 hours, 35 minutes, and 4 seconds: Elsie learns how to tie her shoe!

Thanksgiving Day at Mendon Ponds Park

We took a hike at Mendon Ponds Park Thanksgiving morning and visited the Birdsong Trail. Finches and Nuthatches eat seed right out of your hands. It was great. Henry tried but he started eating the seeds himself. He much preferred the off-road strollering.