Only in the Midwest

I had to take these pictures today. The girls got out to play in the snow this morning. There was enough time to shovel before the rain and then sleet started. True Minnesotan kids, determined to have fun outside no matter what. Umbrellas and Snowsuits...






It is one hour until Christmas. I better get to bed since the morning will come early with two very excited little girls!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Sliding Glass Door Curtains

I searched everywhere for some curtains that would blend with my living room and kitchen. I even looked at material everywhere to try to make curtains myself. I found some cheap fake silk (washable!) curtains at Big Lots. Then, I found two different types of ribbon to sew to it to dress it up and help match the colors. (Thank you mom for sewing the two ribbons together.) That was a lot of work. I then used some iron on hem tape and ironed the ribbon to the curtain. I think it turned out great.

Just a Few More Pictures

I'm so annoyed at myself for taking more pictures and posting them because I've already printed my blog into a book for this year. I'll just have to tack them onto 2010's blog book I guess.

Here's the girls taking Hannah on her first sledding adventures. She was not thrilled at all.


Here's a few pictures of Elyana's last music class.

New Desk/Counter

I'm so excited, so excited. A project that I had in my mind and shared with Nate is finally coming around and way better than I imagined. I couldn't find the right desk for Mikayla and Elyana and wanted a large work/craft area for them. So, 3 pieces from Ikea and a beautiful fake granite counter from Menards and Voila! I love you Nate, thanks for making this for us. It's going to get a lot of use!

I Love Masking Tape

Today Ellie and I made a parking lot for her Hotwheels. We then connected it to the existing masking tape hopscotch and the hopscotch can now be a maze of roads.


Here's a picture of the girls playing in the snow on our Blizzard of 2009. They only lasted 10 minutes. It's fine to have snow to play it, but I'm not okay on the negative temps from windchill!

Watching the Snow

Elyana has wanted to watch this years first snow storm today and wait for Daddy to come home. Thought this was precious.

Sit, Stay, and Read

We waited all year and finally got Mikayla scheduled to read to a therapy dog at the public library. She was so excited that she was squealing in the hallway waiting for her turn. I'm just happy that she is finally excited about reading instead of hating it!

The HolidayTrain

I heard about the Holiday Train coming to Rochester on the radio this weekend. Ellie is very into trains right now and so I decided to take her. This is a very cool thing and I was glad we waited in the cold today to see it come. Every car was decorated and when it stopped, the door to the main car was opened and fake smoke poured out. There stood Santa singing Rock and Roll. He came off the train and began to hand out candy canes while the live band played different songs. Great idea for a great cause. The funny thing is that Elyana kept thinking that it was the Polar Express train and that she would get to go on it and ride to the North Pole to see Santa. Poor kid, that was a tough one to explain!

Here's a little info about the Holiday Train from their website (http://www8.cpr.ca/English/General+Public/Holiday+Train/default.htm), "The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train hits the rails again this November, visiting over 130 communities in eight states and six provinces. In the last decade, the Holiday Train has helped raise $4 million and 2 million pounds of food for local food banks."





Here's a picture of the Mayor that even stopped by.

Pictures with Santa

Nate lucked out this weekend. While running an errand to Sam's Club with Elyana, there was a Santa sitting there and pictures printed out were only $2! Of course, Mikayla felt left out, after all, she still had to tell Santa what SHE wanted too. So, after our Nutcracker Tea Party, we had to return some Black Friday items at the mall. There sat Santa... So we waited in a long long line and I am thankful that I still had my camera with me from earlier. The mall pictures are expensive. She very much still believes in Santa (although she no longer believes in the tooth fairy...). While waiting in line, she very thoughtfully decided what she'd ask him for. Go figure, it's something I didn't get her!

Nutcracker Tea Party

This Sunday I took Mikayla to the Nutcracker Tea Party. I couldn't believe how cool it was for the price. What a fun excuse to dress up! There were incredible treats on each table and a hot chocolate bar. While we ate, the dancers mingled with the tables. Then they put on a mini Nutcracker performance. The children got to sit right by the stage. After that, they got to dance with the dancers, get pictures taken, and get more treats (really neat ones) that the dancers personally gave each child. Mikayla danced herself all the way into the elevator and to the parking ramp. "Can we do this every year?" she asked. Of course she wants to take dance lessons now. How to work that into the budget and schedule...hmmm.

Midwest Lifeshots Photography

Once again, our friends Scott and Jen Elder took the girls' pictures. Thanks so much you two! Here are just a few I wanted to share:

Update-Cabin Fever

What do I with the kids on cold days or days when the girls are home sick?

Dress Up
Elyana loves creating her own character of dress up. This is her favorite, cat woman/batman/with long green gloves on. She thinks she can really scare you in this getup and when you react, she whips off her mask and reassures you, "It's just Ellie."


Masking Tape Hopscotch
I needed a few minutes just to my self and the girls were super hyper. I quick made this indoor hopscotch with masking tape. It worked like a charm, burned off some energy and bought me some time.


Kleenex Box Collection/Doggie Condominium
Mikayla got into this project when she was sick last (she got the idea from Sophie Stiles). Our doggie condo is really growing. They now have a toilet which grossly is also their bath and water dish.