Ski Opener!

We kicked off our winter break this year with our first ski trip of the season right after the season opener at Mt. Baker. We tried to ski on Saturday but with winds over 60 mph they didn't even open. Luckily, Sunday more than made up for it as it was a perfect bluebird day. Zero wind, zero clouds and a perfect day. We had a great weekend at a little cabin and kicked off the holiday season with our own little Christmas celebration. It was wonderful!

Cameron is Nine!

Our 'not-so-little' guy is nine years old now! He had a great birthday weekend celebration. Ice skating with a friend on Saturday and video games at an arcade with another friend. He loved it and was spoiled all day on his birthday with gifts and his favorite foods. 

He figured out that his birthday is 12 days before Christmas so he thinks it's the official start of the song "the 12 days of Christmas" and he told me that really Jesus's birthday should be the same as his because it kicks off the Christmas season :)  

Cameron is quite mature now (when he chooses to be!) but hasn't lost his sense of humor and my favorite thing is still his ability to make himself laugh so hard he can't breathe. He will always think he's the funniest person he knows.

Lego Exhibition

 Last weekend I took the kids to a Lego Exhibition in Seattle with Addy's girl scout troop. It was amazing! Even though we've been to similar shows in the past, it never ceases to amaze me what people can build out of legos. The kids, of course, loved every minute of it and walked through each display several times. There were also interactive areas where they could build their own versions. It was just incredible to see the size and detail of these pieces. Fun fact the DeLorean model took 290 hours to build and used 65,143 bricks and it spun on a display so you could see all sides and angles. 

Happy Thanksgiving

 We had the best thanksgiving this year as the Mrozek's came to visit us from San Diego. They were our first guests in over a year and we made the most of it! We ate a ton of food, went on a lot of walks and hikes and laughed and laughed. The kids all got along great and we already can't wait to do it again next year. We got some tourist stuff in as well and went to the gum wall, pike place market and the first Starbucks store. We were especially grateful to spend thanksgiving this year with one of our very favorite families. 

Happy Halloween

It was a wonderful halloween weekend here. Cold but no rain! The kids helped host our trunk our treat on Saturday and then went trick or treating with some friends on Sunday. Addy was Cruella from the new movie, and even though her dress didn't arrive on time, she looked awesome! Cameron was the character Dipper from his favorite show Gravity Falls. 

As always I'm in shock at how much candy they got and can't seem to stop stealing from the drawer myself. Another successful trick or treat season!

Twelve!

It's official Addy is twelve years old! What a day! It was a half day all week at school for her. She started the day opening presents and was in love with everything she got. 

After school she went downtown with a couple of friends to do some shopping- no parents allowed! I couldn't believe how grown up she looked with her friends. 

Then we had a meal that she picked out for dinner. It was parmesan chicken, penne pasta and cherry pie. Since she also picked out a specific breakfast and lunch, I sort of felt like her personal chef all day. Well worth it though to see all the smiles she gave all day. 

A Dance Show!!

One of the things I've missed most during the pandemic is taking the kids to see live shows. I want them to be able to experience and appreciate the arts and there is nothing better than seeing it live. We finally had the chance yesterday to see a dance show. It was called Catapult which is the name of the dance company and the dances are shadow dances. They are done behind a huge screen and the effect is amazing. Here is an example of what it is like, but 100 times better in person!

This was at the performance center close to our house and they were extremely precautious in terms of safety. Both kids had to show a negative covid test (which probably is worth it's own blog considering the drama that involved!) and everyone was masked the whole time. It was incredible to finally be able to experience a show in person. We can't wait to do more of them soon. 

Cross Country & Volleyball

Addy has had a busy start to the school year. She is doing cross country and volleyball so has practice almost every day. She has had 3 cross country meets and has beaten her score each time. She had her first volleyball games last weekend. It was a double header and the girls did great. It's fun to see her try new things. She also started playing the violin. It's hard to believe how grown up she is becoming. 

Go Girl Scout!

It's been a super fun month for Addy with Girl Scouts. She got her bronze award for building the bee hotel and installing it at a local church. She put a ton of work into this and I'm really proud of her. We got to go to a Mariner's baseball game for Girl Scout day. It was almost sold out and was one of the most fun baseball games we've ever been too! Then we did a ropes course together with her troop. I can't believe how good she is at these. No fear!

Seattle Kraken

We are now proud season ticket holders to the Seattle Kraken hockey team! That meant we got to attend the grand opening of the new hockey complex where they practice. It included skating on the practice rink (one of three rinks!) and checking out some Kraken activities and of course the pro shop. It is an incredible facility and although I've never been to an NHL game, this seems like it's going to be pretty fun.