Kid Letter to Santa 2015

Here is the annual tradition where the kids write letters to Santa. Ok, turns out only half the kids wrote a letter this year.

Dear Santa

Merry Christmas

This year for Christmas I would like a dog for the family, not a puppy but a dog, one that’s already house-trained would be nice and I know that dad would rather have an older 2 or 3 year old dog than a little tiny puppy. Also I think that Kenzie would love to have an all day friend who actually likes to do doggie things.

I was good this year and while you may not think that I helped with Kenzie it’s true since the beginning of November but that’s because I have SO many activities and don’t really have time or energy. Before that I walked her a lot. I’ve also gotten good grades in school and I haven’t even missed a day yet! I’m sorry that this letter is so late btI just lost track of time a bit. If you can’t grant my wishes than that’s okay because I was so late but THANK YOU anyways.

Love,

    Ella

One To Three

Today, Ella began three-year old pre-school at the Onica Prall Child Development Laboratory at Hood College. What is a lab school? It is a place where college students who are considering becoming teachers go to learn that maybe they should pursue a different career path.

Ella was a bit nervous in the days leading up to this milestone, but just after leaving the house this morning, she calmed down, felt ready, and handled it all like a champ. She just got home, and said her favorite part was playing with her new "bestest friend" whose name she can't remember

Busy Saturday

I arose early Saturday morning to catch the sunrise on an old stone spring house that I've been wanting to photograph for a while. It was near enough to bike, and had it not been cloudy, I would have arrived just in time. Even so, I got some half decent shots:

springHouse Hosted on Zooomr

On the ride back, I stopped at another unused old building - this time a barn across from my neighborhood. Just photographing some of this stuff made me feel like I need a tetanus shot.



Next up was the opening day of U6 Soccer - Our Avalanche (now in white) vs the Yellow Wildcats. Both teams showed improvements, and the game was much closer than when these two teams met opening day in the fall (or it would have been had score been kept). Here are some shot of Alex in the "Big Kick" defense:

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It was then back to the house for a quick lunch, before heading for the Shady Grove Metro station to take the subway into DC. The main reason for this trip was so that Shelley could pick up her packet for Sunday's Cherry Blossom 10 Mile race. (She finished the race in under 90 minutes which is quite impressive for a woman her age). While Shelley was off getting her stuff, the kids and I went to the Air and Space Musuem. The highlight of this was Digital Dome hi-def planetarium show.

It was then time for some hot dogs, popcorn, and requisite carousel rides in the mall before dragging our tired selves back to metro and back home.

familyMall Hosted on Zooomr

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Merry Christmas in Maryland

This was our fourth Christmas in Maryland, and I think we are starting to get the hang of it. To me, Christmas is a time of family traditions, and we managed to keep most of the old ones and start a new one.

Traditions Kept

• Wake up Christmas morning in our own beds
• Brew-pub dinner on Christmas Eve
• Watching It's A Wonderful Life while assembling presents

New Traditions

• Lobster Tail Dinner Christmas Night

Traditions Lost

• Drive-by gawking of crazy decorated house in Point of Rocks

My folks came down Christmas Eve, and were able to watch Alex sing as part of the kid's choir:

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They then took us to the "Skinny French Fry" restaurant (aka Brewer's Alley) for dinner, where Ella was being Ella:

ohElla Hosted on Zooomr

Christmas morning brought the chaos you'd expect, along with some delicious apple-wood smoked bacon. It was well worth however long it took off my life. Once it was gone and the presents were all opened, Oma and Opa hit the road back to PA.

The second round of presents arrived with Grammy and Grandad who managed to pack enough gifts into their Forrester to do Santa proud. They were rewarded with the joy of family and a surf and turf dinner courtesy of Omaha and Opaha Steaks.

Kids Letter To Santa

Hello Santa Claus-

I've been very good this year. I'd like a Mac the Truck for Christmas. I also hope you can bring me my own electric train.

Santa Claus, Merry Christmas! I hope you have a fun one. If the reindeer are nice, I will give them reindeer food sometime. Santa Claus, sometime can I have a ride in your sleigh?

Our house is in Adamstown, Maryland. It is a brick house. If you see a Christmas tree with Thomas on it, that means you are at the right house. We're going to get our Christmas train out today.

Merry Christmas Santa, Goodbye.
Alex

Dear Santa-
Happy Christmas!
I have been a good girl this year. I played with my Daddy, I played with my big brother, I played with my cars, I played with my Mommy, I played around, and I played with all my friends. That's all I did.
Can you please bring me a Dora kitchen, a Dora magic castle, and a Dora towel, a new computer (I don't have a computer), and maybe a kid remote. I'd also like a Sally. That will be a lot of stuff for Christmas - all that stuff! I want a kid spoon. I got too many stuff.
You can fly to our house. It is in Maryland. It's like this high. It's kind of grayish.
That's the end.
From Ella.

Princess Party Palooza

Though she turned 3 on October 28th, we just had Ella's party on Saturday. The theme, as required by law, was Princess. Guests came from as close as next door and from as far away as Virginia and Pennsylvania. A good time was had by some.

Making a Wish


A Wish Is Made


The cake takes the cake.


Alex realizes one of the main downsides of having a sister.

Fall Fest at Chevy Chase

On Sunday, we attended another in the long string of fall festivals. This time, it was at Grammy and Granddad's church in Chevy Chase, MD. This is our third year at this particular festival, and each time is more fun than the last. Here are some pictures:

Both kids handled their steeds like old hands. The beasts did not seem off-put by the costumes.

Ella was unsure about cotton candy. She thought it might be fur. She gave it a go anyway. Alex had no hesitation.

A-Maize-Ing

So my friend Hugh has a corn maze. Each year we have a get together with some friends at this corn maze. Each year it has rained, at least until now. This year it was partly sunny and crisp. A great day to get lost.

Here is ella making a corn angel in the Corn Box. I'll let you guess how many kernels stowed away in her underwear

Here is Alex in the actual maze. The half empty cob he is holding is the surprisingly effective means he used to ensure we would not get lost. We've learned that pieces of corn work better than bread crumbs

It was great to (finally) get to do all the attractions that Maize Quest has to offer, and also very nice to spend some time visiting with some friends. A good time was had by all.

Soccer "Skills" Fest

Ella completed her U4 soccer season on Saturday with a clinic where the kids could show off their skills. Ella was happy to demonstrate her dribbling skills, and her passing skills, which were expected, and her fussing skills, and watching from the sideline skills which were not.

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Ella Refuses To Participate

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Ella checks her shoe instead of participating

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Ella gets a trophy anyway

Jack is Back

Shelley and the kids transformed Alex's pumpkin from the pumpkin patch into a "scary" Jack-O-Lantern. Here is the play by play:

Scooping Out The Innards:

Carving the face:

Supervising Carving the Face:

Posing With Jack:

Who is This Goofball?

The Great Pumpkin Patch

On Saturday we visited the local pumpkin patch. The hayride and the antique tractors (that you can climb on) were once again hits with the kids, along with the new Giant Pumpkin moon bounce (I've officially added moon bounces to the list of things the kids can't walk past. Puddles are also on this list).

The rule of pumpkin selection is that you must be able to lift the pumpkin you chose. Alex chose the biggest pumpkin that he could lift. Ella, iconoclast that she is, chose two small pumpkins.

This year's visit was bittersweet because it reminded me that I was again unsuccessful at growing my own pumpkins. I actually had a large orange pumpkin in my garden, but the problem was that it was ready in July. It did not make it through August, yet along to October. I'll try again next year.

Give Me Some Sugarloaf Mountain

Sugarloaf Mountain is a few miles southeast of here, and according to the topographic map of Greater Adamstown that hangs on my wall, has an altitude of 1282 feet at its peak. Last year we took the west view trail (blue blaze) to the first lookout. On the way back to the car, both kids tripped and fell several times and were bruised and bloodied.

It was so much fun, that we decided to go back. We once again followed the blue blazes to the first lookout, and this time the kids didn't even break a sweat. Feeling bold, we switched to the red blaze trail which is a fairly steep ascent to the peak. The kids were troopers, and it we made it to top intact.

This is when we literally took a turn for the worse. Figuring the kids might have trouble descending the red trail, we instead set out on the blue tail which we would thought would be easier. I should point out that we did not have a trail map, and really lacked any information about the blue trail other than that it would eventually get us back to the first lookout and then to our car. Turns out the blue goes all the way down the wrong side of the mountain, then back up to the right side. Luckily, it wasn't long before we lost the trail or maybe it lost us. Either way, after some frustration and a fruit snack break, we made it back to the red trail. Going down it was not as bad as we thought, even with carrying Ella-who'd-had-enough-hiking. We got lost once more, but made it back to the big white car a bit tired, but perhaps also a bit wiser.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

As the end of summer rapidly approaches, it is time once again or for soccer. Both kids are playing this time, Alex on a U6 team and Ella on a U4 team.

Saturday was the first game for Alex's team which I think calls themselves The Avalance, but I call them the Gray Team. The U6 games are 3 on 3 with no goalies. At any given time about 4 kids know which goal they should be shooting at. The Gray team played the White team, and it's a good thing that they don't keep score. If they had, Gray would have lost many to zero.
An hour later and one field over, it was time for the second practice of Ella's U4 team. In U4 they don't play games, but instead work on learning skills. What I've learned is that anyone less than 3 is probably too young for organized sports. Ella seems to enjoy it though, except during the times that she is crying or throwing a fit. She does like wearing the shirt.