Overnight

Off to Mima's house for a sleepover so Mommy and Daddy can go to an actual grown-up party!
But first they gave Mommy an awesome manicure for the party.

Mobile Basecamp

Mommy's Craigslist Christmas Present this year was a well worn but surprisingly un-smelly pop-top camper.

Many great adventures to come-
Baja 2014 is already in the planning stages!

Merry Christmas

Stockings Hung

Gingerbread

This year's gingerbread creation was heavily influenced by our recent visit with long-time family friends, Peter and Susan.

This year, our house features both active and passive frosting solar, a very sweet storm water run-off pond, a rock candy garden, and light colored gum drop roof (to avoid urban gingerbread heat island effect).

Drake was very disappointed by my failure to produce a candy wind generator.

Santa

This weekend was time for our annual ferry ride to see Santa.

Despite appearances, Drake really was excited to tell the Big Guy all about the fire boat that he's been wishing for. 

It's just so hard sometimes to be brave.

Ewan had no problem demanding a LION from the strange red fuzzy man.

Path

Another fantastic Drake quote:


(On a MOSTLY cloudy day)

"Yook at the sun! It's shining a path!
A path that goes to Hawaii!"

Boys....

What Mommy sees:
The BEST BOOKS EVER WRITTEN!

What Ewan sees:
TRACKS!

O Christmas Tree

Winter clothes

Time to dig out the warm stuff!

Dear Santa

(I think that says "train")

Airplanes

The new house has a very good staircase for launching paper airplanes.

Most Memorable

As I was driving to the store in a last minute flurry of Thanksgiving prep, my favorite radio station had people calling in with their most memorable Thanksgiving stories.

So naturally I had to think of mine:



Mexico.

2003.

In a last minute attack of homesickness, I decided that we absolutely HAD to have a REAL Thanksgiving Dinner.

So I sent Bill and Elan to shore in search of something that resembled a turkey (haha).

After a longish stretch of time the VHF radio crackled:

"Falcor,  Falcor mobile.

We're in a police truck.

Bring money.

Over."

I frantically dug out the Emergency Fund, stuffed a few $20 bills into various pockets (hoping not to use it all up trying to save Thanksgiving Dinner), and rowed to shore (FAST) while trying to figure out how to say:

"I'm a United States Merchant Marine, please return my husband and use this to buy your family something nice for Christmas" in Spanish.

In the meantime, the boys had managed to convince the police that their Swiss Army knives where not actually very threatening "weapons" and that $12 in pesos might be a sufficient holiday bonus.

So we rowed "home" and burnt the heck out of a large chicken for Thanksgiving Dinner.


Happy Thanksgiving Prep Day, everyone (and try not to get thrown into a Mexican police truck).

Safety Turkey

Drake made this awesome turkey in school today. It says:
"I am thankful for Mommy and Daddy"
And
"I am thankful for safety"

Mr. Two

At school pickup time today Ewan camped out by the new trailer and shouted his two favorite words to everyone who passed by:
"MINE"
"NO!"
(As if anyone else on the planet would want to ride in a bike trailer full of cornflakes in a rainstorm.)

Settled

It's been a busy few weeks, but we're finally completely settled in to the new place...



(Except for Emery, who will NEVER, EVER, EVER feel completely settled).





New stairs.


New snack cupboard.



New neighbors.



New fence.

New Wheels

Check out our new station wagon (big thanks to John and Craigslist!)






Such a quick trip to nearby Neighbors Park in the new neighborhood!