Here are some photos from our day yesterday. We started the day with a heaping pile of guilt on me because I am leaving the kids three nights a week and going to school. Add to that Elliot didn’t want to go to school. So we ditched preschool and all went to Trav’s gym class. He is still enjoying his class! He’s one of the bigger kids there and I can’t wait until he can go into the 3-yr olds class, which means I can sit on the sidelines.

After gym class we went to Imagine Children’s Museum in Everett. It’s about a 30-minute drive, which around here is a LONG DRIVE. But we made it there! It was a good day for a museum since the weather here has been wet and gloomy lately. The kids loved it and I did too. Elliot especially loved the trains. There was an elaborate play train set and behind it was another elaborate electric train set. Trav loved pretending to be a pilot. He kept flying me to New York City. The roof deck of this place had a big slide/climbing thing that the kids didn’t go on because it was wet, but they did like the stegosaurus bones. On the bottom floor, we had a snack and you can see the photo where Elliot is giving Trav “one more minute” to finish his snack because Elliot wanted to get back upstairs and play some more. It was a great day, and Trav mostly kept his pants dry. We’re back on the potty training train and I think it might stick this time.

Next quarter I’m only going to take two classes.

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Earlier this week, when Elliot was delirious with fever, he crawled into my bed wanting to snuggle. As we laid together and he coughed all over me and rubbed his nasty nose on my pillow, he said to me “Mom, I love you more than Trav and more than Dad.” I really needed to hear that since I was tired and could feel myself getting sick too. 

Looking for our weekly alphabetic item to share at school, Elliot brought his electric train from his room for consideration. Since our letter this week is O, I said that train starts with the letter T and we need to find something that starts with O. Elliot said exasperatedly, “Mom, it’s an ordinary train.” Weekly alphabetic item found!

These guys took a Christmas Eve bath and put on their special Christmas pajamas. As they were getting out, Elliot said “I love Travis to infiniti and beyond. I even love his stinky smells!” Trav said “I love your stinky smells too!” Merry Christmas!

Pardon the shakey video. I was laughing too hard. Here is a boy with a story to tell.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQBSDRmpmAo

We saw Santa today! The kids sat on his lap and told him what they wanted for Christmas. Trav said he wanted a bell and Elliot said he would like whatever Santa wanted to give him. All I want for Christmas is these two smiling faces.

Afterward we went to the reindeer festival at the Issaquah Zoo. Elliot wanted to fit in so he wore his antlers.

We were literally the only customers there! But we got to feed reindeer.

Trav got his face painted. He was so happy to have a gold star on his cheek. Elliot opted to write a letter to Santa instead. Funny, he didn’t know how to open the mailbox when it came time to mail the letter. He’s never seen those old-tyme mailboxes that you open without a key!

Then they sat on some sleighs and listened to a story. We still don’t go to the zoo for the animals. But we got in a lot of running before it started raining!

Here is Trav in an inflatable throne. Make up your own tag line.

Me with my boys at Remlinger Farms.

Last night we went to Snowflake Lane! There is loud music and characters walking around (including evangelical Mormons!) and even snow! The snow was really just soap bubbles, but it looked like snow and was lots of fun. The kids had a great time. Travis liked his sucker the best and Elliot enjoyed finding all the sources of music. He hid when anyone in costume showed up.

When we got home, I told Elliot to put on his pajamas. He included his dad’s glasses in the ensemble.

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Elliot made this Lego Christmas tree all by himself!

So I made a Santa to go with the tree.

This is what Trav did with his Legos.

(Trav says his Legos are “guns from the gun shop.”)