Indoor Picnic

Last Tuesday the kids and I didn't have to be anywhere in the morning. So I let myself breathe and enjoy some time with them, packing them an "indoor picnic" for a cold winter's morning: we wrapped up sandwiches and goodies and put them in backpacks. They pretended we were hiking and we finally came to a picnic spot by a lake. Then we were in a boat on the lake and sometimes we fell in the lake. Love their little imaginations.

Cross-carpet skiing

Certainly no lack of imagination in these kiddos. A couple curtain rods and pieces of trim, combined with scenes of a little snow on the roads as we drove back home from church, and carpet skiing was born.

Brothers and green nail polish

The boy decided on the spur of the moment one day that he wanted to help paint his sister's nails. And he did a pretty good job!

Welcome 2013!

Super-heroes

Yo and his friends, in a mall earlier this year.

The Cousins

The arrival of the cousins from California meant a never ending playdate for the kids.The adrenalin rush was constant for the five short days of their visit.

The kids managed to contain their enthusiasm on Christmas morning till we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and read the Bible. After that it was rip, rip, rip and playing with all their toys. Brunch was a big spread of special treats, and dinner at Bhasker mama & Shanda A's meant more yummy food and more gifts.

The other highlights of the trip included their little nativity play production, yummy pho at our fave Vietnamese restaurant, my birthday trip to Benihana's and a trip to OMSI. We also enjoyed a special Christmas Eve service together with some rocking music (with dada on the djembe). And in between all that was a lot of eating and a LOT of playing :) We're going to miss our family.

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Christmas Party 2012

The annual Christmas Party had the usual mixture of loud chatter and galata, excitement over Santa and gifts (and some boo-hooing), "creative" White Elephant gifts, cookie decorating and loads of food.

The kids still haven't picked up on Kartik uncle's alter ego as Old Saint Nick. And for the first time, neither of them were in tears with the first "Ho!Ho!Ho's!"

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