December

It really feels like December around here.
First, we're in the middle of a deep freeze, that is actually much more February-like.

Here's Quinn and his friend Satoshi playing outside when it was -7!

Can you tell I took it through the window? There was no way I was going out there. Quinn actually hates the snow and cold, and normally won't play outside in these temps but his friend got him to do it.

We put the girls' cozy carseat covers back on last week and they were thrilled! They love these things, but sadly this will probably be the last year they fit. They should totally make these for adults - I would love a warm zip-up blanket on my car seat.

It also feels like December because we made our annual visit to Downtown Macy's to see Santa and the Elf village! There was quite the line this year, but the kids persevered.

As you can see, Penelope dressed up for the occasion.

When we finally made it to the Elf village, the girls were wowed by the whole event. They believed all of it, and couldn't believe we were so close to the elves.

Quinn still believes in Santa, but his believe in the Elf village has diminished a bit. That said, he still loves to visit and go through the routine of it all.

Finally we saw Santa. Now, we just saw a Santa last week at the Mall of America but this is the "real" Santa in our book. Quinn and Penelope kept their requests (candy and a ball) but Zahra changed hers from a "big big bird" to "swiper" (from Dora)

Finally, it "warmed-up" a bit so we were able to spend a significant amount of time outside. It was 15 degrees after all - balmy!

Quinn gets sick of the snow very easily, but the girls love it. I had to bring them in after an hour because I was freezing. They were born in Minnesota don't forget, so I wouldn't expect anything less.

Field trip!

I was lucky enough to take a few hours of work the day before Thanksgiving and accompany Quinn and his class on his field trip to the Children's Museum! They even let me on the school bus.

I think the day before Thanksgiving was an easy one for parents to take off, because there were a lot of us there. As a result, I only ended up chaperoning Quinn and his buddy Satoshi, which was a blast but also exhausting. I'm so glad I only ended up having to watch two!

After lots of wild running around, the kids attended an hour long class by museum staff on "Our Community" - this is also a topic they've been studying in school.

They talked about the services in the community (police, etc.). modes of transportation, where people live, etc. It was funny when the instructor asked where people shopped for groceries and all the kids yelled out "Target!". You can tell we live in the Twin Cities (home of Target HQ)

Afterwards, the kids got to work on constructing their own city with all the components. It was a fun activity.

Quinn's school is a big, diverse school right in the middle of the city. I love that this is really celebrated within the school curriculum, and this activity is a great example.

The next field trip is a day-long outdoor celebration of winter phenology. I will be skipping that one :)

Thanksgiving

We had a festive thanksgiving this year in Minnesota.

See the Turkey Penelope painted?

We started our Thanksgiving weekend with a Thanksgiving day early-morning fundraiser at the Mall of America. It was a 5k to raise money for second harvest - a place where I frequently volunteer.

Quinn got to say hi to our senator (Amy Klobuchar) as she walked by, which made him turn bright red. It was never actually clear how many times around the mall equaled 5k, but my parents, Quinn and I did 3 rounds which I think was pretty close.
The girls and Moin showed up later and did about 1 time around.

The mall was closed except for the people walking, so it made for a really fun, celebratory atmosphere.

Along the way, there were crafts, songs, and balloon animals! Also, a few rides were open just for the fundraiser which was fun for the kids.

Santa also happened to be there, so the kids got an impromptu visit. Penelope asked for a ball, Zahra asked for a giant big bird, and Quinn asked for candy.

After the walk, the family showed up and we celebrated Thanksgiving on Friday. Here is everyone "watching" the lady gaga Thanksgiving special. I think Quinn was the only one actually watching!

Anna took a bunch of fabulous pictures of our weekend, which are posted below. She got a fancy camera for her 18th birthday so her pictures are even better than usual!

As you can see, fun times were had by all. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!