Holiday Thrills with the Grandkids: anything goes!

Let's start with November family night at

the Talberts'.  Claire has taken Matt's place

at the table and is chowing down on that cake.

We're debating: "Do you think the kids will 

want to do Christmas again this year?"

A good book draws all four kids at once-- a novelty.

Don't ask what Bri has in mind.  You don't want to know.

Evan is bitten by the reading bug, too.

And so is Hunter.  It's an epidemic, and Claire is
an attentive listener.

Thanks for the gloves, Grandpa, but somebody
stretched them a little.

Evan's task is to break up the frozen water from
the birdbaths.  The tool is a hubcap hammer.

Judy and I have been waiting for some of our own
cedar trees to reach the size for a Christmas tree.
Thanks to the birds who plant them.

Yep, another Charlie Brown tree for the Loyds.

The best Christmas decorations are those that
easily turn into toys.  And Grandma's hope chest
is where we keep them all, easily accessible.

Hunter and Bri are hanging ornaments on our little
crape myrtle tree.  Evan and Claire will have a chance
to add many more if weather permits this week.

Evan and Claire are proud of their tree.
Not everybody can have their Christmas tree
protected by superheroes. 

Evan's superheroes all want to see Santa Claus.

The BIG superheroes take the BABY superheroes
on a field trip in the Magic School Bus.  Destination:
The North Pole and Santa's Workshop.

Did you know Santa's sleigh is really a Mr. Potato-Head?

Claire, AKA Batwoman/ The Dark Ballerina,
cradles her Christmas snow globe.

Evan took this closeup of my shirt for Matt.
Nice job, Ev-man.

We are not reluctant to mingle characters.  Santa
arrives at Baby Jesus's manger in time to celebrate
with the shepherds, wise men, Mary, and Joseph.

In fact, Hunter has gathered all of the Santa's and
Frosty's to honor Baby Jesus.

This is one tired dude.  The big one on the left, that is.
Hunter still has some gas in the tank, but likes to snuggle.

Hunter and Bri still had plenty of energy for an icy
trek to the stream.  Our "hoop-fishing" is still popular.

The stream was way "up" today due to days of rain,
and Bri uses an extra long stick for rescues when the
stream threatens to wash the rings away.

We're always working on hand-eye coordination.

The kids love to help Santa and the elves climb this
ladder, a gift from a friend many years ago.  Some of
my students may remember the ladder from my classroom.
We even had a Christmas Math AHA based on it.  I would
give the students clues about which rungs of the ladder
Santa, Elf 1, Elf 2, and Frosty were on (ex. Santa is three
rungs above Elf 2.  Frosty is two steps below Elf 1.  The
steps the two elves are on add up to 15.)

Maybe you're familiar with the old English carol
"I Saw Three Ships."  Well in Bri's version, Baby
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph take a pirate ship to England
to escape from a sea monster.

T-Rex tries to scare the sea monster away.

You're safe now, Baby Jesus.

For the second straight day, Bri and Hunter can't
wait to stick gumdrops on our old-fashioned gumdrop
tree.  No pricks, no blood, no ouches.  Amazing!

It's definitely an art form.  And the rewards are yummy.

Bri did this on-line coloring.  As she explains, that's
the way God made her skin.  The same website has
many fun children's activities.  I discovered it many years
 ago when someone sent me "Buddy's SnowballFight", a
holiday game.  The kids love the game and the "coloring."

When Hunter saw how Bri exited the computer
chair, he wanted to see if he can still squeeze under
the chair's arms.  Yes, but not for much longer.

When the temperature finally crept up to the upper
40's, we headed outside where we swung, hiked to the
 pear trees, played in the old car, and played toss the
  Frisbee.  Hunter makes it more like Kung-Fu Frisbee.

I'm closing with three 30 second videos I'm

sure you'll enjoy.

Video 1: In which Hunter goes all out

to try to get Grandpa's camera

Video 2:  After getting my camera, Hunter

earned the privilege of hauling my firewood

for me (psst . . . please don't tell him that's

not what you normally get for winning)

Video 3: Presenting Hunter, the Kung

Fu Frisbee master with his new game

Much December fun remains, so stay tuned.