welcome to Bellingham!

What a FUN day we had today! It's so beautiful here with the snow everywhere and so much more is predicted in the forecast while we're here. It is very cold, of course. We bundled up just so we could go out and finish our Christmas shopping, which I am happy that we have now accomplished, and everything is wrapped and under the tree.

Speaking of the tree--we decorated it today. Dennis helped Gran hang the red and silver ball ornaments (and rehang them again and again). When the Carroccinos arrived late this afternoon, we made a construction paper chain garland with the kids. Caedmon enjoyed helping me pick out the next color to use and he even glued a couple of the links. He was a big help! Mirella helped me choose colors for a few minutes as well. Dennis was busy playing with the trucks and trains. We did trace construction paper handprints of each child and cut them out and labeled them and hung them on the tree. Last of all, Kristin and I tackled a former school fear: making successful paper snowflakes (neither of us were ever very good at it, and certainly never as fast and confident as everyone else that when we unfolded a paper we'd have ONE snowflake instead of a few pieces of one). As it turns out, David makes beautiful and perfect paper snowflakes and his handiwork has graced the tree the most. He also made a pretty paper star for the top.

Watching the three children playing together was so much fun. Dennis gave everyone several dance demonstrations. He and Caedmon played with the trucks and trains as well, and I had to remind him about sharing a time or two. I saw Dennis push both his cousins a few times. I suppose he's checking to see if he can be the Alpha Cousin, and I hope it stops after today. Dennis and Mirella enjoyed riding 'double horsey' on Uncle Michael and also enjoyed him spinning them each around until they were too dizzy to walk (and we laughed as we watched them stagger around, laughing themselves). Caedmon bonded to Froggy and started referring to his Lamby as "Dennis' Lamby" (maybe hoping to switch lovies?), and David put Froggy to bed then just to keep him from getting more attached. Caedmon asked for Froggy for another half hour. What is it about that stuffed amphibian that makes him so beloved by children? We just can't figure it out.

We're so happy to be here with everyone. Dennis likes the snow and practiced tramping around in it in his new snow boots that he's very proud of (but not as proud as he is of his brand new Cookie Monster slippers). He would walk in the snow for about four minutes and then head for the door to come back inside (like I said--it's COLD here). It was a great day!