visiting Santa

Visiting Santa each year is such a funny experience.  It really is a snap shot of kids' development and personality.  Timid, silly, thoughtful, camera shy...all in the span of a few minutes of snap shots.  Santa in Bend was really fantastic.  Compared to the over an hour wait last year in Portland, here we waited behind one family.  And when there is no line out the door, Santa talks to your kids for at least ten minutes.  Santa in Bend was also completely versed on the 'Elf on a Shelf' and didn't miss a beat, saying he'd seen our elf each night and making sure that the boys weren't touching him!  Impressive.  

Chatting up the big guy.

Nervous Fritzi.  Fritz' list (in a tiny whisper): a watch.

 Walter's list: a pogo stick, a walking stick, a hiking stick.  No idea where he get's this stuff.  You can almost see the thought bubble above his head..."what other kinds of sticks could I ask for..."

This is what the adults want when they say "big smiles", right?  

 Warming up.

All three:  "Ummmm.  Ok.  I think we're done here."

Just look at Santa.  Oh my goodness.  

snapshot of ski school.

@ Our first ski lesson with Coach Scott.  Huge success!  

piney hair

{We went to the barbershop in Bend this afternoon.  This conversation happened at the dinner table after Fritz caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window.}

Fritz: That guy didn't do a very good job.
Me:  On you hair?  Why?
Fritz: He left these pines sticking up. (Still looking at reflection and feeling his gelled hair.)
Me:  I think he did a good job, honey.  He made those spikes on purpose.
Fritz:  Why?
Me:  To make you look like a cool guy.
Fritz:  Oh yah.  I'm a cool guy.  Wally didn't get the piney hair.  He isn't a cool guy.
Wally:  No!  That's not right.
Me:  What do you mean "piney hair"?
Fritz:  You know, these pines sticking up.
Me:  Oh.  Spines.  I see.

{This was followed by a lot of discussion about who else has "piney" hair.}
Fritz:  Mommy.  Golfers have piney hair.

farewell fall

Last week I roasted the last 4 small sugar pumpkins from Halloween and Thanksgiving.  We had just a dusting of surprise snow yesterday morning, so I figured we better use up the pumpkin before it was too late.  We are ushering out fall with 4 loaves of pumpkin bread and 2 dozen pumpkin belgian waffles.  A waffle afternoon snack, a slice for breakfast, and a freezer full of treats.  So long fall!  

jet lag

Finally home.

Santa's livestock.

Picking Daddy up at the Redmond airport certainly calls for a visit to the reindeer farm.  This ranch raises most of the reindeer you see visiting shopping malls around the country this time of year.  Their reindeer even go to Disneyland for the holiday parades.  Wally and Fritz were pretty impressed with that detail!  

toasty

Old gray lady in her favorite cozy spot.  

self portraits

boys' night

Daddy was away in China and India for 11 days and we missed him a ton!  In order to try to miss him a bit less, one night we had a boys' night.  The Ducks game was on so we made "football" food for dinner. There is no denying it, nachos in front of the tv for dinner is kind of fun.  

Fritz is absolutely obsessed with football and the Ducks.  He talks about it constantly.  He has almost entirely limited himself to wearing only his green and yellow shirts.  Here he is wearing his "football guy" gloves and running touchdowns in front of the tv.  

ABC

Homeschool is back in session.  I have one willing participant and one squirrely student who refused and ran off to play "baseball" using a whiffle golf ball and his knight's sword.  

Elfsky

 Look who showed up at our house today!  Santa has sent one of his scout elves to see just who is being naughty and nice in the Petkun home.  As per Santa's instructions, Wally and Fritz have named our magic little elf.  He is called "Elfsky" (Pronounced Elf-ski because he loves snow and based on the spelling I guess he is Russian!)  Hopefully Elfsky's watchful eye and magic powers will keep us in good behavior for the month of December!  Read more about "The Elf on the Shelf" here.