More fun on the longest day of the year

It turns out the free swimming available at all of the Syracuse city pools for the summer continues all winter too, at the indoor pools. Today we went the Valley pool but the lifeguards there told us that Southwest is warmer, so we'll try that next time!

Longest shortest day of the year

The day with the least sunshine all year calls for pretending to shoot at the groundhog who lives under the garage with a roll of wrapping paper and a plastic flute and then cuddling up in front of the Christmas tree to read stories.

 If you're at our house and the boys assemble both of our laundry hampers at the bottom of the stairs, collect a huge stack of books as well as their blankets and stuffed animals, and then disappear for a while, check the inside of the hampers. In the above photo, that's Beckett handing Theo another book (they trade).

Holding hands at breakfast

More trimming the tree

Sledding

This weekend we spent some nice time alone with each of the boys. Mama went sledding with Beckett Saturday and Theo Sunday, at our neighbors' down the street. Saturday took Theo to Sears and Home Depot to look at snowblowers, plus the local library, then had some reading and movie time with Beckett Sunday.

Theo decided he wanted to build a snowman at the bottom of the little hill in our friends' backyard. He liked to mold little pieces of snow into eyes, noses, chins and other body parts, and then jam them onto the snowman's body.

After one sledding run, Theo decided to kick off the head of the snowman and lay across his bottom half.

Climbing the plow snow next to our sidewalk.

Theo-Mama selfie.

 The boys did some solid shoveling work yesterday with Mama.

Then after a snowy cold day outside, it's nice to cuddle up with your blanket in front of the fire and read your books. A minute before this picture was taken, I found Beckett wrapped in his blanket, head on his flannel pillow, feet under the ottoman, with books held above his head, reading.

Sunday night we took a ride on the Polar Express, AKA the Adirondack Railroad, to the North Pole, AKA western Utica, with our friends Pete and Becky and their kids. I thought the Utica train station was beautiful, and the train was decorated beautifully. I was underwhelmed by the developmentally delayed youngsters dressed as elves who continually tried to engage the boys in conversation. I also don't remember the North Pole being across the track from Agway. But the Santa was authentic and the boys loved every minute of it.

Looking out the window as the North Pole approaches.

 Santa gets on the train at the North Pole and visits with every family. Both boys cheerfully and expectantly hopped up on his lap. When asked what they wanted (a concept I have never discussed with them), Theo said he wanted sticker books, and Beckett said he wanted a bell from Santa's sleigh. Both boys were rewarded with a bell from Santa's sleigh.

Hot cocoa and cookies back at the station.

Pete is Mr. Funtimes. The boys were all over him at the station after the ride.

O Christmas Tree

Saturday Jeff procured a tree. We put up the lights Saturday night and then put the ornaments on when we got home from the Polar Express Sunday night.

New Christmas Jammies

Bath Time

The boys have been having more fun than ever in the bath these days. Favorite bath toys include very realistic, plastic sharks, whales and stingrays and their floating Maters. But they also play games that do not involve any toys at all, like "crocodile roll"-which is when one of them (usually Theo) lays down belly-down in the water, then rolls repeatedly while trying to knock the other one down and splash as much as possible.

Another game is where they try to immobilize the other by doing a backwards hug in the water.

And... Eating the Gingerbread House

Gingerbread House

Saturday we went to our new Syracuse Trader Joe's for the first time, and picked up a $7.99 gingerbread house kit. Saturday night it took about 10 minutes for us to put it together, and immediately the kids wanted to know--when can we eat it??