The great thing about Frances is that she takes the kids outside everyday no matter how cold it is. Which is awesome in my book, because Lord knows I don't want to take the kids outside when it's 5 below zero! This little patch of ice is on Lake Bemidji just down the hill from where Frances lives.
These steps were built by the CCC in the '30s and lead from Frances road down to the lake. It's crazy when you leave the road and go down the steps, it's like a little secret magical kingdom. It's pretty cool.
Once a week, the kids make soup. Each child brings an organic vegetable and they all chop the vegetables and add them to the soup. Sometimes there are some pretty crazy soup combinations. Eli still doesn't eat his vegetables but I do notice that he says, "I'll try it because maybe I'll like it this time."
When I showed Eli this picture he said, "I was playing a really beautiful song and all the kids were dancing with the scarves to my music."
A little ball playing:
Eli and his favorite friend, Leanna, who he claims is going to be "his Valentine."
The gathering drum:
Outside candlemaking:
A budding Picasso:
Santa Claus brought the kids snowshoes and cross country skis. The snow conditions weren't quite right for either as they both promptly sunk knee-deep in snow. They didn't really care though.
It turns out that eating snow and licking icicles is much more fun:
We opened presents early this year so we could spend the holiday in Napoleon with Dennis' family.
Sadie and her cousin, Cole, were the only ones who braved the wind to go outside and play. They could have made it onto the church roof, but the parents were kind of against it. 
We ended up being snowed in for an extra day. But, we got in a lot of game playing. I am now a wake boarding expert (but only on the wii, not actually in the water), still can't beat Betty or Caroline in May I, and an Old Maid champ!
Oh the anticipation:
Only in Minnesota do you have a Christmas moose:
There is no such thing as too many sprinkles:
Eli and Sadie told me that Santa was working out on the farm that day so he had to wear his work clothes. 
Much to my amazement, both kids sat on Santa's lap and told him what they wanted for Christmas. Eli wants a hockey stick and a puck. Sadie wants a princess, a Tinkerbell princess. .jpg)
It may seem like I only have a daughter, but that is because I was in charge of Sadie and Dennis was in charge of Eli. He was there.
The weather was so beautiful (notice Sadie is just wearing a sweatshirt. In late November. In Minnesota.), we had to spend a little time outside. We went to the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory because it was close to the children's museum and because it's free.
You can never get that girl out of a gift shop...
The kids thought it would be funny to pose by the nude statue: 
I can't believe I'm going to admit the next place we took the kids. Actually, I can admit it, it's probably Dennis who would have a harder time admiting that he took the kids to
Eli's first bumper cars. He looked petrified before he started but had fun once the cars started moving:
We also ate at the .jpg)
She asked all of the guests-of-honor to arrive in their very best princess outfits. Sadie's grandma came as a vampire Queen, Nile made a beautiful princess and Zoe came as batgirl wearing a wolf hat, but what else would one expect from a girl who also goes by the name "Pete" (don't worry, Sadie approved this beforehand. But, Sadie is sort of convinced that Zoe is a boy, even though she has been told numerous times that Zoe is in-fact a girl.)
I even managed to pull off being a princess quite well. 
The kids decorated lovely foam crowns with jewels, and glitter and princess stickers:
As you can see, they turned out lovely. I wish I had a shot with them all wearing their finished crowns, but the glitter was still a little wet when everyone left:
Yum...pizza!
The much anticipated gift-opening which resulted in lots of princess gear and things for dancing and things for bouncing:
The cake. Grandma pulled it off again:
