Where has time gone?

This is where we were three years ago...not even on their feet yet...

And this is them now....they look so different...but yet the same.  Where did the time go? (sigh)

Art on Display....

So proud of their fire trucks, although you can barely see them with the twins standing in front of them. (BTW that's the new toy storage we bought at IKEA)

Skiing!

For the first time in a long time, I have a picture of me on this blog and not one of the kids.  This morning we were off early.  I learned that it pays to get to the mountain early since it guarantees you a nice parking space right by the lodge instead of having to trek from the lower lot.  Aiko and I dropped the kids off at ski school and then we were off to hit the slopes ourselves.  Aiko hadn't skied since high school and I had been snowboarding for the past decade, so we were both a little apprehensive,  but it all came back.  

After the kids lessons, we had the idea to take the kids to the smallest hill there was.  Aiko's kids are a bit older and could handle it, but Lucas and Liliana could not.  First, they haven't learned how to stop yet.  They are probably one of the youngest in ski school (had to fib a little to get them in) and they don't seem to have the muscle control to turn their skis inward to stop.  Second, they had already skied for 90 minutes and for little kids, that is a lot of energy used up, so they were extremely tired.    So imagine me on a slope with two preschoolers who don't know how to stop.  Interesting to say the least.

Realizing that it wasn't going to work, I left Aiko and her boys and took the twins back over to the learning area.  We went up to the top and Liliana says "Mom, I want to go down all by myself"  after which she turned her skis to point straight down the hill and started off before I could stop her.  On her way down, she clipped a young kid on his skis and he fell down and then she continued to pick up speed until she hit the mesh fencing that bordered the learning area and she hit it so hard, she went right through it and crashed in the snow.  That was it, we were done.  We loaded up the van and the kids were asleep in two minutes on the ride home.  

It was a great day.  A little exhausting, but it was exhilarating to be out on the slopes again!

IKEA....oh IKEA!

After another morning of successful ski lessons, and our (3 hour) naps, the day was gray and cloudy and so we decided to head out to IKEA to see if we could find one small toy organizer for the last remnants of toys that can't seem to find a home anywhere in our house.  We hadn't been to IKEA since the twins were in the Bjorns, so say about 3.5 years.  Turns out they have this kids club which is FANTASTIC.  The kids are signed in and stamped (as are parents) and given bracelets and then set free to play inside this playzone with a bouncy floor, a ball pit, a slide and Toy Story playing on the screen to boot!  They flipped out when they saw it and although at first a bit hesitant, I soon realized that it would be a good way for Felix and I to do a preliminary survey of possible furniture options.

After we picked them up, we brought them up to IKEA kids and did they have a ball!  Liliana LOVED  this tent bunk bed she found.  

Lucas finally getting on this slide.  There was girl that was sitting on it but not going down the slide.  Lucas was patiently waiting his turn and the girl just screamed simply because he was close to the ladder.  The girl's mother did nothing about the matter, wouldn't make the girl go down the slide, stop screaming, nothing.  The kid held up the slide long enough that I asked Lucas to try something else.  When she was gone, Lucas made a break for it.  Such a patient sweet boy.

Liliana woke up this morning and stated that "IKEA is my most favoritest place in the WHOLE WORLD!"  She wants to go back everyday.  Well, maybe some Tuesday little girl, kids eat free on Tuesdays!

Blue Bath

The other day I brought home these tablets for the bath that turn the bath water different colors.  Food coloring for bath water if you will.  This night was Lucas' turn to choose the color...of course he chose blue.  

On a side note, it has helped in the learning of colors and the ones that can be produced by mixing tablets (we only have primary colors).  Now we know how to have orange, green and purple baths!

Ski school.

Saturday came and it was off to the mountain.  It was a beautiful morning, not too cold and a beautiful sunrise as we drove north.  Aiko's kids are also taking lessons.  Here they twins are with her oldest Ko.

There were so many kids.  Many parents arrived a little too late.  This is the line to "check in".  Our kids were already with their instructors at this point.  Pays to be early!

One of the first things the kids needed to do was to carry their skis.  I was impressed how well they could walk in their ski boots while still holding their skis.

Listening to their instructor....a really young kid, but he was really great with them.

Lucas about to head down the "hill"

Trying to teach Lucas to do the snowplow.  That's going to take a while.

Liliana coming up on the "magic carpet", which was like a little conveyor belt that takes the kids to the top of the "hill"

Liliana waiting her turn to go down.

I was impressed at all they did on the first day.  In the afternoon, we took the kids to the nearby school that has a little hill and they practiced going down hill with no help.  They really seemed to enjoy it.  It's a lot getting them up, getting everything packed and getting them to the mountain (and home). But its nice to see them enjoying some healthy outdoor fun in the winter time.  

Disney on Ice!

We had these tickets for so long that we ALMOST forgot to go!  Nana and the girls came as well and met us at our house for a spaghetti dinner before heading out.

Nana had shirts from the Bahamas for the twins.....

At Webster Bank Arena waiting for the show to start.

This picture doesn't do it justice, but we were very close and a great view of the ice.  

Nana bought the twins a program each.  They were so excited they wanted to read the programs instead of going to bed.

Happy New Year...

We started off the last day of 2012 going to the library for the children's celebration.  They had a clown, balloon animals and a countdown to noon with hats and noisemakers.  

Afterwards, we headed over the Lewertoffs for a traditional German donut feast as the sun went down.

Arne had some sparklers and fireworks for the kids to enjoy.

And they all chilled out with a movie before we headed home.  

For the first time in a long time, we didn't make it until midnight.  It was a tough few last weeks of 2012.  In all honesty, I was happy to welcome 2013 when the next day came. 

Some Winter Fun...

Baby it's cold outside!  As much as I hate the cold, what I hate more is not getting fresh air.  Over the weekend we went to the new Norwalk skating rink, where we were able to skate for a bit.

Skating was really hard for Lucas.  I think its just the balance issue.  Even with the "walker" he was really afraid of the whole thing.  We don't have any pictures of him on the ice since whoever was with him, spent most of the time holding him up as he was screaming.

After Lucas made a quick exit from the ice, Liliana had her turn.  The crowd thinned out a bit and by the end she was "skating" without the assistance of the walker.  Her balance is extremely good.  She was able to check herself whenever she lost balance.  Good job little girl!

The next day, after church, we all headed to Naramake School for some sledding.  It was right around lunch time so a lot of the morning sledders had gone home.  Both of the twins were great here.  It's like a roller coaster on snow...and they LOVE roller coasters! (Well at least little kiddie ones)

It was quite a big hill.  I remember lugging them up this hill last year, but this year, they were going up all by themselves.  Here Liliana is even carrying her own sled!

Even if it's cold, we will be outside every once in a while, enjoying the crisp clean air!