MERRY CHRISTMAS!

No words really to express this morning's excitement! Kids came running in at 5:20am - not bad really. :-) To quote Ryan... "This is the BEST Christmas ever!"

Jack lost his front tooth...finally!

So, after having a wiggly tooth for what seems like months...Jack's top front tooth finally came out. He's been a little gun shy since the last tooth that came out was followed with a little blood too. So, he's been hesitant to wiggle any of his teeth. The dentist told us last week he has 4 loose teeth - but he wasn't willing to work on any of them. Maybe now - this time...very little if any blood...he'll spend his Christmas vacation wiggling! :-) "All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth"...

Ryan learns to ride a bike!

Well, it's official - in a matter of minutes, Ryan learned how to ride a bike without training wheels! His smile was a mile wide! :-) Shortly after learning how to stay balanced and pedal at the same time, he learned how to skid to a stop! Loves the black mark it leaves! :-) Yay for Ryan!

Snowball fight!

Since we are not in Oregon - we had to drive 5 hours to get to the snow - well actually, there was snow on the ground at the Polar Express Experience. So, we enjoyed about an hour in the snow - before we got coooolllllddd and went inside to swim in the indoor pool! :-)

Polar Express

Well, it's true...we went for a ride on the Polar Express and made it ALL the way to the North Pole! The Grand Canyon Railway did a really nice job of making the experience as true to the story as possible. We boarded the train (kids in their jammies), were given hot chocolate and a cookie to eat on our way to the North Pole. We went through the magic tunnel - which takes us at light speed to the North Pole. Once at the North Pole, we saw a lighted Santa's workshop, Santa and Bernard. Then the train turned around and as we drove back by Santa's workshop, Bernard was standing there - but Santa was not! Where did he go?!!? Well, he was on board the train. He came through and gave each child a bell. We sang Christmas carols all the way back to the station.

Parent verdict: Long drive, short train ride, lots of people - probably our only trip to the North Pole.

Kids verdict: LOVED the North Pole, loved seeing Santa again, loved playing in the snow...the long drive didn't bother them. They'd probably like to see the North Pole again - especially if we went with their friends again.

Here are a few pics.

Ryan's Christmas Program at School

Just a few quick pictures from Ryan's Christmas program and book exchange at school. He loooovvvvveeedddd talking to Santa (again!). It's probably good to check in with the ole' guy each week...just to be sure he knows what you want and to remind him that you've been good. :-)

SANTA - SANTA - SANTA

Jack's school had a tree lighting last night, the kids wore their jammies, listened to the book, The Polar Express while drinking hot cocoa and eating cookies. There was even a visit from Santa and Ms. Claus. The kids loved chanting San-ta, San-ta, San-ta...They were so enthusiastic about their chant that they brought the microphone over to hear from the "real" believers! :-) Ryan spent his time reminding Santa about his email. :-)

EMAILSANTA.com

OMG - this is the coolest site. You go there, your child puts in minimal info (name, city, 3 wishes for Christmas gifts) and kablam...you get an instant response back from Santa. It's not a real email (I chose not to list our email address...it was an optional field) and right on your screen, personalized with sound and their name is a response from the big man himself. You can print it, save it, cherish it...my boys both LOVED it! Here's a list of what the boys asked Santa for...
Ryan
1. lego man
2. teddy bear (no specific teddy bear...just a teddy bear)
3. pair of shoes (no specific shoes...just a new pair of shoes)

Jack
1. Nintendo DS
2. 2 in 1 Ping pong table/pool table
3. Flat screen tv

Couldn't be a better example of contrast in our family! :-) Flat screen tv?!? What is that kid thinkin'? The funny thing is, the boy who asks for a new pair of shoes and a teddy bear is one who always is asking for stuff and the one who asked for all the big ticket items...hardly ever asks for things at the store. :-)

Anyhoo - check it out. emailsanta.com

Alburturkey

So, here's Jack's latest funny...he was re-telling a story to Todd - that Ryan had told earlier...about his friend who had been on vacation in Alburturkey! :-)

Good times in Sacramento

Todd at mile 26.2...definitely ready for that finish line!

Morning of...on the way to the race. They look pretty good don't they?!?

The rag tag bunch at the start line...the day before!

Good News...Todd and I just returned from Sacramento. He and a group from Tucson ran the Sacramento Marathon...and he got a personal best by 6 minutes, running 26.2 miles in a time of 2:36:08 - even on a course with a tough top 1/2 AND a very cool morning! Way to go Todd!! The others he was with had great runs too, each making their time goal and qualifying for the Boston Marathon.

Sacramento was beautiful - lots of fall leaves and very cool temperatures! We had a great time and Todd's hard work and training paid off!

The boys also had a great time...splitting the weekend with Nana & Papa and Grandma & Grandpa!

Todd's stats: 2:36:08 33rd overall, 5th in age (out of a field of 5,200)
*Interesting facts...had Todd stayed in Tucson and ran the same time (even though the Tucson course is easier) - he would have WON! *Had Todd been 1 year older for the Sacramento race (ie. 40 yrs old), he would have placed 2nd in his age group - and maybe won some $$$.