Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from the cutest red onion and peach you've ever seen!  (and yes, both Lars and Odin came up with their costume ideas without any input from Mama or Papa)

The whole family got into the fun

Red onion Lars getting his trick or treat on...so serious!

Odin looks pretty peachy while trick or treating doesn't he?

Odin and Lars imitating the pumpkins they carved

Pumpkin carving was a big hit this year!

Alaska!

While Tor is away at sea, Lars, Odin and I flew up to Alaska to spend some quality Grandparent time.  We are having a blast!  Sleep started off really, really badly, as soon as Tor left Seattle, but it looks like we have now made the transition to no nap, and so far things are pretty good.  It helps that I have full time support from Dad and Lynn...  

Friends from Seattle who spent the last 2 years in Sitka and welcomed a baby while there are sailing back to Seattle.  Since they came through Ketchikan while we were here, we had a chance for a quick visit.  Hi guys!

 

After our sailing trip this summer, there is a lot of nautical based pretend play going on right now.  In this picture they are putting away the anchor chain, otherwise known as a dog leash.

Lars and Odin and water, be prepared for serious play.  Add squirt bottles to the mix and you have the ingredients for a long time of completely occupied little boys.

Watering all of the plants is serious work!

 

What?  Don't distract me.  I've got work to do.

Preparing for a hot dog roast and marshmallow toasting.  We need green sticks!

Working with Grandpa to start the fire.

Working with Grandpa to make our roasting sticks.

Taking a break to dry out and warm up by the fire...that wading pool got me all wet!

The three guys by the fire.

Yep, we had 2 little wet naked boys running around on a 66 degree SE Alaska day.  

Finally, dinner!

The hot dog is roasted, now I need the bun and all the fixings!

Yum!  Toasting marshmallows.  Lars just wanted "regular" marshmallows.  No S'mores for him, but Odin was definitely into the S'mores.

First Day of School

Today was a big day for our family.  Lars and Odin started preschool!  I started looking into preschools for next fall and found one I fell in love with, a Waldorf inspired school with an urban farming bent.  The children spend lots of time outside, in fact time outside is such a priority that the activity fees cover rain gear and Bog boots for each child's exclusive use at school. The school has chickens and even a pig for the kids to care for and interact with.  They had openings for this year, so Odin and Lars will be going to school on Friday mornings.  We dropped them off this morning without a problem, and both boys decided to stay inside and help make bread with teacher Maria.  My question is now, what am I going to do :).  A tough problem to have for sure...

Our first ever, First Day of School Picture!

Running from the car to school

Happy to be here!

See our school bags?  The school provides them for extra clothes, Mama added the names and Odin and Lars provided the beautiful decorations.

Holiday Happenings

Since my last post was from Halloween (ahem!), I figured it was time for a whack of photos and a holiday wrap-up.  All in all we've had a great time celebrating holidays with two little boys who understand how fun celebrations are.  

Starting the festive season at Yule Fest at the Nordic Heritage museum.  Lars is eating and loving lefse, like Papa, like son.

Odin having his lefse at Yule Fest, another fan!

Visiting the reindeer at Swanson's Nursery.  It was raining buckets, but the boys and Tor soldiered on for a playdate with friends.

Happy Thanksgiving!  The Bjorklund family.

Those kids are wiggly!

An early Christmas delivery from Svelte Santa (aka Great Uncle Steve or GUS)

Lars and Odin's first parade, downtown Seattle, day after Thanksgiving.

Intrepid, wet, parade goers.

Back to Swanson's Nursery for a visit with Santa.

Sleigh for photo ops at Swanson's.

Picking out the Christmas tree.

 Big Help getting the tree to the car.

"Ours House"

Lars and the obligatory Christmas tree shot.

Odin helping decorate.

Lars hanging an ornament.

Reading time with Grandma Cheryl and Grandpa Ralph.

What's the big deal?  Why take photos of me coming downstairs?

 

Oh, maybe this has something to do with all the excitement the adults were sharing....

Santa brought stools for each boy for helping in the kitchen.  He knew JUST what the boys wanted!

Helping prepare Christmas morning breakfast

You can't have Christmas breakfast without satsumas!

Tackling stockings!

Then presents!

 

And more presents!

Taking a break with Papa.  The joy of bubble wrap is universal!

It's particularly fun to stomp on!

While Grandma minces shallots for Christmas dinner (roasted leg of lamb with mint sauce, wilted spinach salad with lemon vinaigrette  goat cheese and olives and pan roasted potatoes), Lars and Odin help pull herb leaves (rosemary, oregano) off the stems and then put the stems in the "omPost."  Such big helpers!

A boxing day trip to the Aquarium and lunch at Ivars with K and K and their parents visiting from Missouri.

Stopping at the fuel dock on our way to Puget Sound for a New Years cruise.

 

A fantastic way to celebrate New Year's Day 2013!  Blakely Harbor, Bainbridge Island.

Throwing rocks to ring in the New Year.

 Family portrait on self timer

Beautiful weather!  Our boat is in the raft of sailboats.

Keeping warm down below.

Brrr...frost on the beach.

Lars, heading back home.

Odin, heading back home.