V is for Viking

Chris's mom recently sent his childhood hat collection, this being the coolest specimen. Lindsey took it to school this week for 'show and share,' since the letter of the week was V.

We haven't had any snow to complain about lately, so here is a snowperson shirt instead.

Boxes are the best toys. This one is a pretend train engine.

A couple of smiling baby pictures
Lindsey's cookbook continues to be a big hit. We made bagel faces!

this past weekend

We had a visit from Courtney and Grace. Here are the three Wilder girl cousins.

We went to the Tacoma Art Museum to see this exhibit, which was pretty neat.

A sculpture that Lindsey called Clifford, the big red dog.Looking toward the glass museum, where we definitely did not go with a 3-year-old.
And, a nearly identical picture of Elise from our last post - still as cute and smiley as ever.

2 months, dozen dozen

Elise weighed 12 pounds, 12 ounces at her 2 month appointment today. That is about 2-1/2 pounds lighter than Lindsey at the same age, but still around the 95th percentile.

Christmas

The last of the snow pictures. This was on the 22nd - now it is all gone. Future snowman builder. Alternate caption would be 'ubiquitous bouncy seat photo'

Building our snowman
The snowman has rosemary arms and fern hair (plants that we never got around to trimming for the winter)

Christmas eve girls
Christmas morning
Crazy cousins

Crazy snow

I know that for most of the dozen people who read our blog (or look at the photos since there's not a lot of writing), winter is no big deal. But in Seattle, a city with approximately 4 plows and a lot of hills, this much snow is a big deal.

From our yard, looking down the street. Usually when it snows we get a couple inches, which melts by noon.

There's a baby in there - wearing a big snowsuit handed down from her sister.

Eating some snow, after announcing, "You don't eat yellow snow."

From our family room, looking out the window to our neighbors' yards to the west
Looking south out of the family room
We are ready for Christmas, hoping that by Thursday, travel will be possible so that family can arrive.
These stockings are from Chris's childhood. Don't worry, our railing isn't curved. That is the lens.
New and old trout ornaments on our tree. Lindsey had fun with the paint and glitter.

Santa and actual winter weather

Today, Santa was at our neighborhood burger place, so we braved the icy sidewalks and walked to see him. He asked Lindsey what she wanted, and she said "Everything on my list." It's an interesting list, including, but not limited to: a balloon, a watering can, a dolly christmas cup, and a christmas bucket. We're not sure that the elves have all of these things in production this year, but we will see what Santa can come up with.In other news, we are having actual winter weather here in Seattle this year. Since we took this picture on the 14th, we have had even more snow, and are bracing for wind and freezing rain tonight and/or tomorrow. So far we have been unable to make a snowman because the snow is too dry.

A couple of pictures of our Christmas baby, and last, but not least, here is a shot of a "butterfly princess worker."

christmas tree

At the tree farm - guess who picked out this outfit? This tree was "four inches and a half"
It turns out we got a bigger one, it is "this big"

Lots of the ornaments went in the same two-square-foot-or-so area. Elise was nearby, with a smile
And the decorated tree!