Jamin turns 7

Benjamin is 7 today!

He loves tetherball, Angry birds, football, baseball, PE, math, art, dogs, fruit of any kind, Mario Brothers (mostly Yoshi), Ninja Turtles (mostly Michelangelo), legos, and all things nerf.

Jamin surprises us daily with his quick mind and playful spirit. He is a thoughtful friend and brother who would live outside if he could; winter becomes sheer torture for him.

We adore this tenacious, goofy boy.

Happy 7th birthday, Benjamin!

(Sort of) Snow days

Two weeks ago, every school district in the valley was given a snow day. Every school district that is, except ours. 

The local charter school had a snow day. So did Travis' preschool. 

In honesty, we didn't have that much snow (Idaho usually keeps school open for many inches more); the cancellations came from slick roads and wind.

Benjamin felt understandably bummed as he left for school after watching the news with me that morning. 

Travis & Libby declared it Pirate Day.

 

Weeks of frigid weather followed. We woke up to negative temperatures and sometimes reached double digits as the day's high. Frozen fog sure looks pretty, but it hurts. Brrr!

Last night, a new storm moved in and brought the weather up to a balmy 20 degrees. With it came a little snow and quite a bit of ice. Once again, many districts in the area closed school today... but not Kuna. 

Just Libby stayed home today. We made it a girls' morning and had a princess tea party

and played cowgirls

before skidding our way across the ice to get Travis. Oy.

 Spring, you're welcome to come any time you want.

Winter break

The last week of winter break brought snow,

lots of indoor play time (thanks to single-digit days),

and two visits from the Tooth Fairy.

 While the break was relaxing, the boys got stircrazy and anxious to see their friends by the end.

(Plus they really love school... even if a certain 6-year-old says otherwise sometimes.)

Christmas Eve & Christmas

On Christmas Eve, the cousins frosted sugar cookies:

 Cami taste-tasted the goods for Santa:

The kids and I spent the day watching movies, baking, and playing together.

When Scott came home from work that evening, we enjoyed a tasty tamale dinner, shared the Nativity story, exchanged Christmas Eve pajamas, and set out cookies & milk & carrots for the Santa & his reindeer.

Once the kids got to bed, Scott and I swapped stockings as we do each Christmas Eve. This year, we each picked a surprise theme for each other. We always relish that just-the-two-of-us time during the chaos of the season.

The boys started chatting and giggling around 5 on Christmas morning. At 5:30, we got Libby out of bed. The kids burst through the wrapping paper at the end of the hallway and found magic.

 

 

Jamin used his own money to buy presents for the first time this year. Libby and Travis felt special from this gesture and wanted to open his gifts first.

 

 Benjamin and Leo played with the new tetherball:

 

The kids had such a blast playing together that we barely heard a peep from them for hours!

After talking with Grammie & Humey, we went to Nanay & Papa's to exchange gifts. They served dinner, then we played games and hung out until late (for a work night, anyway).

What a fun Christmas!