Best Friends

Tom and I have been noticing lately just how much fun the boys have together at this stage. Kaj has trained Leif :) to hide behind one of the bigger chairs in our living room as soon as they hear me coming up the stairs after school. If the house is silent, I know I am supposed to try to find them. One of these days they'll learn to try under the table every now and then. We'll save the lesson on hide-and-seek tactics for a later date. Until then, keep snuggling behind the chair, and I'll pretend I don't see you.

And then there are other times...

This side-by-side, Sesame Street watching lasted all of five minutes before they insisted on having their own chairs. I think I caught this at 4:59. Notice Leif starting to turn...

Leif loves to snuggle close and stay warm after baths. Lately he has decided that he needs EVERY towel in sight wrapped around him during his transition to PJs. And while we're on pajamas, his favorites are flannel blue footies with white stars all over them. He calls the his "Star Wars PJs," of course.

Baths typically happen right after dinner around here, and if Kaj doesn't move quickly enough, Leif will run down the hall calling out the theme for the evening. Typical outbursts include either "Pirate Bath" (a foam set they got from Santa) or "Barber Shop" (see above).

Today was "Share Day" at Kinderfarm, and Kaj decided to bring one of the Vikings from his (formerly Tom's) collection. Only after school today did Tom and I question whether sending a sharp-horned little dude to preschool was the right move. Hopefully his teacher wasn't rolling her eyes at us, the checked-out parents!

Itsy Bitsy Spider

We have a new favorite activity at the Larsen's!

Did you know that Photo Booth takes video footage and is formatted easily enough for a preschooler to run independently? Score!

The World according to Kaj

One four-year-old + one camera (under close supervision:) = an interesting perspective on the world!

Christmas!

We have just wrapped up our weekend of Christmas celebrations. Whew!

Filtering didn't go so well, so get ready for a LONG post, primarily of photos... and in reverse order. Will I ever learn?

KinderLarsen, the newest preschool in Iowa City

and the stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

Fruit soup!

Tom made sticky buns with pistachios - what a shame. :)

Kaj + glitter = quite a mess

Quality assurance looking on

Our view of a winter wonderland from the reading chair

Peaceful cat nap in progress

the tree

the snow

Christmas morning

a water bottle for Dad from Leif

socks from Kaj

Grandpa Hawley sporting a Farmall hat

this bores me, says Mingus

This season of gift giving at the Larsen's was brought to you by the

Pirate Marketing Campaign of 2010 - Arghhh!

The remnants of Santa's cookies and milk

Lucky Uncle Doug got to see the big man himself -

hopefully that offsets being assigned the futon

the boys' new puppet theater in the door frame from Santa

full of goodies - well, at least toiletries

best of 10, I kid you not

Grandma Hawley with the Leif man

Yoda + Elmo slippers (both Leif's, I must add) + sleepy big brother = darn cute

"huh?"

notice the hair cut - quite a bit shorter

"Big Doda!"

later to be referred to as "Doda Mommy"

wasting no time

the tie went on 8 minutes before the church service started 8 minutes away

the best call on my part? maybe not, but seriously adorable

rockin' the clip-on

tracking Santa on the NORAD site

it's ALMOST ready, I swear

the dinner table(s)

Christmas elf or Tom?

of BOTH???

"March" to Madison

Last weekend we made our second annual trip to Madison, WI to see niece Annika dance in the Madison Ballet's Nutcracker. We also took this opportunity to celebrate Christmas with the Reiks a week early. Aunt Sara pulled a few strings, and Santa agreed to stop by for a visit. Well done!

Leif admiring the "Missmiss lights,"

Annika ready to jump in should he decide to start climbing

What! A cute, posed photo of two of my favorite people!?! No grimaces/silly faces from Kaj?

I don't quite know what to say...

Yeah, right. Keep dreaming, Abbey!

mini-lesson from "Tintin"

Kaj is all about drawing, writing, building, making crafts, etc. these days. I love seeing the crazy stuff he comes up with.

No, this is not your typical scene.

This is what Chris taking his work home with him looks like.

*This is a pig heart - don't call the police.

"More again, Tintin!"

Someone's been raiding Annika's closet

"guht-cwak-eh" (audio version much, much cuter)

"Bum bumbumbum bum bum bum bum bum"

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!