All I want for Christmas is real estate

Mathias awoke Christmas morning to find that Santa Claus had brought him his very own house made of the finest in corrugated materials.

Yes, it is true. He received a cardboard box for Christmas!

And it as the most popular gift he received. We foresee countless hours of entertainment!

So if someone you know received, say, an Xbox for Christmas, remember: in two years it will be completely outdated. Cardboard is timeless (although it may not last forever)!

Merry Christmas (from our houses to yours)!

White Christmas

In any given year, there is an 80% probability of snow on the ground come end of December in the Twin Cities.

In the past few years we have been striking out and a white Christmas has been something to merely dream about.

But 2007 came through with an old-fashioned coating of white fun! We were excited to seize the opportunity to introduce Mathias to the frozen outdoors.

Alas, the verdict was mixed at best... Perhaps it was the wind. Perhaps it was the limited mobility in his winter outfit. Perhaps it was the face plant of his sled. Perhaps it was all of the above! But he was less than enthusiastic frolicking in our winter wonderland.

In the follow up visit a few days later the reception was better. It helped that I strapped on better running shoes and put some velocity on that sled! That got some laughs!

Downtown

If you live in Minnesota you may be aware of the spectacle the locals refer to as the 8th floor of Dayton's.

It is a life sized animated walk-through display of a fairy tale that is held on the eight floor of a department store that hasn't been named Dayton's for years.

This year they put on the Nutcracker Fantasy. My lovely wife strapped on a backpack and guided Mathias through the entire affair.... It was quite intriguing.

At the end of the story there is also the opportunity to meet and greet St. Nicholas himself [after all, Dayton's is in the retail - not theater - business].

Somewhat to our surprise, M quickly warmed up him. I'd envision a big bearded guy in unusual clothing being somewhat scary when you're no more than two... There is no word on whether a request was put in for a Red Ryder.



But neither the Nutcracker Fantasy nor St. Nicholas was nearly as riveting as riding the escalator down 8 floors!

It is almost like a slow motion roller coaster - without those pesky height restrictions.

Tree time

Last weekend we (barely) beat the arriving snow storm and got a Christmas tree.


Walking on the uneven ground of the tree farm where we cut it down was challenging for those among us with short legs. The South-Pole-expedition-weight winter outfit didn't increase mobility either.

But M was pleased to be part of the fun. His choice tilted a bit towards the Charlie Brown grade so he was voted down.

Once we got the chosen tree home everyone was pleased with the results. Turning on the lights is now a daily highlight eliciting squeals of delight.

Bilingual!

So far we're up to a dozen or so words being blurted out at one point or another in English - including kitty, Amy, lucky (?!) and baby. No doubt it is an eclectic collection!

Then, the other day, we put our first Swedish word on the board! While browsing through the scenes in Busytown M pointed to a car and said bil. It has since been repeated - usually in the context of squarish items on wheels too!

So what if it technically is a tractor, bus, or a motorcycle. It's a bil!

Finally December!

After waiting for, what seemed, an eternity, December 1st rolled in and it was time to break into the advent calendar that arrived courtesy of Aunt B.

It is shock full of fun, interesting, and tasty stuff (to be delved into over the next 25 days).

In the first pocket of the calendar was a pair of Christmas socks.

As it happens, it is time to hang stockings on the fireplace mantel so we put M's in between Ericka's and mine.

It seems like a done deal that Santa Claus will not be bringing a bicycle this year.

Thanks, Aunt B!