The five cousins with Jude, Lily and Anna featuring various cats on their faces

All five cousins were together to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Des Moines. One of the reasons we make the effort to visit so regularly is that they really do love each other and get along so well. And now the twins are three they are starting to play more together. Although for outings it is usually just Lily, Jude and Anna – as was the case with the Science Center celebration where the kids all got their faces painted.

The kids toasting in the New Year at 6pm on December 31.

The highlight of the trip was definitely New Year’s Eve. We did an early celebration so the kids could all do a countdown and then a toast to the New Year. They get quite into the spirit of the evening. We even did a balloon drop that was very exciting – see the video below.

There was not much outside time on this trip, it was too cold and unfortunately not enough snow for sledding. And the five days were over too soon and then it was back to Denver. Where we had one night at home before heading up to the mountains to Keystone.

Marcy and Chloe sharing some quality time

Jude and Anna are booked in for ski school every Saturday in January. It was bitterly cold on Saturday – Marcy and I skied a couple of runs and decided to call it quits but Jude and Anna did great. They tooled around on the kids slopes in the morning and in the afternoon went up the mountain to ski down. The instructor said there were no tears and no tantrums and all the kids did great. They are already looking forward to doing it again next weekend.

Anna and Jude all bundled up and ready for ski school.

Christmas Eve Fondue Dinner at home

We had a wonderful family Christmas at home in Denver. The kids were so excited about the whole Christmas celebration this year, especially Santa and the presents of course. It started on Christmas Eve where we had a special dinner in the living room. We had a yummy cheese fondue and we cracked open a bottle of champagne.

On Christmas morning, surprisingly the kids slept in until their typical wake up time but were super excited to come downstairs to see what Santa and the family had brought them.

Anna jumps up and down when she sees her Hello Kitty gloves and hat

The weather was beautiful on Christmas Day and so we took advantage. One of Jude’s presents was a soccer ball so we all went up to the park to play some soccer. Anna is not normally that into soccer but she enjoyed it this day and Jude couldn’t get enough of it. We stayed on and kept playing after Marcy took Anna home.

We had our traditional Indian food Christmas dinner but this time instead of getting takeout we decided to go to the restaurant to eat. It was delicious. After we got home Jude and Anna got out their bows and arrows and practiced in the backyard. Jude actually received his for his birthday, for Anna it was a Christmas present.

Jude and Anna line up their bow and arrows in the backyard

The day after Christmas we had to run some errands during the day (getting Anna’s passport for our Mexico trip) and we started getting ready for our trip to Iowa. Then on Friday night we did our annual trip to see the Zoo Lights. It was a beautiful warm day which meant a warm evening and thousands of people in line. The kids really enjoyed seeing all the lights and Anna especially was sad to go home.

Riding the carousel at Zoo Lights

Yesterday morning we loaded up the car bright and early and drove to Iowa where we will be until after New Year. More on this trip next week.

Jude pulls out his second tooth and proudly shows off his new grin

Well, Jude actually wants more for Christmas than just two teeth but I couldn’t resist titling the post this way given the season and what happened last night. Marcy and I had just settled in to watch a movie when we heard Jude moving around upstairs. Marcy went up to see what was happening. Next thing I know, Marcy and Jude come downstairs and he was so very excited to have lost his second front tooth. That is two front teeth lost in two weeks.

But the highlight of this past week was our trip to Canon City to ride the Santa Express again. We did this last year and the kids loved it so much we decided to do it again. Canon City is about a two hour drive from Denver and we left Friday afternoon.

We were about a half hour out from Denver when Anna started complaining of a sore tummy. She kept complaining and we eventually stopped so she could go to the bathroom. But that didn’t help and soon Anna announced she was going to throw up. Thankfully, she gave us some warning and a mess was avoided.

Anna feeling very crappy and comforted by Jude

Anyway, we got to our hotel without further incident but Anna still felt lousy and started throwing up again. She was a real trooper, though, always giving us a few seconds warning so Marcy would rush a bucket to her. But so began a long night with Anna being sick probably every half hour or 45 minutes until well past midnight.

We think the cause was food poisoning. Friday was the last day of school before Christmas break and a classmate’s mom brought a bag of cookies for each child. Anna had finished her bag off by the time Marcy arrived. The cookies were not gluten free and Anna’s body just couldn’t handle that much. None of the rest of us has shown any flu-like symptoms, strengthening our case.

Anna recovered enough to take the Santa Express train

Thankfully, in the morning she awoke feeling much better and surprisingly with enough energy to swim in the hotel pool before we headed out for the train. She was so excited to see Santa and ride the train that it gave her the energy she needed. She was great the whole ride although her appetite was way down naturally.

Riding the Santa Express train through the Royal Gorge

Jude enjoyed himself as well. And he loved seeing Santa as much as Anna did. We don’t know how many more years we have with the excitement and wonder of Santa with Christmas so we were glad we made the effort again this year to ride the train. But next year we will probably go back to doing a night ride – it is just a bit more magical in the night.

Jude and me on the Santa Express train

Singing Happy Birthday to Marcy

Today was Marcy’s birthday and we had quite the birthday celebration. It started off early as we all went out for breakfast to Watercourse, one of Marcy;s favorite restaurants. Then we all went to a 90 minute yoga class where they had a separate kids class so Marcy and I could enjoy our own class. Then it was home to rest up for a while before cake. We bought some delicious cupcakes at breakfast and we all sang Happy Birthday before devouring the cakes.

Playing soccer at City Park on Marcy’s birthday

It was a beautiful day in Denver, in the 50’s, and we decided to ride our bikes to the park. We took the soccer ball, Jude has been really into soccer lately and we played for almost an hour – although Anna was done well before that and decided to ride her bike around the lake with Marcy. With all the cold weather we have been having the lake was frozen solid so we ventured out to walk on it, although we stayed close to the edge the whole time.

Walking on the ice at City Park

Marcy volunteers at Jude’s class once a week for handwork, which these days is knitting. It used to be on Thursdays but when she got a part time job at a yoga studio she switched it to Tuesdays. That is Anna’s day off school so now she comes along as well. She is under strict instructions to be quiet and observe while Marcy is helping out in class.

Anna loves finger knitting so much she did it while waiting in line at the post office

Anyway, this past week Anna asked Marcy to teach her how to finger knit. To say she loved it is an understatement. She spent the rest of the day doing it every second she could. In the post office, before dinner, even as we were reading books before bed, she wanted to do finger knitting.

Yesterday was the annual Holiday Fair at the Denver Waldorf School so we spent most of the day there. When we arrived there was a photographer setting up in Anna’s classroom and so we spontaneously did some family photos. They came came out really well – probably the best we have had as a family.

At the fair there was lots of crafty things to do – Anna made a crown that she wore proudly all day and Jude made some candles from hot bees wax.

Jude hard at work making a candle at the Waldorf School Holiday Fair

We also bought our Christmas tree at the fair and put it up when we got home. It was a team effort although Marcy did most of the work. And Anna just loved helping out with the decorating.

Anna adding decorations to our Christmas tree

And here is the tree in all its glory.

It has been so cold in Denver this week. The last five days have been below freezing every day and we even dipped below zero a few nights. So, there has not been much outside time. So, when the sun came out this afternoon we decided to take advantage and head to the playground. But Anna wanted to stop and build a snow castle on the way.

Finally, just before I started writing this post tonight Jude came downstairs with some big news. He had lost another tooth – and this one was one of his top teeth. It had been more than three months since his previous tooth came out and he was super excited. He pulled it out by himself in our bedroom with Marcy cheering him on. He was so excited he literally couldn’t stop jumping up and down.

Sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner with the entire Des Moines family

On Tuesday we made the long car ride to Des Moines, Iowa for Thanksgiving. Jude and Anna had the entire week off from school and were very excited to see everyone again. It took just over 10 hours door to door which was not bad.

This trip was not just about Thanksgiving, Jude and Anna both got to celebrate their birthdays again. As Baba does every year, she bakes a cake in the shape of the number they are turning.

Happy to be Five…and to have cake!

Seven candles on Jude’s “7” cake

On Thanksgiving night we did something really cool. We all went to a local lake where we lit paper lanterns and watched as they floated high in the sky. The kids were all mesmerized by these things. Once the air in these “balloons” was hot enough the kids let them go and they sailed hundreds of yards into the sky.

Jude setting his hot air balloons into the air while Anna looks up at hers.

It was a chilly but festive Thanksgiving night.

The visit was over all too quickly and we arrived back in Denver on Saturday night. Today was a beautiful day so it was spent in the yard running around and doing some yard work. And we all watch the Bronco game in the afternoon – well Jude and Anna watched the fourth quarter with me.

Anna filled her little wheelbarrow with dirt because she was making clay.

Jude wakes up on his birthday to presents…and he is excited.

On Saturday of this past week Jude turned 7. Like all birthdays this one was keenly anticipated for weeks. And when the day came it didn’t disappoint.

But first we should talk about school. For the past three birthdays Jude has been either in Kindergarten or preschool at the Denver Waldorf School. Here on birthdays kids are treated like royalty. They are the focus of the entire morning. The entire family comes to class and we listen to the teacher tell a long story about the birthday boy or girl. All the classmates have made cards with special wishes and a picture. And then there is cake. Jude loved it.

Well, now he is in first grade it is a bit different. No cake, no parents coming to class and no big story from the teacher. And what is worse, this year Jude had to share the day with another classmate. So, it was quite a letdown for him. He was sad and he acted out quite a bit on Thursday after his school birthday celebration.

The family tradition…birthday pancakes at a restaurant

Anyway, by the time Saturday came it seemed to be forgotten and Jude was just so excited to be turning 7. Jude was up early and was excited to get the day started. We spent some time opening presents and then it was off to Snooze for breakfast for the traditional birthday pancakes.

Having his birthday on a Saturday this year meant it was the perfect day to have a party and Jude had been looking forward to getting together with his school friends for months. He just wanted to invite the boys so we had 12 six and seven year olds running around our house for a few hours on Saturday.

Jude blowing out the candles on his birthday cake

One of our friends had an inflatable bounce house and even though it was cold outside the kids enjoyed it. But the big hit of the day was Chad Wonder – the magician. He was fantastic. He does a lot of kids parties and he kept everyone spellbound and entertained for an hour. The kids thought he was hilarious and most importantly Jude loved him.

Chad Wonder, the magician, keeps everyone entertained

It has been at least a couple of years since Marcy went away for the weekend. But this weekend Marcy decided to go on a yoga retreat while I took care of the kids. We ended up having a great time.

We kicked the weekend off with Anna’s Lantern Walk with her Morning Glory classmates in kindergarten. It is a really great Waldorf tradition where they make lanterns and then light a candle and walk to the local park in the darkness.

Then Saturday morning we did something important. We opened savings accounts for Jude and Anna. We went down to the local bank and deposited $25 each to open their account. From now on we are going to encourage them both to save some of their allowance every week and deposit into the bank.

We went from the bank up to Keystone for our first try of skiing this season. We bought season passes for the whole family (under $1,000 total which I thought was a good deal) so it didn’t matter if we just went up for an hour. That was about all I thought we should do this first time out with just me looking out for them both. 

Heading up the gondola at Keystone for the first run of the season

So, it turned out they did great. Jude picked up right where he left off last year, he was able to turn right away and stop easily. Anna needed a couple of runs to get used to turning and stopping but she was very steady on her feet right away. And within a couple of runs she had the hang of stopping.

They have had some good early snow at Keystone and we drove home from Keystone as a big storm was moving in.

Jude worked really hard raking leaves into piles

Today was spent doing some yard work. We finally packed up all the leaves in our front yard, filling 10 large bags. Both Jude and Anna were good helpers here, Jude with the rake and Anna with the snow shovel piling all the leaves into the bags.

Anna getting ready to go to her ballet recital

Then this afternoon we had Anna’s ballet recital. With Marcy away Anna had to get herself ready and she spent quite a bit of time doing her own hair. And she had a ball at the recital, she didn’t seem nervous at all. I think she liked being the center of attention.

Anna showing her style at her ballet recital

Doing “letters” on the green couch

A couple of years ago Jude was really into playing “letters” on the computer. Basically, “letters” is just an educational website called Starfall for kids to learn about the alphabet. Now, that Jude is in first grade he is learning about numbers and the alphabet in class and it has piqued his curiosity once again for this game. I think it is good for him because it teaches him some familiarity with computers and helps strengthen his knowledge of the alphabet. Computers are not encouraged at all in the Waldorf school until middle school so he gets no exposure to them whatsoever in school. This has been his sole experience with computer games are he seems quite satisfied with it.

Anna give snowshoeing a try in the backyard….but where is the snow?

I had Ridhwan school this weekend so I was not around much but Marcy took the kids to yoga on Saturday and then got out the snowshoes in the afternoon. A friend was borrowing some for a trip but Anna decided it would be fun to put them on and walk around the backyard.

Jude loves to climb on just about anything…

We have this really old back patio and awning that is going to come down when we do renovations next year. Well Jude and Anna discovered a fun way to climb on it this weekend.

Yes, that is Jude underneath this scary skeleton costume

Both kids have been excited about Halloween for weeks. They love everything about this holiday. The dressing up in fun outfits, going around the neighborhood after dark and yes…the candy. Here are both kids getting ready to roll and fill their orange buckets.

Anna, the sweet witch

There were not many kids out on our block so Jude and Anna scored a ton of candy with several people saying, “take as much as you want”. Both kids would reach in for a handful. What to do with all this candy?

Someone at school mentioned that the “Switch Witch” comes to their house and takes all the candy and in exchange leaves a toy for the kids. We loved this idea so we implemented it at our house. Both Jude and Anna were keen to give this a try although Anna decided to keep a few pieces of candy hidden from the Switch Witch…

It was another beautiful weekend here and we spent quite a bit of time outside. Today, we went to the Stapleton playground, one we hadn’t been to in over a year. It is a big playground with a lot of variety for the kids so Jude and Anna were in heaven. They could have stayed there all day. There is also a big field next to the playground where they ran around for a while. I snapped the photo below on our way back to the car with Jude and Anna in deep discussion about a pretend monster who was lurking in a drain nearby.

At the Stapleton playground in deep conversation

Finally, I was out of town in New York City for most of this week. Part of the reason was for the TedX Wall Street conference that was held at the New York Stock Exchange. The post conference party was held on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. They were taking photos of people “ringing” the closing bell so here I am with my good friend and new business partner, Bo Brustkern.