Jurassic Park in Seattle! And, the Theo Chocolate Factory across the street, which conveniently just opened as we arrived…and we (Meryl) absolutely needed chocolate:) Fun fact: Hilltop is across the canal and the kids look forward to wafts of chocolate on manufacturing days when they’re outside playing.

No skates? No problem! We pumped up the music, put on socks, and pirouetted around the kitchen prior to dinner:) Side note: Holmes is a DANCER. He loooves dancing, and could not stop dancing afterwards in his chair during dinner time. We’ll keep moving and grooving!

Both kids wanted to sit by Lola, and she was happy to oblige! Also, kale has returned to the dinner menu and we kicked-off the hearty roughage season with beloved kale chips.

We headed out to the Marymoor off-leash dog park this morning for a romp in the frost:) Lummi, of course, was in heaven.

A weekly affair. Arduous, but imperative.

Well, we thought koi would be in the Volunteer Park koi ponds, but they weren’t. So much for that adventure! We made it outside somewhere else after holiday mania:)

Our book today was Maria Matador, which is about a girl who love churros more than anything in the world (and boldly dancing with a bull). So we had to conquer a craving:)

Meryl got a new kids knife set that is pretty darn cool! And safe.

Saaanta! He and Rudolph snacked on yogurt pretzels, ‘Lola chocolate’ (Godiva), carrots, and milk…Meryl’s picks. We spent all day munching and opening presents and playing and lounging in our holiday pajamas. Pretty great.

A slow and steady collection of new books turned into a new tradition…the Twelve Days (books) of Christmas! Each day, starting on Christmas, we open one. So far, we’ve enjoyed The Girl Who Thought in Pictures (story of Dr. Temple Grandin) and Ezra Jack Keats treasury, Keats’ Neighborhood.

Merry Christmas, Grandpa! Also, we were all curious to see how many laps the kids could run in the driveway circle:)