scenes from Christmas week

Some photos of our adventures and games together -

Walking through Bell Park in the early dusk, singing Christmas carols together. We made it through the entire 12 Days of Christmas!

Jasper liked to curl up amongst the children and be used as a pillow, or get his nose into a book. He did really well in the strange house with all the people and chaos. He was friendly to everyone and curious about everything and mostly minded his manners in terms of dinner-table begging and staying down (off people and off the furniture).

We went for a couple of long runs and walks together on a lovely forested trail that was near the rented house.

Dad brought some old favorite board games to play - Battleship, Racko, Score Four, Spill and Spell. The kids loved playing Battleship - in this game, it was Dani and Liesl vs. Seb and me, and the two girls were giggling like made every time we missed.

Walking along the cold boardwalk at Campbell River park, feeding the chickadees.

Christmas dinner: 10 Cornish hens!!!

Mom made the dough for Christmas cookies, both gingerbread and butter cookies, and we had fun rolling, cutting, and then frosting them.

It's the fate of all dogs owned by small children to eventually get dressed up in skirts and headbands...

We went to dimsum in Richmond at a fabulous place called Chef Tony's - it was delicious.

After dimsum, we went to the UBC museum of anthropology to see the indigenous art and craftwork.

 

Dimsum plus museum plus a drive in the minivan = four sleeping children plus one sleeping puppy.

May and Ken gave us a new game for Christmas - Happy Salmon! - it was really loud and chaotic and fun, and we played over and over.