fig bread and Xmas cookies

 We made fig bread this year, of course. It wouldn't be Christmas without fig bread.

We also baked a round of gingerbread and sugar cookies.

Liesl made plenty of normal cookies, but these were her crazy ones. From the top left: me and Steve; Seb's broken wrist, a headless man, a reindeer, herself (smiling), Jasper, and a tree with a giant star.

 

 And more: a reindeer jumping over the stars, and a two-faced person.

mom and dad arrive

Mom and dad arrived via Amtrak on Thursday afternoon for a week-long Christmas visit. We have not been the best hosts -- things were so busy in December that we left a lot of the Christmas shopping and planning to the last minute. And then there is Seb's broken wrist, which is a bummer. And then I came down with a low-level flu/cold on Friday evening. However, we have persisted! and have had some very fun walks and adventures.

 

On Friday morning we wandered in Hoyt Arboretum for a couple of hours -- the redwood deck through the firs and cedars to the picnic shelter and then the holly loop.

We enjoyed lunch at Fish and Rice and then did some Christmas shopping at REI.

Seb heard of this funny game -- draw a square on the floor, put on a blindfold, and then do a high-knees march for a minute. See how far you get outside the square. Seb almost went down the stairs. I backed into the tree. Dad/Bompy veered left. Liesl stayed dead center in the square.

We played a few rounds of poker (Popo/mom swept the floor with all of us) and then Seb taught us a new card game called Presidents, which was pretty fun.

On Monday, we strolled in Forest Park, enjoying a respite from the rain.

gingerbread mansion

Liesl, Bailey, and Ella decided to combine three gingerbread house kits into one giant mansion with an attached igloo and swimming pool.

 

The glue gun came out to ensure that things did not fall apart.

 

Bompy was very much into the proceedings, offering suggestions for architectural improvements (like the balcony) and in general enjoying the girls' banter.

They (Bailey) decided to throw candy at the sides for a decorative effect.

Et voila. Pretty spectacular. This was our 12th year of gingerbread houses, since 2012 at Grandma Raab's house in Greenlawn.

 

 

 

Nutcracker ballet

We continued with our annual tradition of seeing the Nutcracker; we took mom again this year, and also Ella, who hadn't seen it since she was tiny. It was a good one -- the Sugar Plum Fairy was lovely -- and everyone was happy for a night out.

busy week

Liesl performed on Tuesday night in a winter showcase at her middle school. The dance and choir classes from each year combined for a show. Liesl did a tap dance and a jazz/modern dance with her classmates, and they were great. Here are some truly terrible photos (no flash, from my seat, moving dancers in the dark, many kids on stage).

Basketball season started, with two games on Saturday and one on Wednesday. 

We had an initial meeting with the orthodontist. It was thrilling.

Plus the usual soccer practice, shopping for friends' presents and a white elephant exchange, and a cookie party on Friday night at her friend Fiona's. I'm exhausted just driving her around -- she's definitely ready for the winter break.

broken wrist

Seb fell hard at practice on Weds night and injured his wrist. We went to the ER at 10 pm but it was a zoo - 3+ hour wait - so we went home and tried to sleep. In the morning we saw his doctor and got an X-ray - hairline fracture. No cast, but an immobilizing brace for 4-6 weeks. Poor kid. 12 years of playing soccer, and he’s had one elbow break and two wrist injuries (sprain, break), but nothing injuring any part of his legs. So weird. 

Billie Eilish

One of our birthday presents to Liesl was tickets to the Billie Eilish concert at the Moda Center. Steve decided he was the lucky date. Liesl made herself some jorts and borrowed an old shirt of Steve's to look Billie-appropriate. They said it was an amazing show, with some cool special effects, and that Billie's voice was outstanding. So fun!

Wahkeena Falls hike

Steve and I went for a Sunday midday hike in the Columbia Gorge, taking advantage of the sunshine. We started at Wahkeena Falls trailhead and went straight uphill to Lemmons overlook and then to Fairy Falls, and then on to Devil's Rest. When we made it to the top, clouds had rolled in and we couldn't see the faraway mountain peaks we expected to see. But it was okay. We had a lovely day together.

 

 

 

 

Rebuilding a turn in the trail with some beautiful log work.