Dear Santa

For those of you looking for ideas for the kids for Christmas this year, here are a few ideas:

Soren:
Anything to do with science or building.  Car tracks, marble tracks, science experiment kits, science books.  A soccer goal (Got It).  Need more specific ideas?  Try the links below:
Marble Run - Got It
Tomica trains or car tracks
Fascinating Human Body game - Got It
Svea:
Hello kitty.  Svea loves to sit and read books.  She loves her babies.  Outfits or accessories for her Bitty Baby (Got It).  A dollhouse.  Clothes (3T tops, 2T bottoms, 8 shoes - she doesn’t need clothes, but she LOVES clothes.  The girlier the better).  Lego duplos.  Need more specific ideas?  Try the links below:
Winnie the Pooh or Zoo Duplo
Dollhouse
Bitty Baby Clothes or Accessories (Got Some)

For both to share:
Wii games like Nickelodeon Just Dance Kids or Wii Party.  Phoenix zoo pass or Children’s Museum of Phoenix pass.  Board games like Uno blast (Got It), Scrabble Alphabet Scoop or Operation.

Halloween 2011

Once again we had a fun Halloween this year.  We carved pumpkins Sunday morning before church in a little bit of a rush, but they turned out to the kids satisfaction.  Please excuse the grubby children…this is us in our natural state!

Svea chose (surprise, surprise) a Hello Kitty pumpkin pattern

And since Soren’s latest mantra is, “I’m not afraid of ANYthing” he chose the scary skeleton face grim reaper pumpkin

We went to a preschool Halloween party that was lots of fun for the kids.  Svea won the best child costume by popular vote.  She was Hello Kitty this year with an ADORABLE Japanese yukata my mom found for me in Tokyo.

Soren had a hard time coming up with an idea for his costume this year but with four weeks left until Halloween he settled on a lamp.  He had a very specific vision for his lamp costume and I think in the end we got it. 

The kids went out trick or treating and visited about 20 houses.  At that point they were both tired and their buckets were so full of candy they couldn’t carry them anymore.  We got home and the kids helped pass out treats, ate as much candy as they wanted, ran around with the sugar crazies, and then passed out right at bedtime.  Couldn’t get any better!

It’s been awhile…

Annual Dbacks Game

Soren has been playing a lot of solitaire uno.  Amazingly entertaining for him.  He skips himself, makes himself draw two… Here he got desperate for a playmate so he was playing against a pan.  Four year olds are weird.

Our first season of Laveen soccer is in full swing.  We are really enjoying it.  Soren has practice once a week and a game each Saturday for 6 weeks.  He’s learning a lot and having lots of fun.

Here’s an email Erik sent out about the first game:

“We went to Soren's first soccer game, pretty much what was expected.  Our team (the angry birds) got dominated by the sting rays, I think it was 10-2 or so.  Soren had a little bit of a hard time dealing with the stress of his first competitive situation.  While the other team was charging down field toward the goal we were yelling at Soren to "stop the ball."  He eventually screamed "I can't stop them them" then he crumpled to the ground crying.  The coach had to substitute him out.  On another fast break, the sting rays were ahead of everyone with Soren trailing.  Soren grabbed the kids arm and then fell to the ground.  The kid went crashing down with him.  Well - we never explained the rule that you could not grab and tackle, and he has been watching alot of football.  The coach explained the rule to him and Soren cried.  We have the whole thing on video, we may try to download it in a way that we can send it out.  It was pretty funny.  All the parents were in tears laughing because it was such a good defensive stop.  I think the parents from the other team were wondering who the dirty player was.

After it was over we went to "Doughnuts Central" to celebrate.  Its not easy being placed in high stress competitive situations whether its the Greek Coliseum or 4 year old Laveen Soccer.  I think Soren is going to be a better scientist than athlete, but in the long run its better that way.”

During that first game – notice all four players in Soren’s team are surrounding the ball, great strategy!

In response to the question, “Are you having fun"?”'

“YEA!!!!!”

He isn’t crying or tackling anymore but watching 4 and 5 year olds try to play a team sport every week is pretty hilarious.

Svea continues to be the little sweetie of the house.  She has her emotional girl and stubborn two year old moments, but she is an amazing addition to our crazy lives.  I’ll have to write a post just about her very soon.  What a girl.