Christmas Holidays!

 We started our Christmas break a week later than most schools in our area did. After all, we had a plan for the first week of January! So we had to wait a week longer to enjoy our break...but that just made it even more of a relief to be done and enjoy the time off.

 Evelyn built a helicopter out of lego. Or was it a boat? It could have been both.

 To please her father, Melanie made shortbread cookies.

 They required cookie cutters, and lots of eager helpers showed up!

 I wasn't one of the eager helpers.

 Evelyn was begging me to read a book about pirates while I was making dinner, so I suggested Matthew might. He obliged. :)

 We had several dumps of snow, and Nathan and Melanie have been getting quite organized about plowing it off.

 Synchronized plowing! They go around in circles and it is clear in no time. I guess they want me to feel making a rink is no big deal...since they are doing most of the maintenance!

 Daniel and Jennifer have a game they are playing. Usually "a game" is a form of "playing house" which has been all organized and now has been set into action.

 What a mess that room with the Legos gets to in no time!

 Philip had time off, and he had lots of company in the workshop! Matthew has gotten about ten things done in his woodworking project book that he got for his birthday. Evelyn and Jennifer made some thing each as well, and wanted to paint them when they were done too of course!

 The workshop itself is coming along nicely. Good solid walls to hang tools onto. Extra outlets to plug tools into...now the bench is getting designed.

 Tintin got a break and replaced with Peanuts...for some of the older kids anyways. New Years Eve was a low key day for us. Book reading, oliebollen and a late night for all. Christmas Eve had been really busy, and I was happy to overhear one of the kids being pleased that company couldn't come after all so we could be just us. :)

 I haven't been reading as much to Jennifer and Evelyn as I have for their siblings at this age, but seeing them with their brothers makes me realize why!

 We went for a late night skate in the falling snow.

 It was lovely out, fluffy flakes falling, the air was calm...

 but the company less so! It's hard not to get hyper when you are up late. Jennifer and Daniel were about ready for bed soon after this. But the rest of us stayed up 'til 12:05 before hitting the sack.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Fun in the snow

 Sticky snow! The kids really could make huge balls quickly in the deep sticky snow.

 Melanie drummed up volunteers for igloo building...it didn't quite reach completion, but helpers did keep the project going longer!

 Warming up inside...and working on other projects instead.

 I was so surprised to see that the inches of snow that fell on the incompletely frozen ice actually melted or bonded onto the ice with the thawed water that pushed up from underneath, and the result was a layer of smooth ice -- no extra work required!

 Even Evelyn gave skating a shot in her "bob-skates". She hasn't tried too often since, as she really falls on her butt hard! And she hasn't figured out how to glide very much. She really needs proper skates...grow feet, grow!

Hockey!

 Watch out puck (and people) here he comes!

Jennifer wanted to push a chair again the first few times, and isn't quite as into skating this year as she was at the end of last year. But we have more snow this year too!!

I received a Christmas card that also wished us lots of snow. We got it, thanks. :) Hope you have some now too!

Outside time

 Matthew tried out his new sword outside. (And on my rink which was still not frozen..fortunately for him it repaired itself in the following snowfall.)

 Not enough snow for building, but there was enough for sliding.

 eV

One thing about living in the country...is that winter tires have become a "necessity", at least, for getting to the top of the driveway!

sinterklaas

I sewed a dress!! Jennifer is pleased with it. It was her favourite dress for one week. Then she was given a second hand dress from someone at church, so now it's her second favourite dress. It was started in the summer...hence the short sleeves. She occasionally refers to it as her hoop dress.

 We've had a Tintin obsession over the holidays.

This year for sinterklaas there were a lot of handmade gifts anonymously given away.

 Nathan got a gun belt complete with a zippered pouch to store his elastics (aka bullets) in.

 Jennifer got a fluffy scarf.

 Evelyn got two storage tins. Handsomely decorated.

 Melanie got a teepee. She loves all things "Indian", so it was chosen with care!

 Daddy got a holder for his ties.

 Matthew and Daniel got swords.

 Daniel got a hand puppet too!

Once all the hard work of unwrapping was done, it was time to read books!