DS

So much to post, so little time...despite being officially unemployed!

We took the kids to the work xmas party yesterday. Declan was freaked out by Santa while Mika happily climbed on his lap for a chat. (Mika loved going to see the mall Santa this year too. No amusing photos of her screaming her face off.) The party was at the leisure centre - after lunch and Santa's visit, we laced up and hit the ice. Mika did really well. Within 15 mins, she went from crying because she was scared to go on the ice to skating by herself. We didn't notice that one of the straps for Declan's bobskates was missing until we got there. Declan's ice time was limited to flying around in Daddy's arms.

Mika is a rocker. I was playing Christmas music as we put up the tree and she asked: "Isn't there any Christmas music that's exciting and loud?".
We were having a dance party the other night and the girl announced: "I only like party music."
Right now, she loves Eric Clapton, AC/DC, and Blink182. I downloaded an Alvin and the Chipmunks version of All The Small Things by Blink182 and the girl was greatly offended. She wants an electric guitar pretty badly and practices her co-ordination by air guitaring. She's working pretty hard to get those wee hands under control. She likes having her right hand free to make the devil horn sign.

Declan is still all about singing and dancing.

Declan's new found passion is hockey. Mika's dance class is held behind closed doors in a room in an arena. While she dances, Declan and Daddy watch kids playing hockey. The guy gets excited when he sees a game on TV too. He loves going up and down the hall with his stick knocking pictures off the wall. He also loves clearing the debris from the kitchen island with one hearty swoop of the stick. In addition to that, he *can* handle a ball up and down the hall, but it's not as fun.

Mika is SO excited for Christmas this year. She's asked Santa for an Easy Bake Oven (it seemed to really please the mall santa that she asked for that - he said he hasn't heard anyone ask for one in at least five years) and an electric guitar. We got her the oven. Both kids are obsessed with Transformers and Wall-E, but their evil mother has limited it to the Wall-E movie and one small Transformer each. I think despite their seeming lameness in comparison, the kids will like the hobby horses we got them. Right?

Declan is finally into books! He loves Goodnight Moon and can recite it from memory. He also really loves Charlie Parker Played Be Bop - his sisters favorite for years.
Mika's getting really good at sounding out words so she can spell them out. Her brain seems to work faster than her hands - she can verbally recite spellings, but has trouble printing letters. Sheena has been teaching the kids signs and they really get into signing too. Very cute. Have I mentioned lately that we love Sheena? We do. Mucho.

Mika and Sammi are still going strong - they haven't seen each other in over a month, but have talked on the phone. Sammi's mother told me that the photos of the kids have been making their way around Slovakia, her mother country, and delighting all who see them. Oi.

Electronic babysitter not doing it's job - damn Backyardigans and their inability to capture my kids' attention....:)