Christmas 2012

 Christmas Day 2012 -Happy Christmas Everyone
Or, if you're in America, Merry Christmas Everyone - yet another minor cultural difference that nonetheless causes some amount of confusion when you wish them Christmas tidings

Stocking Time - or the two presents below, the Jacob's Ladder and the Harmonica.  Within a few  minutes/hours guess which one we wish we'd never bought

 

Becky always happy to get food

 Dan not opening presents as he's stuck in Tintin

 I kept this up for 20 minutes solid - honest

 New Kettlebell - Andy getting me to keep the pose for rather a long time

 Great present from Jon and Elsa, Jenga Star Wars Angry Birds

 Thanks Nicki and David

 Not happy about the roast lunch then Becky

 Mmmmmmmmmmm

 Brisk walk after lunch on the lake - Andy had turned back by this point - I think it was well below 0F with the wind chill and only about 10F anyway (-12C)

 Don't break the ice

 Then a few games of Telestrations - not a new concept but it's done well and some of the results are pretty funny.  Here's our favourite from the day, starts with Whoopee Cushion

 So now it's turned into Bomb, I get that

 Becky unfortunately thought it was Bob - so this is what Bob looks like apparently

 Then I finish off with Goblin - Whoopee Cushion to Goblin in 3 guesses

Onto Boxing Day and it's off skating at Centennial Lakes

Too full on Christmas Day for any pudding even!   But it went down well the next day.  No added alcohol at all.

Winter Pirate

Becky as a winter pirate, no idea why

Went for a walk around Lake Harriet and someone had created a path around it so we skated the 2.5 miles round the lake instead, just happened to have our skates in the car like you do in Minnesota

Winter Wonderland

 First proper snowfall of the year, just below freezing outside and so perfect for a trip to a local Lake for some frolickment.  It doesn't get better than this if you like snow - if you don't like snow this is really the wrong place to live

 My Own Snow Angel

 Dave and me prepare a big snowball for throwing at the kids.  I reckon we can take out 2 or 3 of them at least with this.

 On the drive home, just round the corner from our house

 One day of snow and we already have a pile that will see out the Winter

Piano Duets

The kids went to the Minnesota Music Teachers Association Duet Festival.  Here Dan and his friend Luke do a duet called Cap'n Hook

Becky and Andy perform Ode to Joy

Now that Halloween is finally behind us (the two months of the year where the separation of Church and State is forgotten in a kind of state-enforced Sesame Street Wican festival) we can get on with a 'proper' autumn festival, Guy Fawkes Night.  Celebrating the moment a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament was foiled this is traditionally celebrated in England by blowing other things up instead.

The children's rhyme goes:

Remember, remember the 5th of November,
Gunpowder treason and plot
We see no reason
Why gunpowder season
Should ever be Forgot

However, don't be tempted to teach your kids too much about it in case they end up finding out what became of the unfortunate miscreants and you have to explain what hung drawn and quartering means.

Nipping back to early October and the spectacular colours, Dad and Sarah visited at pretty much the perfect time for some leaf spotting.

 Off for a walk around Minneapolis

 Random Stranger