Winter Garden Aglow, The End of Vacation

Well we got through Nico's illness just fine and Guy and I both stayed well. Yay! On the Friday after Thanksgiving we ventured to the Botanical Garden for Winter Garden Aglow. We usually don't get to do this until December, but since Guy had the night off we were able to do it early, which meant that it was in the 40s and no heavy snow gear was needed. It wasn't too busy when we first got there, but after being there for an hour it was packed and hard to get around. We had never stayed that long before, because it is usually too cold to last very long. Nico spent a lot of time watching the trains, which he loved.

On our way!

The photographer said: "See you next year!"

On Saturday the Festival of Trees was going on downtown. This is a big event where people create and then donate decorated trees that people can buy. All proceeds go to a local Children's Hospital. Guy and Nico went in the afternoon so I could get some sleep done. There's a lot more to do there than just look at trees, though that is the biggest attraction. There was apparently one decorated with CARS that Nico really liked! There were interactive model trains set up there that Nico enjoyed. He got to control one of the trains and honk the horn and speed it up with dials.

On Monday the Advent Calendars started. We got a computer based one from Grandma Russell and that has been a fun thing for Guy and Nico to do every day. Each day has a new animation to watch, and you can decorate Christmas trees and play puzzles and chinese checkers. Here's the tree that Nico decorated. He "decorated" it by pointing to ornaments, then Guy would click them and move them over to the tree and Nico would guide him to where he wanted them placed. He definitely did not want more than one of the same ornament on the tree. 

He went back to school on Tuesday. And things have been the same as ever ever since. I've been keeping track of funny things Nico says, here's a few:

Nico says: I don't want to live in Evie's house, I want to live in a tall building
Me: How come?
Nico: So I can play with my toys.

At Dawson Taylor's with Daddy, looking across the street at Thomas Hammer coffee building Nico says: A taaaall building, like tehhhhn stories.

A few mornings ago, after he prayed over his pancake: Praying makes Daddy's tummy hurt, Praying makes Mommy's tummy hurt, Jesus loves me makes me happy!

This is translated as him saying that he doesn't want Mommy or Daddy to pray, but only Nico gets to pray. Sometimes I accidentally start praying for the meal and Nico says "No no stop, let me do it." Then he prays and it sounds like "Dear Jesus, thank you for aday ah body Amen." (see previous blog post with the video)

Speaking of videos! I will sign off and leave you with a few. These are oldies that I just put together for you all this week. Apparently the whole moving thing put me behind in my snippets. Here's the last of the Krall Street snippets, and then a short one of Evie and Nico at the park.