Brotherly Love

I could not resist posting my favorite picture of the day today. Merry Christmas everybody!

The Chopstick Saga Continues...

Yesterday morning we were awakened at 5 am to Quinn calling, "Mommy! My lips are dry! I need Chapstick!". We called him down to our room and explained that it was the middle of the night and his lips needed sleep-not chapstick. While we were explaining this Nolan, who is having some hearing problems, came running in saying "Mommy! I am ready to try my chopsticks again!". Chapstick...chopsticks...what's the difference at 5am?

Can't get enough of those Chopsticks

Well, it seems that breakfast casserole and fruit salad taste much better on Christmas morning when you use chopsticks. Merry Christmas!

Here we come a Caroling

Today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year and the official start to winter. Where we live, it also happened to be VERY COLD! -4 to be exact.

Usually, on the Sunday before Christmas Jim and I pile onto the school bus at church and join with all the other Christmas revellers to carol at the homes of many homebound people in our parish. Unfortunately this year it was too cold for our trusty school bus to run and the caroling was cancelled. This was to be Quinn's 1st year to join us and he was very disappointed to find out that we couldn't go. We decided that we were pretty disappointed too! To remedy our disappointment we headed to a friend's house to sing a couple songs a go back home. We asked Quinn who he would like to carol to and he chose his friend Forrest. So off to Forrest's we went.

After singing our 3 chosen songs we told our friends how fun we thought it would be if they would come in the van and go to another friend's house with us. They quickly threw on their coats, hats, boots, mittens and anything else they could cover up with and hopped in!! What great sports you are Landis family!

We ended up caroling to several other houses as well as in the van driving around town. At each house the people were so delighted to see us and smiled the whole time we were there. Most of them even sang along. I really felt like I was passing Christmas cheer. It was the perfect way to pass the darkest, coldest night of the year. This just might be a new Lynch family tradition.

This Shrimp is Dead!

At our house, we love the Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osborne. Each book contains quite a bit of non-fiction information about different places and periods of time within the framework of the fictional plot line. Both of the boys really love listening to these books and living out Jack and Annie's adventures in real life.

We recently finished # 37, Dawn of the Red Dragon, in which Jack and Annie travel to ancient Tokyo and meet a samurai master and poet. The boys were so intriqued by the mention of kids eating sushi and using chopsticks in the book that Jim promised them that we would go on a sushi fieldtrip as a family when we finished the book. Tonight was the big night and they did great! Both of them finished all the sushi that we ordered for them (including raw yellowtail, mackrel, & tuna) and a bowl of edamame (soy beans)! Our waiter even made them special fool proof chop sticks which they of course used a light sabers.

The most memorable quote from our sushi field trip was from Quinn as he was eating his favorite type of sushi, the shrimp. He said "This shrimp is dead!". Hopefully this was not a shock to the people sitting around us. Maybe next time we should try the sweet shrimp which is alive until the moment it arrives on your plate and see what kind of reaction we get.

The Big Chow

Our boys go to the gym owned by Mr. Chow, Shawn Johnson's gymnastics coach, on Monday's for class. Today while Nolan was walking from one activity to the next he past Mr. Chow and looked up at us watching from the balcony and said "I can't say hi to the big Chow today, I am too busy!"

Have you been Bathtized?

As we were having our Advent discussion tonight we were reading about the birth and life of John the Baptist. After answering many questions about John's diet of locust and honey, we asked the children why John was called John the Baptist. Quinn quickly replied, Because he bathtized people!". So, in our house, John will forever be John the Bathtists.

Stop, Drop and Roll!

This week Quinn and I were sitting on the radiator together when he suddenly lept up and said "I need to stop, drop and roll! I think my bottom is on fire!"

Here's a great song for you to sing next time your bottom is on fire. Click here

A Good Holiday Laugh.

Last year Office Max started this hysterical thing called "Elf Yourself" where you upload your photos and superimpose them onto elves, then the elves are animated and dance. Last year it was funny but this year they have added a couple of dances and it is a total riot. Enjoy a good holiday laugh at the expense of the Lynchs (and Karen's dad) today.
http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/T1FE1ggCu6lWwOMnXj7Q
If you are so inclined to make a fool of yourselves as well... here is the link.
http://www.elfyourself.com/