christmas came early

Because we're going to be out of town for Christmas, we decided to celebrate a little bit early. After a great brunch, we took the train downtown to see the decorations, partake in some German spiced wine and stollen, and dance along to the story of the Nutcracker. We finished our Christmas shopping, and headed home to exchange presents with each other. The kids were really excited to receive their one big gift (the kitchen) and one little gift (a car).

First trip on the el train:

Christkindelmarket:

King Balthazar from Ethiopia:

Dance along nutcracker: They loved spinning, marching, and rocking along with the music.

Opening their christmas gift:

The Kitchen: They were a little confused as to why water wasn't coming out of the faucet, but they love opening and closing the oven, microwave and refrigerator doors. Maybe now they'll leave my t.v. and stereo cabinets alone!

Their favourite feature of their new kitchen? The phone!