23rd Day: Elf's Day Out Swim Party

    On the twenty-third day we went to Elf's Day Out.  Elf's Day Out is an activity day put on by Roeland Park's community center.  It is a three hour event comprised of 'gingerbread' house decorating (using graham cracker), lunch, and swimming!

    Marshall was very excited when he saw all the stuff to make his gingerbread house.  We handed him his graham cracker to stick onto the milk carton and he started eating it instead.  Graham crackers are one of his favorite snacks after all.  Once we were able to get him to understand the concept of using the graham crackers as siding/ roofing he was all about decorating.

Carefully making his holiday house

The finished product

    After decorating the house and eating lunch we rushed over to the 'igloo' to go swimming.  It was snowing outside as we walked from the main center to the pool, so it was definitely an experience of varieties!  The pool is normally an outdoor pool, but for the winter they blow up a dome to go around the pool area.

    Marshall absolutely loves to swim so he had so much fun swimming and playing with his papa.  He would occasionally look around at the odd white dome, curious as to why it was so different from other pools.  I told him it was like an igloo at the north pole- hey Santa may like hot tubbing it, right?

A fun break from winter

Igloo swimming fun

    As you can imagine, after all the excitement of running around with other kids, decorating, and swimming; Marshall was very tired and fell asleep instantly in the car.  When we returned home we found our package from Mads' Grandma & Grandpa G.  We were pleasantly surprised with some Christmas presents as well as some Christmas goodies- in particular Marshall's first 'real' snowglobe.  It contained a lovely nativity scene that lights up; Marshall kept opening and closing the box- with every opening he got a big smile and would say "Wooooooow!".  It was a lovely ending to the day (thanks Grandma & Grandpa G)!

    The twenty-third day was a day of elvish fun before we begin the rituals of our religion and heritage in preparation of Christmas.  We had so much fun igloo swimming and being together, all three of us, for this magical time.  We feel so blessed.  Now, we put Marshall down for the night and Brad & I will be enjoying some holiday beverages and movies- a parent date at it's finest.  From our family to yours, we hope everyone has a peaceful and enjoyable Christmas.