It’s kiwi-picking time.
Liya and Bree decide to make one of the weird Japanese candy-making kits we’ve received. The kits are generally a collection of packets of various powders that are combined with water to form doughs, gels, syrups, etc. The result is generally an edible food-like substance. This particular kit is for edible donut-like substances, some in the shapes of cute bears.
A dozen years after the Madison Park Bookstore closed, our neighborhood has a new independent bookstore again. Liya and Jan stop by the new Madison Books to say hello. It’s only open in a temporary “pop-up store” mode, but it’s still nice to pop in. The building it’s in had been falling apart for years until it was sold last year, so it’s great to see something finally going into that space. Jan mostly reads on the Kindle app these days, but buys a book to show some support.
Liya and Bree have been agitating all fall for us to buy a Japanese kotatsu for our family room. A kotatsu is a short table with a heating element underneath and a quilt around the edges — you sit under it in the winter months to warm up. Our house is warm enough, but it did seem like a fun idea. Jan found a nice-looking one on the Muji site, and it arrived today. After post-dinner chores, we all tuck underneath it for a toasty warm study hour.
Anya returns from Choate for the holiday break.
Anya’s friends orchestrate a project to make a quilt gift for Anya. Jan, Angela, Liya, and Bree all make squares for the quilt. Liya’s quilt provides Liya’s phone number, “In case you forgot”.
Skye and her husband Jared come up from Salem, OR, with their boys Leif (4) and Auden (1.5), to spend Christmas with us. This year, we try something new: to give everyone a little more space, they’re staying at an AirBnB rental just a couple blocks’ walk from our house. This works out fairly well, since the boys get up very early in the morning.
Merry Christmas!
Jan and Angela give everyone warm, comfy, and rather silly-looking holiday socks for Christmas. Chris and his girlfriend Julie couldn’t join us for Christmas this year, so we sent them each a pair of holiday socks too.
Jan and Auden enjoy some uncle/nephew playtime.
The day after Christmas, we all take a short ferry ride to Whidbey Island. We’ve rented a large house for all of us to spend a few days on the island.
The house has a nice view of Useless Bay and — in the rare moments of clear weather — the Olympic Mountains to the west.
Jared, Auden, and bald eagle.
We take the boys to Castle Park, where Leif has fun playing hide-and-seek with Liya and Bree. The playground has a rather large wooden play structure, and Bree manages to shimmy up inside a sort of column — no one is able to find her.
Liya has actually been to this particular area early this year, for the Bi-District cross-country tournament. She takes Jan and Bree on a short walk over part of the course.
In the evening, we have dinner out at Gordon’s on Blueberry Hill. At night, we play some new boards games received for Christmas: Sushi Go Party and Azul. Both are pretty fun.
It’s drizzling on Whidbey Island again. We go for a little morning walk around Langley, stopping into various places like Useless Bay Coffee, the Moonraker Bookstore, and the Whale Museum to get out of the rain. We have a decent ramen lunch at Ultra House.
In the evening, we all send Skye and Jared off for a well-deserved date night dinner at The Inn at Langley. We spend the evening taking turns watching over the inexhaustible Leif and Auden.
Jan makes tea in the morning, and asks if anyone else wants any. Angela and Anya say yes. A few minutes later, Jan pours out several cups of tea, and announces that the tea is ready. Anya, buried in her book, grunts but does not move. A short while later, Angela mentions to Anya that her tea is on the counter. “In a minute!” she shouts.
An hour or so later, we point out to Anya that her tea (now cold) is still on the counter. Anya, still reading, shouts, “Ugh! I said in a minute!”
We try to go for a walk along the bluffs at Ebey’s Landing, but by the time we get to the beach, it’s pouring rain. We snap some quick photos, then retreat to the warm cars.
We poke around Coupeville’s bookstore for a bit, then have lunch at Christopher’s.
On our last morning on Whidbey, we finally have a clear day. The view across to the snow-covered Olympics is gorgeous.
Jan and Bree go geocaching in Seward Park and find two caches, GC5FGP5 and GC501AJ. There’s another cache they’re interested in finding, but it’s just above freezing today, so they hustle back to the car.