Sikorski Saga

Before Luella's dance recital, we had a family dinner date at Mateo's Santa Fe Grill. It was decent Southwest food for a place that also makes Chicken Chesapeake . Katja has learned to say "cheers" and clink glasses! Luella ready for her tap routine to Frosty the Snowman! Luella did great when we remember she's only been to 9 dance classes, and is 3 years old! Luella lined up with the other girls in her class for their tap routine. Luckily Luella wasn't sucked into the fight to stand on the number 3. Luella at the end of her ballet routine. Watching the bigger girls getting ready to do their lyrical dance and classical ballet. We think Luella will be more of a lyrical dancer, than classical ballet judging by with which class she was dancing along. In the void of waiting for one class to get ready, Luella's class danced to their favorite song. They turn off the lights and turn on the mirrored disco ball and act out the animals in the song. Clapping along t...

Standing on the landing, looking down the stairs. Notice no more carpet. Looking up the stairs at Katja trying to get through the E.T. door to come after Kyla. Looking at the wall that had the toys against it and the wet bar area. Wondering why no playdates lately? The wet bar is completely gone. The wall where the other toy chest was sitting, where Kyla found the wet carpet. From the wet bar area looking towards the fire place. Looking into the laundry room. This wall was covered with insulation. Not anymore, since they found mold on the insulation. The hot water heaters that we had to relight 4 times. As of December 17 th , Kyla can't get the smaller/older of the two to light. It's turned off now. The sump pump area. The outside of the house doesn't have the soil properly graded, so they had to check this wall for mold too. Under the stairs storage. This was when Kyla thought, where are all the things I've hidden for Christmas? Yeah, if Luella could read, Kyl...

Luella picked out her own outfit. She was cold, so long sleeves and pants. Then she was hot, so flip-flops. She loves her hat, so that worked in her mind too. Katja just looking cute, so had to take her picture too! Bath time for the girls and Luella decided that making Katja's hair stick straight up means she's a boy. We really don't know where she gets this from! Sorry if you're offended by the baby nudity/ inadvertent mooning.

August 25 th , we were finally moving into the basement, putting the toy room together when Kyla discovered the carpet was wet. Behind the wall was a hot water heater that rusted out the bottom and drained into the toy room, not the drain 3 inches away. We got the standing water out and new hot water heater in the first week of September. Since that time, mold has been growing in the basement. Kyla sprayed it with Clorox (and learned that's a big NO-NO since it breaks up the mold and makes it easier to inhale). Fast forward to this week, after meeting with our landlord's insurance adjuster, meeting with 2 mold remediation companies, getting the air tested by a another guy, this was our house on Monday the 14 th . They found mold on the main floor and we had to live with these noisy machines for about 24 hours. There is one that was in the basement running non-stop since Thursday, the 10 th . The worst part of the main floor was that the machines vented to the outside and...

On Sunday, December 13 th , our church put on a Bethlehem Marketplace in lieu of Sunday School. They started everyone in the back of the church and had a centurion (high schooler ) lead us through different rooms with other kids acting out the story of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. One of the highlights was the marketplace where Luella got to make her own dreidle , candles, crush spices to make potpourri , and eat at the sweets tent. The sweets shop was Katja's favorite stop! They also had rope making, wine and honey tasting, but Luella was more interested in the crafts. It was really well put together. At the very end they had the elementary aged kids as angels, s hepards and wise men around Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. One lady played the guitar and we sang Christmas Carols. Luella took a seat in the front row and another lady grabbed a costume, put Luella in it, and had her sit next to Mary. It was so cute!

Kyla was playing around with her iPhone again, and took the girls' pictures in black and white. Luella reading "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" from Grammy and Granddaddy. Luella is getting into an, "it's too hard" stage. She's frustrated that she doesn't know how to read yet. Katja cheesing for the camera again!

Luella got all dressed up and decided Jingle Bear needed to be a princess too! Katja learned to say "CHEESE" when I take her picture, so she's cheesing for the camera! Check out her video at the end of this blog post! Kyla tried taking some cute pictures of the Pizza part of Pizza, PJ and Movie Night. There is a weekly contest for favorite fan photo. Kyla submitted one of Katja eating Papa John's Honey Chipotle wings, but with the box for product placement. She has a cuter smile in this picture. Luella eating her pizza and washing it down with a fine Virginia White - milk. All snuggled up, ready to watch "UP". Such happy family memories! Katja saying CHEESE for her picture/video!

Katja is our little cookie monster! Kyla made banana nugget cookies and Katja stole one! She was very happy! Today was December 7 th and we tried to explain to the girls what happened to Pearl Harbor so many years ago. Luella was very concerned that the place was under attack at the moment, especially since she understood Uncle Kevin was there now. After calming her down, she still probably doesn't get "it". Maybe next year.

Kyla just found the shower curtain rod, so she hung the stockings by the front door with care, knowing that Saint Nicholas wouldn't find the Sikorski's in Virginia. Kyla had to get one with the lights outside and the snow. Our tree and angel singing for the Nativity scene. The sabers and garland swag. If Kyla cared enough, she'd try to even it out. Our card board with the cards we've received (and gave) this year! Our Santa Street borders the kitchen. Tim with his mini-me. The Village People. Our Advent Candle Holder. Kyla can't find the right color candles in any chain store that also sells milk. Might have to go to a specialty store.

The 2009 Sikorski Seasonal Saga 14887 Buttonwood Court, Woodbrige, VA 22193 Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas! If you noticed from our contact information, we moved again, so we decided to get an early start on Christmas letters giving you our change of address. Picking up from last year’s Christmas letter, we stayed in Edgewood for Christmas. It turns out the decision not to fly anywhere was divine intervention. Just before Christmas, Tim’s unit played a very physical game of flag football. Tim got hit hard, which deflated his right lung 15%. He went to the ER, got a chest tube to re-inflate his lung and spent the night for observation. He spent Christmas recovering and now has what we call a “Jesus scar”. January came and the big names in our house were Bob the Builder and “Brock Obamba” as Luella likes to call our 44th President. Bob the Builder theatre came to Baltimore and Tim took Luella there on a Daddy/Daughter date, the same day Obama’s inaugural train stopped th...

Saturday, December 5 th , we had our first snow fall of the season! Luella loved it! Katja is "warming up" to the snow! Our backyard about an hour after the snow started. Sadly for Tim, he had to register his truck and get a new driver's license. The line to the DMV was outside for about 90 minutes of his wait. At least he was dressed for the weather. Katja had her 15-month well baby check-up today. She is 50 th percentile for height (31.5") and weight (24 pounds 13 ounces). She got 4 shots: HIB , Chicken Pox, Swine Flu, and MMR. She was a trooper, especially with those shots and a party afterwards. The 1st Information Operations Command had their annual Holiday Party. We were late due to Katja's appointment and the DMV wait. We got there in time for food, Tim's performance in his battalion's skit, and a visit from Santa. Katja's giving Santa the evil eye, as if he was the one who gave her the shots. Luella got to dance with Santa during his e...