I like ice skating. Rose likes ice skating. David can't ice skate. So, every time we can find a day when David is in school and Rose isn't, Rose and I try to hit the ice. This time we took Jasper and Emma (seven and eight) with us and met up with my sister, two of her friends, and her two kids. Girls galore.

Whenever my sister is around, things go smoothly. She made sure all the laces were tight enough. She's our top skater, so usually our go to hand holder. This time, however, only Emma needed a hand, and her balance and momentum were actually quite good, so she only toppled me once. The girls had a gay old time pretending they were figure skaters. I also managed to provide a thermos of hot water for cocoa and not spill it on myself.

I looked dashing in my Santa hat and requisite Seattle fleece and thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas carols. My holiday celebration pattern is complex and having finished Hannukah before Christmas really hit hard helped.

We stayed until 11:30 and then had the BIG TRANSITION. We raced to David's school to pick him up, all three girls totally hyper in the car. Got home and did our short order cook number: chips and cheese, cheesy rice, grilled cheese; carrots; waters all around. Packed up all the supplies for cookie decorating while the kids played dress up. Had one mom pick up her daughter, crammed the rest of the kids into the car, dropped off a friend, and headed to West Seattle for the next party.