Christmas Eve

What I didn't know I wanted for Christmas.

Clean carpets

About ten the night before Jeremy woke up and promptly threw up. All over the floor. From the top bunk so it was everywhere. So Christmas Eve morning after all cleaning attempts didn't work Jeff ran to Kroger and rented a Rug Doctor. As long as we were spending money on this I did the girl's room and the hallway as well.

Jeremy was fine after getting sick only one more time around midnight. No fever. His skin had its normal, healthy glow and he insisted he felt fine. So after loads of laundry, cleaning the carpets, returning the cleaner and trying to pull everything together we managed to only be about two hours late for the family Christmas gathering.

I was really worried that someone (if not Jeremy) was going to get sick while we were there, but things went fine.
Everyone seemed to get what they wanted, or at least were happy with what they received.
Grandpa and Uncle Austin kicking back after all presents were opened.
This should have been first, as it was the first presents Natalie opened. Aunt Alissa was actually more excited to have the kids open their gifts than the kids were. As a tradition we eat the meal before the gift giving. This year we added two traditions. The kids, Jeff and I performed the Nativity. We left all costumes and props at home, but everyone used their imaginations and it was fun. Then we read Luke 2.

Grandma and Grandpa started a new tradition with the first present. Inside the red velvet box is nestled the baby Jesus. Once he is placed in the manger the kids were able to open their gifts and Aunt Alissa was all business.

It was a fun way to spend Christmas Eve!!!

(I'll post Christmas when I download pics from the other camera...)

Rewind

I like to do things in order, but with two cameras I often forget to download the other one and forget a few things. And since this is my family journal I'm going to plug these in.


The Tuesday before school let out Natalie and I ventured to Brenden's classroom with his birthday snack. Natalie had a lot of fun being at school with Brenden. And Brenden learned that having a baby sister at school attracts girls.
The official Santa photo. I knew from the church party that Natalie would scream if Santa held her. Since I only wanted her in the picture Jeremy held her and things went just fine. Although as soon as I took a step towards her she wiggled out of his lap and ran to me.
That Friday we were supposed to go downtown and walk the circle for the first time. We go every year and drive around it three or four times, but it's always seemed like too big of a hassle to park, walk and then walk around the circle. This year they talked us into it. And I have to say it was one of the funnest things we have done.
Only Friday night was foggy. It's hardly ever foggy here. So we did it Saturday night. And scored because it wasn't as cold as we expected either. It was easier to park then I expected. We climbed the steps and walked around the top of the monument...
saw the life size manger in front of the church on the Circle....
and even saw and petted reindeer. There were fire jugglers and the boys loved that. Anna didn't want to watch, but she peeked anyway. It was fascinating...especially the way they tried to guilt you into paying them for the show on a public street....
Just off the circle on Meridian Street we stepped into Borders and enjoyed hot choclate. This part was just as much fun as walking the circle. The hot chocolate was the perfect temp. and they topped them with whipped creme, white choc. shavings and drizzled chocolate syrup.
The kids wanted to take some pictures so I thought I would display them.
Jeremy was playing the goofball. It was a fun night. We ended by going upstairs to the kids section and the kids sat on the floor looking at books while Jeff and I walked around. We will certainly be doing this next year.

Merry Christmas To All...

Sometimes I can't help but realize that I make my children pose for too many pictures. Today was one of those days. This picture was taken last - Eric worked until one this morning so he was up late. This was as good as it was going to get.
The girls were very cooperative (Surprise!) although Natalie didn't smile in most pictures she stood where I put her and looked at the camera. She even started posing herself and did a great job.
The boys just wanted to be silly. I managed one good shot.
At this point Natalie was done. I am firmly leaning on my "Let it Be Tree". I did not get frustrated. Not once.

The best of the family shot. I need to crop it, but it's the best.
Natalie (her own pose)
Kristiana (when did she get so grown up?)
Brenden
Jeremy

Side note: I love the girls dresses. I picked them up at Costco in November and have had them in the closet. Since then I discovered that black on top, creme on bottom was a popular choice this Christmas. Today at church four other little girls walked in with that combo. Two of them wore the EXACT same dress as my girls. Both of them were Anna's friends. Oh well. What can I say? It was a bargain.

Hair! Hair!

This week has been a big hair week.
I was able to pull Natalie's hair into pigtails. The big news is that they stayed up all Day!!
Even sitting in the carseat and taking a nap! Yeah!!!
Ignore the hair in this picture. I just thought it was cute of the two girls in their Princess Dresses. Anna was heading to a party and had received the Belle dress she's wearing for Christmas at an exchange we did this week. Natalie tried to yank it out of her hands so we put this dress on her.
And Anna's hair let me do this!! A bun! Even though we still have about a hundred different lengths they stayed put during the party.
However hers didn't hold all day because the dress was taken off and put back on too much. But it stayed up for over five hours!

Snow Storm

2 - 4 inches likely on Saturday

Sunday should be worse (a total of about 8 inches)

so today when the snow kinda stopped we headed outside to shovel (leaving it over night creates a layer of iced snow that is harder and heavier to shovel). When that was done we had fun.


What do you think?

the kids had a lot of fun with this. And just for the record I have to say that I have the BEST kids in the whole wide world. Jeff had pager last night and was up most the night on the phone so while he slept this morning I rounded up the kiddos and went to Target. We went to get an organizational shelf that was on sale for the girl's closet. The shelf it sat on was empty so I went to customer service to see if I could get a raincheck.

That was the beginning of a long morning. They wouldn't issue a raincheck because there were boxes of the thing in the back. They would bring one right out. I made sure to mention I wanted the one with pink tubs - it's for the girls. They brought the red one out. So back to customer service and we learned the barcodes are the same and they would have to open all the brown packing boxes to find a box with pink tubs. It would take about thirty minutes before they would bring one out.

Since I didn't feel like driving anywhere else in the snow and the kids would be loud at home where Jeff was sleeping we stayed. I bought a hot chocolate at Starbucks for the first time and let my kids refill an icee. I waited an hour. Then back to customer service where now there was a different employee and she didn't know what I was talking about.

But she managed to find a manager who knew exactly what I was talking about. He handed me a coupon, apologized for the inconvience and told me they were too swamped to have guys opening boxes in the back looking for the right color. If I would just give my name and number they would call when they had the product ready. Could I come back later?

Thankfully the original employee I had been working with came back and she asked the manager if she could just issue me a rain check. He agreed and now I have two target coupons, a rain check, and four well behaving children.

THEY WERE SO WELL BEHAVED THROUGH ALL OF IT!! Over all we were in the store waiting........for an hour and forty five minutes. Only to discover that my phone somehow turned off and Jeff was frantically trying to call me because the stake wanted to cancel everything going on today and church tomorrow and needed to know what was going on and when they could reschedule the stake program. (I'm the building coordinator). But luckily that was for only the last thirty minutes.

So that's why I have the BEST KIDS IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!!!!!

NIFS

It stands for National Institute of Fitness and Sport. I have to say that this has been by far the best field trip I have been on. It was exactly what a field trip should be. They learned a little in a classroom and then we went to the gym - that was being used by others!- and did things hands on in a group.

We played many parachute games.
Ever heard of a tread wall? It'e like a tread mill only verticle. The wall slowly rotates down while you climb thus they never got too high. Jeremy loved it.
Then there was an obsticle course. It was a lot of fun and the kids were sorry to leave this station.
I have no idea on the name or the rules - but the kids play this in gym a lot and were having a blast! Whatever it was it looked fun. I did realize it's a weird game of tag with many rules. The ones with rings around their necks are "taggers".
Then we did relay races. This was the crabwalk. It was extremely hard for some kids and easy for others. I sat this one out, but ran the dashes. The time flew by, the kids had fun, and nobody was lost. Perfect!

It was worth the trouble it took to find someone to pick Brenden up from school, someone to be here at the house when Anna got off the bus and someone to watch Natalie when Jeff had to leave for work:)

Natalie's Eighteen Months

It occured to me today that Natalie turned eighteen months last Sunday (which I was well aware of because of nursery) but I didn't post anything for her.

Probably because I haven't taken her eighteen months photo yet, but here she is all dressed for the snow storm we are having today. She's wearing Anna's hat and it matches her new jacket!!
I'm not one that goes after snapshots as a photo for the wall, but I kinds likw this one. Of course she smiled after I took the picture. Twice.

Natalie is just starting to talk. She's like Jeremy in that aspect and I haven't been worried, but it's been hard because my friend's daughter is younger and talks up a storm. She's running all over and has started playing pretend with Anna. I'll often find them in their bedroom playing dolls, kitchen or petshop. And lately she loves the trains we've pulled back out.

And her temper is starting to come out. Oh, joy! But we love her all the same. Happy half birthday Natalie!

A View on Reading

A conversation between Brenden and I ten minutes ago.

Mom: Today while Natalie is napping we're going to work on reading.

Brenden: Can't I just take a nap?


The funniest part? Working on reading means about ten minutes at the most and he knows that.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

As far as traditions go this year had to by far be the worst!! It made me want to CANCEL cutting the tree down this past weekend. But we went, dealt with crabby children, and now have a nice Christmas looking home.

For the first time I forgot the camera-a result of the crabby children I'm sure. Trying to get out of the house dressed properly was hard enough. Remembering that Natalie had taken the camera out of my purse was beyond me at the moment. Don't they look so happy to have a tree?
A good nap and quiet time made for happier kids and a happier mom. The kids decorated the tree mostly on their own. It looks lopsided and uneven as far as decorations go, but that's part of the fun. Instead of our traditional lunch out we had pizza for dinner. Then we went to the Christmas program at the church which was nice. I miss it not being a dinner. They served desserts only-but we had Santa this year. I still hadn't put my camera back in my purse so I'll post those pictures when Brittany sends them to me.
This morning this is what I woke to. Besides two boys that were up about four am. No school delays though. Although both buses were late picking up. First snow of the season. Now it really feels like Christmas.