Micah has wanted to go to Disneyland for a long time. But he wanted to go nostalgic style — Micah and me solely. So we had Trey, Chloe and Bella babysit our kids, and off we went. We had reservations at Club 33 for 12:45.
We checked the weather the day before, and it was 100% chance of rain.
SWEET!
Right before we left, Trilby saw the news and saw that Disneyland had been shut down the day before because they hit their capacity of people allowed in.
SWEET!
Trilby had been a few weeks ago while it was raining, and she had a poncho with Mickey Mouse on it — that I got to borrow.
SWEET!
It rained the whole way there, and there was traffic galore.
SWEET!
So we got there, we parked, and got out. Luckily the rain cleared up in time for us to get to the restaurant. We sat down to a delicious meal.
Amongst other things — the king crab claws were some of my favorites. Micah and I both ate plentifully from the appetizer bar, got the Chateaubriand, and loaded up on the dessert bar. We had so much fun.
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After we got out, and I put my poncho back on — but it was dry from that moment on. We had dry skies all day, the crowd weren’t bad at all, and Micah and I had some good times. I particularly liked when he thought he was a comedian all day long, and did anything to make me laugh. I’ll admit, it wasn’t that hard, because I did think he was hilarious. But the “I’m not going to be scared this time” followed by the most ludicrous yell throughout the ride was utterly annoying!
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In the meantime, the kids were being properly taken care of. Bella sent us a picture message of our kids down at the tide pools.
Nice outfit she picked for Icka. At least she was warm!
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Somebody asked me why I had my poncho on (seven hours after it had rained), and I didn’t even realize I had it on all day. but by that time, I wasn’t going to take it off — I was in it for the long haul!
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We were about to leave, but before we did, we got some warm soup in a bread bowl. Micah left me alone to buy it, so I obviously added a few things into the purchase. Gifts for the kids!
Micah just laughed, and I said — “Isn’t it better to get sourdough bread that we’ll eat, than some sort of Mickey Mouse crap?!”
He was in full agreement.
And so were the kids the next morning!
SWEET!
(Not sarcastic this time.)
Scout has been quite the deviant lately.
Scout got this safe for Christmas. He pushes buttons and gets in. Can you believe how surprised I was when I pushed the buttons, and this is what I found. This weasel had my ring and watch in with all of his other goodies! Micah was not impressed. (But I was — he definitely knows quality when he sees it.)
Later the same morning, I saw Scout peaking into the bookshelves. Wondering what would be so interesting, I went to take a look myself.
Look at the loot I found! Here is his church belt I have been looking for, a skateboard, and forty bucks!
WHAT?!
I confiscated.
He laughed.
I asked him why he was laughing.
He told me he was just going to find a new hiding place.
Scout asked Santa all season for an activity table. We really needed somewhere to do all of the messy stuff. So Santa came through and got Scout a table in his favorite color — yellow!
Yesterday, Scout and Navy did play dough for hours.
I’ll take it — it is like my very own babysitter!
(Random pic — but she’s cute.)
On to the story:
Scout and Icka were wrestling.
Scout must have put her in something amazing like the choke hold.
(Or he was being nice, and the terror did her thing.)
She bit him.
Scout came crying to me.
I sent him to his dad who was near Icka.
Micah reprimanded.
Amongst the reprimand, he sternly said, “Icka….No No….we don’t bite”.
Icka melted down, and came crying to me.
I picked her up and asked her what was wrong.
She said, “He ‘no no’d’ me!”
I said, “who no no’d you?
She clear it all up and said, “Daddy….he no no’d me!”
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
Seriously!
I love Christmas. I love that Micah loves it as much as I do. I love that my kids are really starting to get it. I love the presents, the service, the music, the family and especially the 1,440 minutes I get to spend celebrating the actual day. And get this — we do Micah’s family’s Christmas on Christmas Eve day — so we get to double our pleasure. It works so well for us so that we don’t feel rushed back and forth, and can just sit and relax with both of our families.
This year, I had a realization. I am blown away at what my mom does for Christmas. Talk about a lot of hard work — and some serious organization. This year, she sent boxes to Seth, Shem, Nathan, Ashley, and David (plus respective families). Those boxes included presents galore that all had to be bought, wrapped, organized and shipped. Then she started in on the Christmas in California. Then there are the meals she prepares. The rolls she makes. The countless nights of wrapping. The thought that goes into what each person would really enjoy. It is mind blowing. It is no small fete, and yet she handles it with grace year after year. And yet — she never disappoints.
So our Christmas started at the Denisons where Navy showed up with a beautiful big red bow that was camouflaging a wad of gum in her hair. Apparently, she went to sleep with gum in her mouth, and when we were running late — I definitely didn’t have time for gum removal. We had delicious food that Micah and his mom prepared. We then did our annual gift exchange and gift giving. The kids were excited to get their presents, and Scout got in the “where is my next present” mode. (We had a little talk about that one later.) At about 7:00 the kids were running on fumes, and we headed back to our house for our Christmas Eve festivities.
It started with P.J.’s. How cute are these two in their matching striped pajamas. And amazingly enough — My mom got these outfits from two different places about two months apart.
My mom changed it up a bit for the girls this year, and got us all matching robes. Tristen turned for the picture — because she didn’t listen to my mom and get ready for the evening. Thank goodness she painted her nails a few days back.
We then did the cousin’s gift exchange. Scout got tons of cute things from Trey - but the cutest was his homemade memory game that Trey did completely on his own. He is the nicest boy you will ever meet — and Scout adores him!
We then put the kids to bed and did the sibling’s gift exchange. I had Brook, and I went practical this year and gave him what he wants most — a shirt, a fan and a pterodactyl. (All folding work was done solely by me.)
Tree gifts.
Translation — they are usually great things in small packages, and they are highly coveted amongst the family.
Then the boys brought in all of the presents, worked on a few things that needed to be put together, and headed off to Harbor House for their annual Christmas Eve shakes. (How cute is it that Shem started the same tradition with Landon this year in Colorado, and Seth made them at home for him and his boys.) While they were gone, all of the girls sit and watch me as I perfect the above masterpiece. I had three trees to work around this year, but I was up to the challenge. (Obviously — look above!) Afterward, Tristen picks out a gift for all of the girls to open before the boys get home. Once they got home, they hung out for a while and then hit the sack — but not Micah. Micah was a trooper, and stayed awake for his comedy hour. He demanded that I open my gifts, so Tristen, Megan and my mom stayed up with us as I did.
TALK ABOUT SPOILED!
You should have seen my loot this year. He went to heaven on earth — AKA the business Costco in Vegas and loaded up on restaurant supply stuff for me. So if anyone is looking for 500 mini umbrellas to put in your drinks — I’m your girl! Or does anyone have a chill and need a hand warmer? Guess who has her very own entire box of them. Eat your heart out everyone who reads this! I was seriously SO stoked when I got it all, and my mom, Megan and Tristen were dying over how excited I was. Or they were dying at Micah who literally became the most hilarious person you have ever heard for that hour in the wee hours of the night. We finally headed off to bed at about 2:00, and hit the sack hard!
The next morning, the kids got to open their stalkings. Notice they look more like overstuffed sausages than stalkings. Now you might remember that I had nothing to do with these. In fact, not only did Megan bring extra loot…..this year, she actually shopped for them and what they would want. I told you she was my secret elf! The kids were in love! But not as in love as I am! Thanks sister.
As fun as everything is on Christmas…..the thing that is at the top of the list is the COUSINS! Scout and Navy are infatuated with them!
Can you believe that Micah wasn’t done the night before? My main man surprised me with exactly what I asked for — poster paints! I told him I wanted the same kind I used in high school…and lucky me! (Let’s be honest — I actually sent him the link and list of colors I would prefer.)
I came across this Lladro a few months ago, and I knew it would be the perfect gift for my mom who is impossible to buy for. It was from Scout — our future missionary. And great things must think alike because what did I open this year — two Lladros from my mom!
What would Christmas be without a few joke gifts. My mom has no part in these, but Tristen and Seth and I love this stuff. This year, I got to open Tristen’s nasty hair, (black hair being my phobia) and I literally threw up in my mouth when I saw it. How nasty is this. I can barely type as I know this is on my computer screen.
Scout got a load of movies this year. I got him this set of famous Americans movies that are awesome. I have already read to him about some of these guys, and he loves him a little history.
The kids loaded up on Ski stuff this year because we have a big ski vacation planned in January.
Tristen was the hair dresser of the day. She woke up to get Sissy’s gum out of her hair. Then, she went and washed her hair and brought her down as Cindy Loo Who. Then she took Scout and did his hair as Mr. Loo Who. After my mom couldn’t take it anymore, Tristen went in to wash Scout’s out and fix Icka’s hair again. This time she came out as a Utah native. I was dying! And so every single picture this year (minus the ones where she had gum in her hair) are hideous of my girl. But who cares — it’s not the hair the makes the person! Right?
We took a break for dinner, and Sissy took turns eating off of everyone’s plates. Don’t you love this girl who has been told a thousand times to not get on the table — and she does it without flinching. At least Scout would look around to make sure nobody was watching. Sissy is unapologetic. Merry Christmas Siss — this time you don’t get in trouble.
It had been a long few days for my kids, and Scout broke at about 6:00. I talked to him and said that he was tired and might need a rest. He immediately got it together and said, “Mom, I am ready to play with my cousins” in the happiest voice he could muster. I sent him on his way, and he was happy the rest of the night.
Icka got her very first tree gift this year.
She finally is in sync with her aunts and cousins and has her necklace. She loves it, and is “soft” with it. And when I took it off of her, she came to say, “Where my necklace” as she pointed to mine.
And finally — Micah asked where his tree gift was all day long. So he finally got his at the end of the night. WOW — what a gift. He just might have gotten the best gift of the day. At least Bryan Brockbank thinks so!
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Merry Christmas.
Thanks everyone who made our year great!
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Oh — and did I mention that I got a sweet new real-deal camera this year?
I’m sure you already knew — based on my fabby pictures!
So I went to Megan’s the other day, and like usual….she had a car full of things for me and my kids. This time it was an entire advent calendar and its fillings. Now when I say “fillings”, I am not talking a half way job. That girl had something for me to put in every single day — bouncy calls, jingle bells, candy, etc. But not only that, she then said, “And I printed these up for you so you can roll them up and put them in random days.” She then showed me about 6 coupons she had printed that said things like “Make a Gingerbread House” and “Bake and decorate sugar cookies” and “Go look at Christmas Lights”. But she didn’t stop there. Then she brought in an entire sugar cookie baking set and a gingerbread house set. (She knew I wouldn’t have them on hand — and she was right.) Talk about awesome! I swear that she has more hours in her days than I do. Anyway — my kids are in love!
My mom isn’t — since the best place I found to hang it is right over the kitchen sink!
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In honor of this post, I should relay a conversation I had with Micah last night:
L: DO you think it is bad that I don’t get anything for the stalkings because I know Megan will just bring extra stuff.
M: Yeah — that’s pretty messed up.
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And on that note…
M E R R Y
C H R I S T M A S ! ! ! !
Until eight grade, I lived in Santa Ana. I loved it there, and that was my favorite house we ever lived in by far! One of the other perks was the group of girls I was friends with. We have so many memories together, and literally grew up together. I’ve lost touch over the years, but they came to my wedding and every once in a while I run into one of them. I heard about their annual Christmas lunch, and I wanted in. Luckily I got the invite, and I spent the afternoon with Jessica, Wendy, and Kerri laughing and catching up. I was bummed the other three girls couldn’t make it, but I’ll hopefully see them next year. Because unbeknown to them, I’m coming back every year!
Poor Scout was devastated when I told him that it might be time for the “Big Red Ball” to go in the trash. I mean it has about six rips in it, and only four panels still even have air in them. But even in this shape — without fail, my kids are in it every day. The latest games are “popcorn” where both kids are bounced up high from the inside by Micah, and “highest mountain” where Scout has Micah turn it into a mountain and he tries his hardest to climb to the top. I told him we would get another if Costco ever carries them again, and to my mom’s utter dismay — I totally will!
For the first time, our little family baked and decorated Christmas Cookies this year. I remember doing this every year as I grew up, and felt nostalgic as I was doing it last night with my own kids and a few welcomed guests — B and Ka (and one unwelcome - finger-licking Bella). The kids loved it, and this will definitely be on the calendar for the years to come. Big props go to Scout who helped me make the cookie dough, roll it out, punch it out and finally cook it. I am the WORST baker, but these beauties were delish — in large part because of Scout. He reminded me to check the cookies when the timer went off, which was the biggest help of all. And the best news — to any of those who ate the cookies — he had clean hands the entire time, and was forbidden to lick or taste until every cookie was in the oven.
Micah was trying to get creative with his PacMan cookie.
Sissy trying to look innocent in something she got called out on. But the frosting all over her face was my first clue.
Here, Ka and Siss were fighting for the same cookie.
My helper boy brought a few of the creations upstairs to offer them up.
Bella and Nonnie were takers, and Bella said, “Now these taste like Christmas.”
With my mom’s frosting recipe and the red hots, they did taste like Christmas.
Like the Christmases when I was little.
WEASEL #1
Every single morning, after Icka gets out of the bath, I lay her down, apply lotion, put on her diaper, then her clothes, do her hair, brush her teeth and adorn her with accessories. Every morning, as I turn my back for ANY reason, she slips away and runs for dear life. I am amused some mornings, but some — like the ones where I am in a hurry — it is a huge pain! Just this morning, after I answered a call, I had to go looking for her. The good news is that I can usually find her wherever the IPad is. And she knows ALL of my mom’s hiding places. So yes, this morning — there was my little stripped down girl, wrapped in Nonnie’s silk blanket and playing Bah Bah Black Sheep.
WEASEL #2
Here is Scout at “quiet time”. Apparently he wasn’t tired, so he got permission to play with the IPad. I tell him that he can only play the educational games, but I always find him playing some lame game called “Angry Birds”. Well, as he was heading back to our room, I heard the bread drawer quietly open up ad then close. For fear of a bed full of crumbs, I went in to check. Four pieces of sourdough!!! Yeah right — I think not! I limited him to one, and I can hear him playing away in the next room.
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