Christmas 2013 was a success!
Nothing beats a day of giving gifts, eating yummy food, watching my kids get excited, watching them give their stuff to others, and having everyone all in one room without having anything else to do, or any calls to make.
Again — it was a success!
The Pips was in a nap at this point, but this is first thing in the morning (9:00am).
After I snapped this pic, they opened up their stockings — beautifully assembled every year by Auggie! Then we all had a delish breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen. And finally it was time to do Christmas. I think we were ready around 10:30. How awesome is that lazy morning.
Check out what they got this year…
The slug bug for Dash.
The pink one for Navy.
And the 2 person Jeep for Scout and the Pips!
They rode those things until we made them come in!
They were all so excited, and came and gave me thank you hugs over and over.
Navy got a doll head with real hair, along with everything needed to go with it.
Including: make up, curlers, hairspray, a real hair dryer, bobby pins, clips, etc.
She came back an hour later with her twin….beauty mark in the hair line and all!
Every time Dash got something, he went from person to person to share it, or to show it by saying “Yook…Yook at what I got”!
Micah gave NayNay her Christmas Eve gift (She was at John’s house the night before) — a pass to the Sundance Film Festival!
Obviously that was a major hit!
The Pips was passed around from arms to arms and happy as a little clam wherever she went.
This ninja was in stealth mode while tossing Navy around.
Scout was stoked on his new running shoes that matched Micah and Dash!
Dash and Bella gave this CTR trio to NayNay!
Navy “needed a new umbrella”!
Filthy-faced Dash got into Navy’s make up with some help!
Then all of the cousins sat down for an awesome gift.
But first they had to put a puzzle together to find out what it was.
I finally had to jump in because it was quite the puzzle!
But it ended up saying that we were all going to go to Cancun for Spring Break!
Yippee!
A-MAZ-ING!
Navy started hugging everyone she was so excited!
And Scout just stood there in a daze as he figured it all out.
When he did, he was excited as Navy.
How sweet is that!
There were hugs all around!
-
Throughout the day I made cheese plates for everyone, there were lots of dirty diet Cokes, some BLT’s and a delicious dinner by Nonnie.
Never did I realize that Christmas had so much behind the scenes until I was a mother.
Nonnie — you make our day SO fun, and we applaud you for everything!
Thanks for yet another amazing Christmas!
-
And let’s not forget about my amazing gift from the Shmickity Dickity Dock!
Here are some of the many things I am getting from him throughout the year…
Eat your heart everyone seeing this!
And for him — a day of wakeboarding lessons alongside Bry and Cade!
-
And yes, we DID talk to Jake, and he is doing great!
Merry Christmas ‘13!
Our Christmas with the Denisons took place all day today, and was really fun. There were tons of gifts, great Italian food and lots of family. My kind of day. And I actually gave a gift that someone liked during the gift exchange — or at least she led me to believe that she might have wanted it! Bree, did you really want those tweezers? Unfortunately, I forgot my good camera and only video taped during the whole day.
After our day of fun, we headed home to Christmas Eve festivites.
This is literally my favorite part of Christmas. We exchange gifts and get PJ’s, and then do the present thing while the boys head off to Harbor House. Although it is still my favorite part, it was a little modified this year. We had a late start. Then as soon as it was time to exchange gifts, Jake was trying to Skype. The connection was awful, so after quite a bit of time trying, we decided to make a phone call the next day, with hopes of hearing one another. Then we finally got to the gifts.
This year, we put all of the names in the hat, and Bella chose Dash.
(Yeah right — like that wasn’t rigged!)
She made him close his eyes.
She first gave him his very own Panda Bear — according to him lately, it is his favorite.
When she first gave it to him, he was totally scared, and it was hilarious. It wasn’t for about 5 minutes that he finally warmed up to his new pet.
And then she surprised him with this awesome dinosaur outfit!
He went around scaring everyone like this.
And she ended it with quite possibly — his favorite thing on earth!
His very own Thomas the Train.
So he grabbed his Thomas chair and sat in his Thomas train while wearing his new dino outfit.
Nice work Bella!
Scout and Navy got a group gift from the Brockbanks.
They got a bunch of animals as clues.
It took them a while, and a lot of clues, but they finally caught on that they were getting zoo passes!!!
The whole family was excited over this one — especially the cousins who get to skip school to use a few of the “guest passes” it comes with!
My poor mom had Micah this year. Remember his amazing gift to her last year? The robe? The best gift ever given on earth!?!
She had to top that.
Well, she didn’t.
But she came pretty close by giving him a hotel stay in San Diego with money for the Chef’s tasting menu for him and me!
Not bad!
And, to boot — B, who had my name gave me full babysitting at our house the whole time we are gone for part of my gift!
Best Gift Ever!
-
Speaking of Micah — and him giving the best gifts — my gift this year was one simple blue book.
But let me tell you, that blue book had more than you can imagine in it!
I had the next 24 hours to open it slowly..a few pages at a time.
In it he told me things he loves about me, and then gave me a whole slew of amazing coupons.
This is for a “game night”.
And one of my favorite things about this book is that every single coupon has an amazing picture that goes with it.
-
After gift time, we opened PJ’s.
Then put the kids down.
Then the girls went to organize the gifts (check out my masterpiece!) while the boys assembled gifts.
And then complained that they were too tired to go to Harbor House.
The girls were all so mad that they were trying to break tradition.
Not necessarily because they weren’t going, but more so because we like our alone time.
-
It was a little different this year, but no less great!
Merry Christmas Eve.
After a lot of hard work, I was really pleased with how Pippi’s announcement/our Christmas Card turned out this year.
Here is the front and back of the card:
(They are switched in order because this is the final draft from the printer — so the front of the card is on the right and the back is on the left.)
And the middle:
It is quite possibly….my favorite card to date!
I’ll admit that Christmas Picture day is my most dreaded day of the year.
But this year has set my expectations for it to be one of the easiest and most relaxing days instead!
There was a confident and calm photographer.
I was completely prepared with everything.
Micah, Trilby and my mom were on hand for anything needed on the side such as holding blankets, reading books in the midst, or feeding the Pips to keep her alert and happy.
And Dash — my biggest worry — was completely covered by Bella.
Here is a little photo gallery of some of the behind the scenes:
Thanks to all!
I love me a Sunday where the girls match and the boys do also.
And nothing is better then when their matching is gold and glittery for the girls, and handsome red for the boys.
Seth and Cade, who are a semi-permanent fixture at our house, were over one night while we were doing some Christmas decorating.
At one point, I was looking for Navy, and finally found her upstairs.
Apparently, she and Cade were cold.
So she grabbed the Santa blanket and turned on the TV, so they could “relax and watch a movie”.
I guess Santa won’t be the only one watching Navy this season.
Needless to say, I have been pointing out a lot of Cade’s faults lately!
The poor little grunting Pips.
This girl has been fussy and grunting like a man, for almost three weeks. I couldn’t quite figure out what the problem was because she was having about one dirty diaper a day. But then a thought came into my mind as I was giving her Poly-Vi-Sol (Her vitamins + Iron supplement).
It dawned on me how much Iron stops me up when I’m on it, so between her Iron supplement and her formula bottle a few times a day + Iron, I finally figured out that this girl was constipated. I cornered Carruthy at church to ask if prune juice was okay for a 2 1/2 month old, and he said to try it. I have had her on it for two days, and she seems to be doing much better. Much less grunting, and about four dirty diapers a day.
Thank goodness!
Nobody wants to see their little babe uncomfortable, so I am crossing my fingers that this little girl who has already been through enough in her short little life, is heading into a grunt free phase.
Since I am charge of the parties in Scout’s school, I knew I had to get on it last night.
Thank goodness I am a good planner with a short timeline, because this party came during a ridiculously busy time in my life.
So last night, I ran out to get supplies for each kid to make a “snowman shooter”.
When I got into the class, I told all of the kids to sing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
As they finished, I asked them about the part in the song that spoke of “Reindeer Games”, and asked if they knew what those games were.
They didn’t, so then I explained that I Googled “Reindeer Games”, and that we were all going to play them in a modified fashion.
Modified….meaning we had to use ping pong balls instead of snowballs so that they didn’t melt all over the classroom.
The kids loved it!
“Sink the Snowball” was a favorite.
And after 45 minutes of games, the other room mom had brought in snacks for the kids to eat.
How lucky was I, when everything was “Reindeer” themed!
She must have read my mind, because I certainly had no idea of what we were going to do at the party three days before when she asked what the festivities would entail.
I think she was dumbfounded when my response was, “The party….well, I won’t know what we are doing until the night before. Don’t worry…it will be good. By the way…how many people are in the class?”
But possibly even more dumbfounded when the party was as good as it gets.
I was working on my computer while Navy was working right across from me on the kid computer.
She left for a minute and came back with two red cups in her hands, and announced, “Mom, I brought us some snacks.”
I was thrilled.
How kind…how proactive…how healthy??
There is nothing like a cup of lettuce that fills a body up!
I hate temporary tattoos!
But I’ll have to admit, that of all I have seen, this might be the cutest.
I am just not sure about the placement.
It seems to me the whole “tattooed neck” thing is a bit thuggish.
And if there is one thing I am trying to steer my boy away from…it is “thuggish”.
But apparently, a little cotton swab and rubbing alcohol will take care of this in no time.
Unfortunately, “no time” turns into “a lot of time” when you are looking for those particular supplies.
| DESIGN BY