Hot! Hot! Ooh, We Got It!

Last Friday, the girls had a few friends over for caroling, hot chocolate, and Polar Express. I had originally had a different invite list and turnout planned, but it evolved into this. I really wanted to make homemade hot chocolate with a recipe that I love, but I'm glad I ditched that plan and went with packets. With the guest list, this worked out much better.

Poor Aidan surrounded by girls!

Of course, the girls all played afterward and even had a lovely marshmallow contest...and yes, that would be the teen girs, not the second graders. :)

What's that? You say I have a child missing? Why, yes, I do have another. Alex was trying to get his last drives in for driver's ed. He has now completed the course, and is driving with "a licensed driver over the age of 21" for the next few months while awaiting his birthday!

No worries, he arrived home in time to see Santa give the first Christmas gift (and make fun of the girls' hot chocolate mess).

Adventure

Our kids like to go on adventure walks. They hike around in the weeds and dirt of undeveloped land behind our neighborhood. Today while tidying, I decided to empty their pack from the last adventure.

Inventory:

1 Jacket
1 Pair Clean Socks
1 Knit Hat
1 Pink and White Ball Cap
1 Bottle Water
3 Pieces White Paper, for sketches and notes
1 Pen
2 Empty Ziploc bags
7 Specimens
....1 dirt
....1 berries
....1 twigs
....4 various grasses

I asked Allie if I could throw them away. Nope. They need to study them.

A Snowman

This kid keeps me laughing.


Last week, we had the unfortunate honor of receiving a book from our friends. It was a lovely little book that plays a song ... over and over and over. Apparently, Aidan found it and since they didn't play with it anymore, they told him he could take it home. Well, today, we were reading it (singing it because that's how you HAVE to read this book), and he kept asking me, "he's a snowman?" "Is he a snowman on this page?" "He's a snowman."

"No, Aidan, it's not a snowman; can't you see it's an alligator?"

"No, a snowman."

"Look, he has a pointy alligator mouth with teeth. And he's green. And he has ridges on his back."

"Well, where's the snowman then?"

"There is NO snowman in this book, buddy."

"Yes, there is, mom. It says "A Snowman, he played one, he played knick knack on my thumb"

Uh...yeah...I was dying of laughter at that point, so he thought I was laughing at his rhymes and continued to make more of them up.

Um...I really thought he knew this song...for a year at least. Has he really been thinking it was "A Snowman" the whole time?!


(To clarify...the book is just the original song lyrics "This Old Man". Also, "unfortunate" was used a bit sarcastically. The first day it was in our home, everyone explored the cool new button, and with 4 kids, 2 parents, and friends over, that's a lot of "this old man". )

:)

Didn't Make The Cut

On Monday evening at 5:43, I received my lovely orange Shutterfly box containing our Christmas cards! Now to get them sent...

In the meantime, I figured I'd share a few pics that may or may not have made the cut.

Not a Quitter

Allie (while playing wii fit): I am not a quitter. I am not a quitter. I'm just going to keep saying that until I get across this tight wire again. Aidan are you a quitter?

Aidan: No

Allie: Sometimes it can be hard to do big people things for little kids like you. ...well...maybe little like me too.

Aimee's First Swim Meet

For Aimee's PE credit this year, she is doing swimming. It means jumping into the pool at 7am for an effective wakeup call and I think it serves her well! She is loving it. Over Thanksgiving break, she actually missed it and was looking forward to school starting up again to get back to the pool.



We finally got to see the fruits of her labors when she had her first swim meet. November 22, 2010 is the day Aimee took 1st place in 3 of her heats and we all got to cheer her on. Grandma and Grandpa Greenwood got to be here for the meet, since they came for Thanksgiving. This made it possible for us to see all the races and leave someone home with the younger kids, who, understandably, didn't want to stay all 4 hours in the hot, humid pool.

(This is what Allie did for part of the swim meet...what's a sport event without friends?!)

ROCK ON Aimee!!

Deck the Halls I

This is the TV stand. Everything on here is moved and dropped and wiggled, so there isn't much. (You might also find a child up there watching TV, so ... yeah)

Bring on the Sparkly!!

My Christmas tree is the perfect amount of sparkly! I love the shiny ornaments and how they sparkle and shine and reflect the pretty lights.

I used to never want an artificial tree, but one year, we found a great one and in comparison to the price of a real tree, I gave in. The good thing about an artificial tree is that you can put it up just after Thanksgiving or in the beginning of December to enjoy all season and it won't die. Another awesome thing about it is bending branches where I want them to fit an ornament. LOL

Our first tree was not pre-lit because the pre-lit ones didn't look as real as I wanted, nor did they come with colored lights. We ALWAYS had colored lights on our tree and I loved them. But, when it came time to get a new tree, I loved this one, white lights and all. Plus white lights are brighter. I think I need to add lighting to that corner when Christmas is over, because I'll miss them.

Each year, we get a few new ornaments, so our tree is getting fuller with each passing year. Some years we got snowmen, some years we got Santas, and other years we got little shiny gifts to hang on the tree. I love them all! I think I'm a little particular about the Santas and snowmen we choose. Some of their faces look scary, some look evil, some look a little psychotic. I think all of ours are pretty jolly and bright!!

Jolly gifts, colored balls...

Dancing snowmen and bell snowmen...

egg Snowman

Birds hiding in the branches!


Some of our Santas are tall, slender, and nature-ey.

Some Santas are fat and jolly.


Some of our Santas are somewhere in-between.


I love these pinecones!!

Bells and stars!

You can peruse more trees at the Tree Party at Thrifty Decor Chick. Click here!

Aidan Explains

Allie: Aidan, How do you make a snowman?
Aidan: First, You make a snowball. A big ball. Then it melts. Then you make it again.

(He won't know what to do with himself when he only has to make that snowman once if/when we ever move up north.)

*************************************************************************************

For Thanksgiving, Aidan's preschool asked them each to tell how to cook a turkey. This was his response.

"Give the turkey a bath. Put it in the oven and cook it for two days. Put it on the table and poke it. Then eat it."

A Boost...

...because no matter how much determination you have, you might still need a helping hand.

Christmas Card is Ordered!!

Snowflake Wishes Noir Holiday

Get custom holiday cards online at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.