Christmas Day

Christmas day is always crazy but joyous.  It also always starts at exactly 7:00.  The kids aren't allowed to wake us up any earlier.  Therefore at about 6:50 I heard the kids gather in the next room and count off every single minute until they could come wake us up.

We asked them to pose for a quick photo before going to the living room.  Sam was not impressed.  The older kids just smiled.  I think they realized the quicker they humored us, the faster they got to their presents.

Unloading their stockings.  Ethan got a Kindle from Santa and the girls got My Generation Dolls (American Girl knock-offs).  Santa was well-loved at our house this year.

After presents at our house, we headed to Michael's parents' house for breakfast and more presents.  Pictured above is Grandma and Grandpa will all their grandkids.  Sorry it's blurry.

Later in the afternoon we headed to our church building and had a Christmas celebration with my family.  The grandkids wrote and performed a play called Evil Santa.  One of the best moments was when Sam got bored of waiting to say his line.  He lay slumped across the table waiting for his cue.  His tongue slowly poked out of the side of his mouth and test licked the table.  Apparently he found it to his liking.  He licked the table from top to bottom while Libby delivered her lines.  At the end of the play the grandkids also dragged my mother (their grandmother) up onto the stage and had her do The Macarena.  Christmas was awesome. 

Christmas Eve

Santa heard the pleas of my children and sent a white Christmas.  By mid afternoon on Christmas Eve there was even enough snow to build a snowman. 

He may have been little, but he had personality.

After a dinner of failed fondue, we put on our snow boots and headed out for a winter walk.  My hope was to wear the little buggers out so they would actually sleep.  We walked and skidded around for over a mile.  We looked at Christmas lights and life-size nativities.  We saw gifts, and glowing reindeer, and a Christmas countdown.  It was pretty fun but the most amazing part was the view of the cemetery.  We went from Christmas to Halloween in a heartbeat.  There was a low bank of fog settled over the ground with the tombstones poking through.  The trees were all covered with white and glowing eerily under the full moon.  I regret not having my camera with me.  We all were worrying about zombies and ghosts.  Then we turned the corner, left the cemetery behind, and got back to the Christmas lights.

Once home we got everyone in 'jamas, put cookies out for Santa, hung our stockings, and gathered around a nice crackling computer screen for a photo.

We won't tell Santa he got left over cookies from Ethan's earlier birthday celebration.

The walk seemed to work.  All the kids were asleep before ten (a miracle of Christmas Eve).  It would have been even better if I hadn't accidentally woken Ethan up, and then he couldn't go back to sleep until after midnight.  Le sigh.

Ready or Not

He turned twelve.  Gah.  That makes me feel old.   I cannot believe we are here already.  I very wise friend of mine, who has kids now leaving for college, told me this past summer, "I promise you Katie, between twelve and eighteen only takes two years."  This woman has been right about everything she has ever told me.  I do not doubt her word.  That means this not-so-little guy will be leaving home before I know it.  In the meantime he is working hard to become as tall as I am.  I still have an inch on him and I'm not letting him forget it.

He opted for fondue for his birthday dinner and dessert.  We dipped cookies, bananas, pineapple and pretzels in the chocolate for his birthday dessert.  It seemed to be wiser to stick his birthday candle in a cookie than the melted pot of chocolate.  The dessert fondue was awesome.  We will not discuss the cheese fondue we tried for dinner.  It was not awesome.  It was a sad puddle of greasy stuff with blobs of semi-melted cheese.

Happy birthday, eldest son of mine!

Concerts

Christmas is a time for music.  So, much, music.  Ethan and Libby had an orchestra/band concert at school.  Libby rocked the violin and Ethan pounded on the drums and bells.  They did great (even if Ethan got lost on a couple of songs, that is what elementary school band is for, to make mistakes).  Then a week later they both participated with the third and fourth graders' concert.  They played the hand bells and then stuck around to sing with the little kids (at the request of the music teacher).

Just three days later Ethan and Libby had their piano recital.  We all headed to the nursing home with a few other families from our ward who take piano lessons and entertained the elderly.  The elderly were very good sports.  Ethan played "Deck the Halls" and "Oh, Come All Ye Faithful".  Libby played "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas".  They rocked their pieces!  As well they should have; they only practiced each piece roughly 962 times.  It was Christmas all the time, every day, at our house.

Sorry for the blurry photos.  The point and shoot camera broke (not my fault this time) and the fancy camera and I haven't made peace yet.

Gingerbread Houses

Every year we make gingerbread houses.  The kids look forward to the tradition every year.  This year was no different.  For the last couple of years we have invited someone over to make the houses with us.  This year we decided to keep it a family event.
  

Monday night finally rolled around and I was a grumpy woman.  I was wishing we had invited someone over so I would have to put my company manners on and quit snapping at the kids.  After some consideration I decided to just fake it.  I put on my company manners and started working with the kids.  My mood got better and the evening was saved.

 Michael and Sam worked together.  Michael worked...

 Sam ate candy and managed the project.

Ethan and I worked together.  Our house was, of course, the best.

 The girls worked together to make a third house. 

Dad and Sam's house.  Sam requested an 'S' on the front and apparently there is a 'D' on the back.

 The girls' house was just happy to be there.

Mine and Ethan's house (this seems like very bad grammar, I just can't figure out how to fix it).  Any wicked witch would be proud to live here.