The big one...

Well it finally hit.  The big snow storm of the year...ha!  By my kids ridiculous enthusiasm in getting dressed up for "big storm" you would think they had never seen snow before. 

They couldn't wait to get outside to play in all that snow (it even got Kelsey out of bed before lunchtime which is HUGE).  There was enough snow to at least make a snowball or two and in the end enough snow to make someone cry...so all in all a success.

It's enough snow to keep me inside all day...as I sent them out, I said "okay see you in 5 minutes".  For one such person that is about how long it took to get cold.  Time to make hot cocoa...really isn't that what it's all for?

Christmas

Christmas morning came early.  After just having a few hours of sleep Chase and Sadi were up at 5:30.  Since they woke me up first...it was only fair I let them wake everyone else too right?  They lined up in the hall and were ready to see if Santa made a stop by our house (one of these 3 was not happy about stopping for a picture).

 He came!  Chase was thrilled that he left him a Kindle.

Sadi started out with her stocking and was a bit upset that he put some candy coal on top...she started the morning by throwing that across the room.  She got a bit happier by the surprises at the bottom of the stocking, and then was thrilled when she noticed she too got a kindle (somehow she missed that first sitting right next to her stocking).

Santa left Kelsey something every college student can't get enough of...

Once everyone had a chance to see everything Santa brought we enjoyed giving our gifts to family.  Grandma and Grandpa were given an exclusive letter of the month club enrollment from the kids.

Kelsey got some new clothes from Mom and Dad.

Chase got something he has been wanting for a long time...isn't this every kids dream hat?

As the morning grew so did the mess.  I spent more time than I like picking up trash, and shoveling things back into the corner.

Before it got to out of hand I got a few pictures of the kids Christmas.  Besides the Kindle, Santa brought Sadi a littlest pet shop, some new animal friends, and some new Lego friends sets.  From Mom and Dad she got new clothes, boots, a new Junie B. Jones book, a Monster High doll, and some new hair towels (just right for her little head).

Chase got a Kindle, Star Wars Lego's, all kinds of Minecraft toys, and some Yugio cards.  From Mom and Dad he got clothes, new basketball shoes, hat, gloves, Pokémon cards, and the new Diary of a Wimpy kid book.

Kelsey got new boots, a nice big duffel bag that is perfect for trips home from school, a coffee maker to heat water for hot cocoa and cup of noodles, some boot socks, and new headbands.  From Mom and Dad she got new clothes, slippers, a scarf, another Nicholas Sparks book, and a wolf pack paw flash drive for school.

It was a relaxing day spent just doing a bit of everything.  Sadi spent a lot of time coloring in this Monster high book Kyle gave her.

Kelsey gave Chase a Wonderology T-Rex Dino dig that had to be excavated.  This was fun not only for him, but I think most everyone took a turn pretending to be Indiana Jones.

It took a good part of the day digging out all the bones, but once they were assembled...behold the T-Rex!

Grandpa and Grandma gave Sadi a huge art set of markers, pastels, and paint so she was busy coloring just about every piece of paper she could get her hands on.

Once the Dino was assembled it was on to build some machines.  Uncle David gave Chase a snap circuits set that could make sirens, turn on lights, and do all kinds of things.  The boys (of all ages) especially liked this.

 It was a really enjoyable and relaxing day.  Some of us spent it catching up on lost sleep....

Christmas always seems to go by fast once it gets here, and before you know it the day is over.

We ended the night snuggling up playing games with each other (truth be told it was on our devices) .  But hey we were together and that's what counts.



Christmas Eve

This year for Christmas we had a house full of family.  Grandpa and Grandma Denning arrived the weekend before Christmas, Uncle David arrived a few days before, and Kyle was here off and on when he wasn't working.  This is how much of our together time looked...(sitting together playing on electronics).

Christmas Eve morning we baked and decorated cookies for Santa (and a few for ourselves). 

There was some early taste testing going on...quality control we'll call it.

Matt had to work all day so once he got off that night we were ready to start partying.  We ordered pizza for dinner and there was a 4 hour time ban on all electronics. It was wonderful (a little difficult for some of us).  We have a family tradition that each of our family members come up with a Christmas themed game.  I really let the kids plan their own game this year so that I could be surprised and play along.  Sadi had her game planned weeks before and had been crafting prizes for everyone.  Her game was Christmas charades, and she was VERY particular about the rules and how it was played.  I think the most important role of her game was the "bag holder" job.   Here she is acting out a candy cane...

We all did pretty good acting out our words, and we all had a good laugh at one word that had me a bit worried when it looked like someone was acting out killing someone.  Sadi spelled the word sleigh:  "slay".  We all knew what she meant, but I think someone thought it would be funny to act out what she really spelled.  Grandma did a good job...can you tell what she is?

Chase came up with a game that was called find your mate.  We all lined up and faced each other then we were given a paper with a north pole animal on it.  We then had to act out our animal and be the first one to find our mate.

Kelsey's game was called what's in the stocking. We each had one minute to reach our hand inside a stocking and write down the 12 items that were in there.  Some of these were pretty tricky.

For my game I read a left/right version of the night before Christmas and we passed around a chocolate orange.  The person holding it at the end of the story got to keep the chocolate.

Uncle David had even planned a game for us which was lucky for Matt who didn't have a game ready (not sure why since this is a tradition we do EVERY year).  He had us draw a Santa on a paper plate on top of our head.  Harder than you think!

After games we watched a short movie, Prep and Landing that our elves brought us.  We love this movie, and it has been one we have watched Christmas eve for the past few years.  Our movie was just getting over when there was a knock at the door...it was Santa! 

We all got to sit on his lap, and he even brought a little something for the kids to "tide them over" he said.

He didn't stay long because he had a busy night ahead but told the kids they needed to get to bed soon.

The kids set out the cookies and milk for Santa. 

They had also received a letter from Santa that the elves delivered that morning that told them before they went to bed that he would lift their magic for  just a few minutes so that they could give them a hug and tell them goodbye.  So before they were off to bed they got to say goodbye to each of the elves.

 I even caught Sadi whispering a little secret to Jingle...

Not sure what it was she whispered, but I'm guessing it might have been a last minute wish.  Once we said our last goodbyes it was time to go to bed and hope that Santa found our house.

Time to Party

Friday was the little kids last day of school before Christmas break.  They were excited! We got up early to load up the sleigh truck with all the goodies we were taking.  The kids were excited to hand out all their gifts.

This year we made reindeer's for the teachers (with a chapstick nose). I kept it simple with something they could use.

The kids both made these reindeer for some of their closest friends.  We made them over the Thanksgiving break and they had been anxiously awaiting to hand them out.

I made little elf shoes for all my friends/co-workers at the school.  Tied them up with a little note that read:  Have yoursELF a merry little Christmas.

Sadi's class was having a gingerbread themed party (actually their class theme for the month) so we made some gingy pops for her class.

Chase's class was having a party as well and we were signed up to bring drinks, so I made some snowmen juice boxes for his class.

As soon as we arrived at school you could feel the excitement building.  Sadi was quick to find her "bestie" who had given her a best friends necklace for Christmas.  They are so cute, they have to get together and connect their necklaces everyday.

I had signed up to help out in Chase's class party since I had spent all of Halloween in Sadi's class.  His party consisted of FOOD.  No games, no crafts....BORING.  I helped delve out food but that was the extent of my help.  The kids seemed to enjoy just eating and talking. 

It worked out that Chase's party was earlier in the day so I was able to party hop to Sadi's class in the afternoon and help out.  Pretty sure this is any second graders dream party....

They were given a heaping plate full of candy decorations and frosting to build their own gingerbread house.  There were no restrictions...they could eat and build to their liking!

Kelsey came with me and helped Sadi out with her house while I helped some of her classmates.  It was a frosting fiasco.  The kids had a great time!  Sadi's gingerbread house turned out really cute.  Believe it or not that entire thing was devoured in one night...can we say belly ache?

It was a fun day at school, and now we are enjoying our break from school and homework...and counting down the days till the big man makes his stop (we hope).

Elf Update

Some of you have asked me about what our elves have been up to, so I thought it time for an update on what our little elves have been doing while we are fast asleep.  Those naughty elves have been at it again...mischief that is.  The first morning we woke to a toilet paper madness!  It started in the bathroom and continued down the hallway.  Jingle was rolling down the hall with toilet paper wrapped around him.

They once again decided our tree wasn't quite decorated without a few pair of underwear!

Jingle thought it was pretty funny to climb to the top of the tree and put on a pair of Chase's underwear (Chase didn't find the humor in this).

They helped me out one morning by making out my grocery list.  It included candy, candy canes, candy corn, syrup, and cocoa.  Jingle even dove into my purse to get out some money. 

We came out one morning to a living room full of snowballs.  Looked like Jack was taking cover behind our poor snowman.

 There was also a holdup in the hallway one morning.

I thought they were being helpful by packing the kids lunch one morning and changed the menu to an Elf lunch.

However what I thought was a help was really a very unhealthy lunch (even though they included a note that told them to eat all their lunch).  It was pure sugar...including syrup! Sadi thought it was the perfect lunch.

They took a spin around on the ceiling fan...

I think Jingle has the most naughtiness of all the elves, and seems to be the one in the most trouble.  Not sure if he had a fight with the snowman or what, but he put him on the barbecue and was ready to melt the poor guy one morning.

I'm not really sure what they were doing here.  The kids think they were training our reindeer to fly.

And this morning we found this happening.....a burping contest?  They must have stayed up all night drinking all that soda. 

As much trouble as these guys are into every night and as much as I tell my kids these elves are driving me crazy, I couldn't imagine the holiday without them.