Highlights...

::Christmas 2009

The girls didn't have big, crazy lists this year. Santa's big thing for K and J was a basketball net.

K is really into magic and Greek mythology. She still asked for Pokemon and Bakugan and American Girl...such a random list.

J really only asked for Pokemon cards, too. Santa filled in the gap with a yoga mat and c.d. player. Both were a big hit.

Two years ago, the big girls got tents...so this was R's turn. She asked for a Leapster, a water bottle and a whistle.



::New Year's Eve

There was a time when staying out late and going to a fun party was the perfect way to ring in the new year. Now, though, my idea of perfection for New Year's is to stay home, make party food and play games with the girls. That's exactly what we did this year. I made some appetizer-y stuff, set the food up like a party and we grazed for the night. We played Wii and board games and had the time of our lives.




::Theater Awards Banquet

The theater where the girls performed in The Sound of Music holds an awards banquet for all the shows from that year. It's like a mini-Oscars. They give awards for best set design, lighting director, etc. And, of course, the biggies...Best Actor and Actress, Supporting...the whole she-bang. The kids from The Sound of Music won as a group for Best Supporting Actors in a musical! K and J were so excited. They had no idea and the look on their faces was priceless when their names were called. I really could not be more proud of how hard they worked during that play. Between homework and chores to the actual practices and performances, they really were amazing. And talented. I am so lucky.


We had a blast seeing everyone from the theater and the cast again...for months we saw these people every day and then when it was over we all missed everyone. After the awards, it was a big party and the girls danced into the night. It was a night they will never forget.




::Winter Vacation

During February, kids up here are out of school for a week. Kyle took a few days off and we took a much needed break to spend time together as a family.



We went to an art museum one day and the girls made puppets and masks.












The girls enjoyed the "Ends of the Earth" exhibit at the Connecticut Science Center.








Now that I have spent all morning catching up, it's off to do more stuff that I probably won't get to for another few months.

Fun Four

This little girl makes me smile.


We just love Riley to pieces. She talks absolutely non-stop and about very big and profound things. She still has a "severe" speech delay, so listening to this little tiny itsy bitsy girl...hand on hip...tell us how to solve the health care problem. Let's just say, it's very hard to keep a straight face. Especially when her solution is that "you go to the doctor and he makes you better." Be still my heart. One of my favorite things that she says is "who-wah woop"...hula hoop. Love, love, love.

She was very excited about her birthday this year. She is at that age where not only does she understand what a birthday is, but totally remembers the year before.

Riley was adorable opening presents. She is a dainty little princess. She does things very delicately. She asked for a princess party this year, so we had Maddie and Beth over as well as her little friend Zach. The kids played games and had cake and then the family came to celebrate after. My mom made a "princess" dress for her to wear to the party, but Riley had several costume changes throughout the day. She is wearing a dance costume in the picture above.

She really didn't ask for anything for this birthday. My father-in-law got her a scooter because she loved the one Jenna got for her birthday so much. She is wearing her new helmet to blow out her candles. She wanted a candy castle for her cake, so that's what she got. Our rule is no bubblegum until you are four, so that was truly what she was most excited about! The cakes was covered in gumballs and Jenna gave her packs of Bubble Yum.

Riley keeps Kyle and me entertained all the time. She loves to help out around the house and cook with us. She calls Kyle her buddy (that's what he would tell her while she had to stay home during Sound of Music to make her feel special). She often gets out of bed and comes downstairs to hang out with us. Riley is definitely a night owl...and while I know she needs to be in bed...she is just so darn funny. I love having her home for half a day and hopefully she'll still be in pre-school next year. That's too long of a story for now, but as a December baby she is technically old enough for Kindergarten next year...wahhh.

End of the Year Recap

Here is what we did from December 10th through the 25th:
10 ~ We drank hot cocoa and read Christmas books by the fire.

11 ~ Made gift jars for the teachers.
12 ~ Riley's 4th Birthday!
13 ~ Made snowball soap.
14 ~ Made Christmas pictures for the Great-Grandparents.
15 ~ Wrapped Presents.
16 ~ Drove to Tennessee.
17 ~ Visited with Granmomma & Grandaddy and all the Great-Grandparents.
18 ~ Atlanta for the day and the World of Coca-Cola museum.

19 ~ Cousin Rachel's Wedding and Celebrated Christmas with Granmomma & Grandaddy.

20 ~ Drove home from Tennessee.
21 ~ Drank more hot cocoa and read more Christmas books.
22 ~ Made our holiday fudge.
23 ~ Drove to look at Christmas lights
24 ~ Christmas Eve...we baked Jesus a birthday cake and hosted Christmas Eve dinner with family and friends.
25 ~ Christmas!

Christmas was a lot of fun this year and I definitely think we will keep our 25 days of Christmas tradition. As you can see, some things were really small...making Christmas pictures and our day one paper chain. Some things we would have done anyway...wrapping presents and baking cookies and making fudge. Reading books by the fire with hot cocoa is something we always do and more than anything I hope it's a memory the girls will cherish. Some things weren't Christmas related at all...Riley's 4th Birthday.
Our trip to Tennessee was unexpected but a true blessing. We do a rotated Thanksgiving/Christmas schedule and this year we were supposed to go to TN for Thanksgiving and be home at Christmas. Kyle started his new job in September, so he couldn't take off so soon at Thanksgiving. He did, however, have a work trip to Atlanta in December. It just so happened that my cousin was getting married that weekend, so we made it work. It was a whirlwind of a trip. Left on a Tuesday night and drove part of the way, drove the rest of the way on Wednesday, east TN on Thursday, Atlanta on Friday, Nashville on Saturday, drive back home Sunday. Exhausting, but fantastic.

And then, just like that (after all the prep and activities leading up to it), Christmas is over. It's a new year with all kinds of new beginnings. I don't make resolutions because I usually don't follow through. I do love the new year just to start new projects and try to to fix things that weren't working before...like our after school schedule. You would not believe how much stuff the girls are required to do for school each day. It kind of makes me sad.

In the next few days (oh, who am I kidding ~ weeks!), I hope to post about Riley's birthday, Christmas Day, New Year's and my main goal for the year...getting organized and just making life easier.

Here's to 2010...I hope it is the best one, yet!

Eight and Nine

The eighth day on our Christmas countdown was another crazy day. First of all, I jinxed myself by bragging about the girls yesterday. When they came home from school all they did was complain about doing their chores, homework, etc. Sigh.
Then, to top it all off, Kyle and I had to take the van back to Sears so they could try for a THIRD time to fix my tire studs...that they broke and stripped during a routine oil change and tire rotation. This meant that after dinner we had to go back out to pick it up. We live out in the boonies...so this is a 30 minute drive.
All that means is that our activity for the day...decorating a chipboard Christmas tree...happened pretty late last night. Kellen and Jenna put it together and did their decorating last night and Riley finished it up this morning.

Riley decorating the chipboard tree.

It didn't really matter that the girls were up late last night because we woke up to a SNOW DAY! Which was pretty fitting because Day Nine's activity was to make snowman pancakes! I love a snow day and this is our first of the season. Sleep late, watch movies (and Christmas shows), stay in pj's all day....perfection. It's even better this year because Kyle isn't having to get up early to snow blow his way out to go to work. All he has to do is walk down the stairs.

Snowman Pancakes

Ready....Aim....

Fire!

Kellen and Jenna playing in the snow.

Seven

Not only do we have Christmas upon us, but Riley's birthday is this weekend. We always have a little gathering for the girls...which means I have to clean house. Luckily, the girls and I cleaned on Sunday before we decorated. They are really getting to be a big help with things like that and I also think they are beginning to understand that if they help then I have more time to do things with them. This time I came up with a brilliant idea...I went into each room we were cleaning and made a list of what needed to be done and left it in that room. That way they knew exactly what to do and I was free to work somewhere else. Brilliant, I tell you!

We only cleaned up downstairs and I told them not to worry about their rooms because we would do that this week and they were very happy. This week started yesterday and they were not so happy. I told them that they only had to spend 30 minutes each afternoon in their rooms, which would be their chore for the day. If they finished before or by Friday, they would get three extra dollars. We use a "Daddy Dollar" system, each chore/job in the house earns a certain number of "dollars" (i.e. not real money!) and then they can spend what they earn in the "Mommy Market" on things like play dates/sleepovers, watching TV or movies, etc.


My goal was to have the rooms cleaned up before Riley's party and also before the jolly man in a red suit comes to bring more stuff.


So...back to the activity of the day and the whole point of this rambling story. The girls had to do homework, read for 20 minutes, study math facts, study spelling, K had to practice clarinet, shower, eat dinner AND clean their rooms for 30 minutes all before we did our activity. Which was to write their letters to Santa. Exciting stuff.


Seriously, though...how good are these kids?!? They did it all without complaining or whining. To top it all off, their lists are completely reasonable. So proud.

Four, Five and Six

Our Day Four didn't go exactly as planned (so typical at our house). The girls had a half day of school for conferences so Kyle took off half the day so we could go to those. Our plan was to go to the conferences and leave immediately to pick out a tree, which was that day's activity. At the school, Kyle got a call from work so we had to head back home. By the time we were ready to go out for the tree it was too dark. We went out for pizza instead.


Day Five was crazy busy. We started off the morning at the tree farm to pick out our tree. It was a very chilly and rainy day. This is the first year in a long time that we didn't have at least some snow on the ground.

Heading into the tree farm.

Kellen looking for the perfect tree. She is VERY particular.

Kellen and Jenna discussing a tree.

Riley was just running around like a mad woman. Can you see her?

Jenna decided to hide, too.

Finally, we all found a tree that we *mostly* agreed upon.

Kellen had a basketball game after lunch so we rushed back home to eat and get ready for that. Our actual Day Five activity was to go see a Christmas show that some of our Sound of Music friends were in. We had kept going to the show a surprise, so when they pulled that off the calendar it was a thrill. Before the show the kids got to decorate cookies and eat them.

The show was cute and really helped to get all of us into the Christmas spirit. The weather was so gloomy and before the show we all had attitudes to match. It was the perfect thing to do.

We had decided to head out for some shopping after the show. Since we were going to be at the mall, we thought we would get the oil changed and the tires rotated at Sears. Good plan, right? Car stuff would get done while we were shopping and we would be good to go...especially since there was a winter storm coming. Four hours later, another trip back to Sears the next day and another one still to come...so much for good plans. {I won't bore you with all the details, but they messed up big time on a very simple tire rotation.} By the time we were leaving...at CLOSING time...it was already snowing. We made it home safe and sound and that's all that matters.

Yesterday was Day Six, and it went as planned for once. The girls were in fabulous moods, they were perfect at church, they helped clean the house AND they got to play in the snow. Our activity for the day was to decorate the tree and house. We did that and finally made those Christmas cookies.

It was a great end to the weekend.

Day Three

Our Day Three was supposed to be to make Christmas cookies with a cookie kit that Kyle's dad gave the girls at Thanksgiving. I hadn't really looked at the kit which was a huge mistake. I thought the kit included pre-made cookies with all the supplies to decorate the cookies. WRONG. It had a cookie mix that you had to bake...and I had no eggs.


So, I improvised and we made Christmas lollipops using pirouette cookie sticks, marshmallows, red melting chips and green sprinkles. Not something I would want to eat, but they were thrilled and that's all that mattered.