on her 98th christmas granny goes bowling on the wii

christmas day 2009

Since my family was out in sunny CA visiting Jess, Dave & Devin, we spent the whole day with Braden's family. Snow outside...fresh cinnamon buns...Caleb discovering he gets to bring his presents home with him...Maddie's new baby doll...Caleb and trucks...CoCo tearing all the wrapping paper as usual...Garrick's potato skins...Maddie & Caleb exchanging gifts...we had a white Christmas!...playing games on the new wii...big surprise gifts...generosity and love from all. We are very blessed!

qotd's

Caleb upon seeing the Christmas presents under the tree at Bubbie & PopPop's house on Christmas morning: Aww! How did that happen?!

Maddie upon naming her new baby doll: Sometimes she says, 'ga ga' and I know what she means, and she said 'ga ga' and she means she wants a little lamb, and so I named her Mary because I know a little song that goes 'Mary had a little lamb.'

ahh, what a face!

* merry christmas! *

qotd

We were discussing our advent ornament this morning, a star, which represents the magi worshiping the Christ child. I read a few verses from Luke about the magi, and then I asked Maddie what three gifts they brought.
"Myrrrrrrh?"
"Yes, myrrh."
(Blank stare.)
"...and gold."
"Oh, and myrkinsence!"

advent fillers

I didn't want to fill my kid's advent cones with candy. There are already so many sweets everywhere during December without me providing more. I had to sit down and think for a bit though, what was I going to put in their cones? I finally came up with a few ideas like...a new book, one of their favorite snacks from Trader Joes, and coupons--like a popcorn-movie night and special dates with Mom & Dad. All that said, I did cave in and slip them each a candy cane & chocolate coins in a few select advent cones. :)

But this is the book I bought my kids.(By the way, Mr. dePaola's book Tony's Bread is a great one!)
At the back of our new book was the recipe for these traditional baby dolls.

Easy to make and fun for the kids. We made them in the evening and ate them for breakfast the next morning.

waiting

church

Since our church service was canceled due to the snow, we had our own little meeting here at home on Sunday morning. Since our kids spent much of the previous day bickering, our in-house preacher taught from Ephesians 4:32. After listening, Maddie and Caleb drew examples of kindness.
Here's Caleb's: That is him on the right and Maddie on the left. In between are the rocks with sharp teeth that he is giving her to be kind. Somehow Caleb ended up with hair, arms, fingers and a body, but Maddie got left in the dust with only legs and toes. If you look carefully on the present (Daddy drew that) there is a monster truck inside (Caleb drew that) that he is giving Maddie as well. And here's Maddie's picture with her dictation written by me.
I'm not sure how much Maddie will appreciate the rocks with sharp teeth and the monster truck or how much Caleb will appreciate the flower, but hey, we're headed in the right direction!

We sang 2 songs before our sermon, and then afterward we sang a song again, this time with everyone on instruments of choice, including me on piano.
Later, Caleb couldn't resist running back to his picture to add a race car with 'wots and wots and wots of wheels.'

more fun in the snow!

This video brought to you by my new kodak zi8, a Christmas present that Braden let me open early...in light of the snow and the extra Christmas fun going on. I'm not a techy person but this thing is cool!

fun in the snow!

Caleb and Braden also went out during the snowstorm. Caleb was loving it! He had more fun just falling down in the snow.Then he and Daddy 'grilled hot dogs' outside. Caleb is eating his here.

venturing out

Yesterday afternoon Maddie and I (and La--who walked over from her house!) ventured out to give the neighbors some Christmas bread.

Maddie didn't know what to do with the snow at the door like that.

Maddie got stuck a few times and almost lost a boot at one point. It was so fun! I haven't seen this much snow since high school I think!

gingerbread

We haven't ventured out in the snowstorm yet. Caleb and I are making gingerbread for dessert for dinner tonight. We're having our next-door neighbors over for dinner. I am listening to Mariah Carey's Christmas album from the 90's. Only my sisters and a very few friends (um, like 3 and you know who you are) will understand my enjoyment of this album. Well, you'd enjoy it too if you had been there!

Christmas...the snow's comin' down

Christmas...I'm watchin' it fall

to my fine family in sunny cal...

...we're pushing a foot. My terracotta planters have nearly disappeared.

we woke up this morning to...

...the biggest snowstorm in December ever! There's a good 6 inches down and the snow is coming an inch an hour. Snow should continue all day and into the night. This is exciting for the kids & me--having lived here my whole life I can only remember a handful of 1-2ft snows, and the kids haven't seen anything more than 6 or 8 inches. However, my upstate NY husband is taking it all in stride. I sure hope some of it sticks around for Christmas!

Bonus: With Braden's office closing, his Christmas vacation just started 2 days early--fun!

get dressed!

Our kids haven't really been self-dressers. For Maddie it took her until 4 to really want to start dressing herself. Well, yesterday Caleb finally decided it was time for him to take things into his own hands--or should I say put things on with his own hands? In the morning he came out of his bedroom wearing a navy blue tee shirt turned inside out, no underwear, and camo pants on backwards. He happily wore that all day, I might add...except I did make him put on some underwear!

gift wrapping...

...one of my favorite parts of Christmas. I love wrapping gifts! I usually try to snag an amazing after-Christmas deal for the next year, and every year I have a theme. Last year I went elegant retro with gold and mossy green with hints of light blue. This year I went for fun--turquoise and snow and candy cane ribbon. I also found a resource for free printable gift tags like the cute mittens I used here. Can't beat cute and free!

speaking of christmas shopping...

Caleb's and my shopping experience went like this:

Caleb, how about we get Maddie some barrettes for her hair?
Yes.
How about these? Do you like these?
No.
How about these? Do you want to get Maddie these?
No.
How about these?
I don't wike doze but get dem for Maddie.
Well, we can look at some others. There's more.
No. I don't wike doze but get dem for Maddie.
How about these? Are these better?
No. D'other ones. I don't wike dem but get dem for Maddie.
Oookay.

christmas shopping made easier

Last year I completed the brunt of my Christmas shopping online and decided I just might do that for...forever. Enormous selection and boy is it ever helpful! Christmas shopping at whatever hour I'm able, no lines, no crowds, and no dragging small children through it all either. We get to avoid the hyper-commercialism and it's easier to keep my heart content with less. Shopping hasn't consumed December leaving us more time for family fun and traditions. I think we're all much happier and relaxed and aware of Christ as we are approaching Christmas Day.

Three favorite spots this year: amazon.com, Etsy.com, and half.com.

I even took Maddie and Caleb (separately) 'shopping' for the other. Maddie chose to buy Caleb a cute wooden car and Caleb bought Maddie some adorable barrettes--both off of Etsy. Both their gifts happened to arrive yesterday, and so I took each of them aside at different times to wrap the others' gift. So far secrets have been kept!

Silly as it sounds, one of my favorite parts about my online Christmas shopping is the now near daily knock of the postman with a package. Hardly any are even for me, but it's still fun to say hi to the postman, get lots of packages, open them and make sure they're just right.

half-way through our jesse tree

Our Jesse Tree is filling up with interesting ornaments. The kids have really enjoyed this advent. Maddie always tries to guess which story each new ornament is about, and quite often she is right. The kids have also heard some new bible stories for the first time. I look forward to completing this activity with them again next year.

By the way, Madeleine is working on a big Christmas surprise, so stay tuned!

legal breaks

In recent days my little in-house destroyer has managed to destroy a lot. So, I set him to work smashing candy canes for some peppermint hot chocolate mix. Something he's actually allowed to break! Need I mention he did a terrific job?

holiday cheer

We're having a little party at our house today for all of the small group leaders at church whom Braden cares for. I am baking one of my favorite holiday cookies for the gathering. This is only halfway through the recipe, but don't they look so festive?!

*newsflash*

For the first time in 3 years, Madeleine has chosen a new favorite color NOT on her birthday! What is the world coming to?! She has decided that because her favorite color was already purple when she was 3, that having it be purple again while she's 5 is just not working out. She is changing it to PINK. But I have her word that it will remain pink until she is six. And furthermore, she informed me that after she has worked her way through all the colors, silver will be her favorite color, and then it will be gold for always.

our jesse tree advent

Last year I heard about a Jesse Tree and decided to start that tradition with our kids this year. The idea comes from the prophesy of Christ in Isaiah 11:1 "A shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse." I crafted a small 'tree' out of some evergreen branches placed in a large vase. Each day through the month of December a new passage of scripture is read, beginning with creation and ending with Christ's birth. I crafted simple, small salt dough ornaments, one ornament corresponding to each scripture, so each day a new ornament is placed on the tree.

To hold (and hide) the ornaments, I found this advent idea that I thought was just adorable. It was very simple to make, but quite tedious. Cutting and stitching 48 triangles takes more time than you think! But I am glad I stuck with it and finished it. I love it, and so do the kids!

(And included in certain pockets are extra little surprise treats for the kids!)

fish fish everywhere!

I'm telling you, Caleb draws fish with sharp teeth EVERY DAY. I gather up papers daily with a bazillion fish with sharp teeth drawn all over them--big ones, little ones, little ones inside big ones, whole schools of fish! But over the last few days I have found fish with sharp teeth elsewhere...

...like in the dust on our van......on Caleb's bedroom wall...

...on his sheets...

...and on his toybox too.
Needless to say, all drawing implements have been confiscated yet again.

i'm dreaming of a white christmas

That beautiful snow Saturday put me in such a holiday mood that I declared it to be a Popcorn and Christmas Movie Night. So when Braden got home, we pulled out 'White Christmas' and watched it while we ate sandwiches and popcorn.

In case you are not aware, when sitting on our couch you face the tv and the kitchen, and the door to the basement is in our kitchen. Those details are important because...about 30 minutes into the movie, with all the lights out, I saw a mouse scurry out from under our basement door into the kitchen! Yikes! Stop the movie!

Braden went poking around for it sure it was still there. Caleb declared he was bwave. Maddie was saying "I'm so scared!" in a really excited voice and clinging to Caleb on the couch. And I was saying ewww! and yuck! and telling Braden everywhere he needed to set traps and oh my goodness I hope he's not in my pantry. As we were about to give up on finding the mouse, and Braden was laying out traps, the mouse scurried clear across the kitchen floor and into the living room under the piano. Maddie: I saw it! I saw the mouse! (clap clap clap) I saw his little tail go right under the piano! Braden placed traps along the piano and fished him out with my broom. But the little guy escaped the traps and scurried under the tv armoire. While Braden was trying to figure out how to corner him there, the mouse ran into the kitchen and tried to go behind the fridge, only to (thankfully!) get stuck right on the trap Braden had laid there only minutes before.

The kids didn't quite understand that the mouse was going to die. As Braden was carrying it out in a bag, Maddie said, "Oh no! It's going to be too cold out there for the mouse!" Caleb decided he wanted to pray. "Pway wif me, Maddie." She repeated after him. "Thank you, God...for Daddy...and he got the mouse."

And Maddie declared, "This is my BEST Christmas EVER! I got to see a mouse for the FIRST time, and watch a movie and eat popcorn!"

first snow

Saturday morning brought our first snowfall of the season. Boy does it put you in the Christmas mood!

I tied my Christmas ribbon on my pinecone wreath.

Maddie caught snowflakes on her tongue.

Caleb knocked snow off the fence and threw snow everywhere, much to his delight.

Maddie couldn't get up...and I started laughing because all I could think about was little Randy stuffed in his snowsuit rolling in the snow in A Christmas Story.

here she is!

So, did we get a big enough tree this year?

Here she is all lit up. Beautiful!

i wan-- i want a big one!

First thing in the morning we were out to the farm again to chop down our Christmas trees.

"Here we are! Sunset and Camden!"

About half-way through, Caleb had some awesome hat head.
Braden and I scanned the fields and headed straight for the big ones. It took him and my dad to take 'er down.

Braden and I ran home quickly to put up our tree, while everyone else went to my parents'.
Ten and a half feet tall, baby!

At my parents' Caleb got to drill the holes in the bottom of their tree. Boy did he like that!

We had eggnog and cookies to celebrate. While we adults were playing games, the kids watched a movie.

Ahhhh, Christmas is here!

christmas tree shopping -- faces