so this is Christmas

I didn't really spend Christmas Eve the way I had envisioned I would. I originally had planned to spend a lazy day at home with the six of us before getting ready for the five o'clock candlelight service at church. Drew, however, had been having problems breathing all week and we had already taken and emergency visit to the doctor for a lung check and increased our breathing treatments. After speaking with the doctor that morning he thought it was best we head to the pediatric ER for treatment. Six hours later they finally agree we can come home but we are supposed to limit Drew's contact and keep him indoors.

Christmas morning comes and Jason has been sick all night. g.r.e.a.t. I relinquish my rights to the camera to try and make it easier on him. (Let me know if anyone wants to hire him for photos)




If you asked Will what he wanted for Christmas all he wanted was Woody, his horse and Buzz. He got Woody and his horse. Santa didn't bring Buzz because he already has a Buzz. He did bring the new movie but Will of course wants a new Buzz :)

Bella has been requesting anything Fashion Fairytale for months now. We had an almost meltdown when she didn't receive it for her birthday and she later gave it to several friends. "She didn't even get the Barbie! That is so not fair!" Then Amelia's birthday came and she got several of them. Oh, the drama. Little did she know I've been sitting on this DVD since it released. And the ornament too.

Amelia and Kit..

The girls checking out Ruthie. They were very excited about these dolls and have been playing with them since yesterday morning. I can't tell you how many times they've changed their clothes and brushed their hair already. Ruthie especially is sporting an afro.

Drew opening one of his little trains for his new table.

Let me say kuddos to all the cooks out there who actually enjoy preparing a big feast and spending hours in the kitchen doing so. I don't really fall into this category. I am capable of cooking and not so bad at it. Liking it is a totally different story. Late Tuesday night I was reading FB and saw a friend of mine planning a special "Christmas feast" since they were celebrating alone this year and she would be doing all the cooking. I commented something or other and went to bed. As I started to fall asleep, it came to me. I should be preparing this same special Christmas feast for my family and I got nothin. No ham or turkey or sweet potato in sight in this house. I could rummage up the always staple crescent roll but that's about it. To be honest I would be just fine with a Christmas pizza but the kids' memories are more important to me. So Jason went out and bought all our supplies and I cooked for five hours on Christmas day. It was a labor of love for the ones I love. Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

Christmas party and program

We love our teachers. Here are some faces with the names you hear so much about.
Will and his Mrs Laura.
Mrs. Cha-diddy aka Mrs Charity

Amelia and her favorite Mrs. Joanne

Will's best friend Addie. She has a Stinky the garbage truck too. They're going to have a playdate with two Stinky's this week.


my reindeer girl. She made her own shirt.


Will really got into the motions of the songs!

This is the part of the son where the daddy's were snoring. Will was snoozing away.

All the little reindeer babies road in on their sleigh.

the cutest reindeer ever.

the wonder boy is THREE!

You came into this world screaming. Literally screaming. Your Dad walked you down to the nursery and when he came back he said he left you screaming. I remember sitting in recovery and what do I hear coming down the hall? Your brand new little wail, wheeling my way. I looked from your dad to the nurse and asked if that was really my baby. The cry baby. And had he really not stopped screaming yet. We made every phone call announcing your arrival with you doing the actual announcing in the background. You cried for over three hours that day and then you just stopped and barely made a sound after that. You were the best baby and I could have had ten of you. I wasn't prepared for the sweet baby to turn into the busy one year old. Or the even crazier antics of two.

At two, you taught me that boys really are different from girls. It's necessary to suck on the fruit snack before sticking it in your ear and then shove the rock on top just to make sure it's not going anywhere. Things out of the trash taste better than things off the breakfast table..it doesn't matter to you if said food has laid under a dirty diaper or not. That just adds to the flavor. Water is the same if it comes out of the toilet or the tap, you really could care less about the sanitation process or the need for it. Your favorite hide and seek spot is wedging yourself between the sofa and the wall and hanging there by one shoulder and your neck. The best place to pretend to ride a horse is from the very top of the nine foot bannister, overlooking the entire great room. Who am I to argue with your appreciation for a good view? Giving your mother a heart attack simply involves riding a bicycle at top speed, down a hill, into the street. Learning to pee standing up warrants an "I did it" at top volume and TWO high fives. When I give our telephone number to poison control, the friendly workers always ask if it's you I'm calling about. A kiss is not a kiss, unless it's smack dab on the lips and there's a little (well a lot of wetness) behind it. You still want to be an Indian when you grow up. I love to hear you talk about your great, BIG friend Marticus and your Cha-diddy. I know that eventually you will start using their actual names but I adore the names you've made up for them now. When you get bigger you want to marry me and Chloe. Someday you're just going to want to marry Chloe but right now we're still package deal and I'll take it.

You are fearless. Someone told me once I didn't have to worry about you because you are so fearless and so tough and those are the people that always come out on top. Let's hope they were right. You can hold your own. I don't worry about you as much because because I know you can take care of yourself. You can throw a ball better than any three year old I know and have been dribbling a soccer ball since you were one..only another year to play! I hope three is everything you want it to be buddy! to infinity and beyond..

recent pictures

Here are a few pictures from visitors week at dance. I am happy with both of the girls progress. Bella is turning into quite the little dancer and shows promising technique. I'm so proud of her. Amelia is doing fabulous as well. I had decided in the spring to repeat her in preschool I so she wouldn't be the youngest in the next class. She is also a great little dancer and I'm now wondering if I should have just sent her to the next class. She is definitely the first to follow directions and totally understands the class this year.




Here is the only picture that turned out from the Christmas program at church. It was very cute but a little too dark for pictures.

I took the girls to see the Princess' on Ice for their birthday. Our seats were right on the ice! They loved it and the show was fantastic.

Outside Opryland before we saw the Rockettes.

Ten on Tuesday

1. We enjoyed Thanksgiving with our friends. I do not care if it is in or out of the bird but I do like my stuffing. I'm not so sure about this dressing business. I chose wisely when choosing the house of a fellow Yankee.

2. It is a tradition at my friends house that you eat pie for dinner. While this completely stumped my children at first they quickly got on board. Seven pies to choose from, what else could you really eat?

3. Black Friday was a successful shopping experience. My alarm went off at 2:30 and we pulled into Target at 3:50 and got a front row spot. I would bypass Target next year and head straight for the mall. I did come home with two singamajigs - the only thing I was looking for - so the trip was completely successful.

4. A crazy lady shoving a pair of boots in a poor man's face with her eyes bugging out of her head and a vein exploding at her temple made me realize I do not miss working retail even a little bit.

5. I received a telephone call at 6:59AM that the computer crashed. I purchased a removable hard-drive and my friend's brother in law came to the rescue.

6. We went to see the Rockettes Saturday. One of the best shows I've ever seen. Someone asked Amelia about the show and she said "I saw dancing, Santa and baby Jesus!" What day is better than that.

7. The birthday post and pictures of the Rockettes will arrive later when I'm not on Jason's computer.

8. Will got himself out of bed last night to use the bathroom without me hearing him. By the time I went to bed around 9:15 I heard him yelling for me, Jason went to check on him and didn't see him in his bed. This was Will's response "I have been up here for hours waiting on someone to come wipe my bottom."

9. Will to his little friend at preschool today "Lucy I'm hungry, please bring me some dinner."

10. Isabella turned six on Saturday. We celebrated with a big Yeehaw at Logans on our way home. I caught it on video and will try and post it once I get our regular computer back.