Sometimes I stay on the computer late at night only because the laptop keeps my legs so warm.

So while I'm warming myself tonight, I figured I might as well do a little catching up.

Christmas morning was such a fun time.  I remember when we were growing up, Dad would make us wait ForEVER to go in and see the tree, because he had to shower, brush his teeth, set up the Christmas music, and get the camera ready. It was torture.  

Well, my husband does the exact- same- thing!  What about just waking up and walking down to the tree?  There really shouldn't be that much prep work involved. 

The kids were very good about acting excited about every silly thing they pulled out of those stockings.

 Ty is still trying to figure this whole Christmas thing out.

He was super excited about his new sippy cup....and the slippers you see on his feet.

He had no idea what to do with the presents.  

"Open it!"  we'd say.  So he'd sit there and look at it for a minute, and then start to bang it with his fist, expecting that to take care of his problem.

Even after we showed him how to rip the paper, he didn't quite catch on.

Eventually, I had to just open it for him.

Tia's box of cosmetics.

Hayley's stealth scope..

J suggested that halfway through our gift opening, we take an intermission and go eat breakfast.

 Who does that? 

Surprisingly the girls were on board with the idea.

I loved that my kids got so many books this year.  Ty would have his daddy read to him all day long if he could.

This was the most controversial gift of the day..  Tia's Fur Real Friend, walking, purring kitty.

The controversy was that Ty thought it should be his.  

Fights broke out between the two all morning over that thing.

A while ago, at Ty's doctor appt, the doc asked if Ty was starting to push other people's buttons to try to get a reaction out of them.  I said 'yes, it's pretty much his favorite thing to do.'

The doctor then gave me a little disciplining tip:  Pick him up and calmly say "Ty, No pulling hair," and then take him into a different room, place him on the floor and keep him behind your back for a certain amount of time, so he is not getting the reaction that he is after.  We have laughed at and exaggerated this form of discipline so many times (even though I do see the reasoning behind it) that it has become kind of a game to Ty.  Here he is trying to escape from behind J's back.   

Another of Ty's favorite things to do.  Whenever there is a blanket or sleeping bag on the floor, he wants you to drag him around on it.

This is one of a set of fabulous sharp knives we received from my parents.  They are so great to have.

Mom, I thought you should know also that this is the one I keep under my mattress in case someone  breaks into the house.

Hayley's birthday is coming up!

Just wanted to share a picture of her birthday invitations that we sent out in the mail this week.

(I'm having way too much fun with these bottles ;)

It will be a great time

Oh, this child.  

 His face is caked with refried beans in this picture.

Looking forward to a great year.  Maybe one day this month I'll get around to setting some resolutions.

Buckle up

and enjoy the ride, as I make you look at picture after picture after picture, as if you have nothing better to do on Christmas Eve.

This December we have been all up in the Christmas spirit, and have loved every minute of it.

A week ago, the third graders had a Holiday Feast that parents were invited to.  It was fun to join Hayley and see her all excited to hang out with Jordan and I.  Below is a picture of the sweet girl after she consumed an entire plate full of desserts.  

Only seconds after this picture was taken, she was crying in my lap because she felt like she was going to throw up.

We used this as an object lesson to teach her to be wise about her eating choices.

Because every moment is a teaching moment. ;)  

 This little boy...I'm telling you,  he is the sweetest thing.  I can't help but love on him all day long.  (I just wish he made my shopping experiences a little more bearable...but I will take the bad with all that good.)

We went with some good friends to a beautiful place called Longwood Gardens.  Gorgeous lit trees...a fun holiday sing along.....It was a great time.

 Hayley was on the lego team again this year, and the following are just a couple of pictures from the expo.  They  had to build a lego model and explain the what's, how's and why's to the judges.  It was really cute to listen to their explanations of everything.

 At our church Christmas party, Tia was an angel in the choir.  Such a beautiful little thing.

A very sweet friend of mine, came over to 'help' me wrap Christmas presents, since I don't believe I've ever been properly trained to wrap like an adult.  As we sat there and talked, she ended up wrapping 

Every 

Single

One of them.

She was like lightning, it was unbelievable.

'Pass me another' she'd say, and by the time I was done jabbering, they were all wrapped to perfection.

It was a Christmas miracle (One that I hope will happen again next year.. ;) 

But seriously, Thank you again Becci!

Here are our little boys playing in a box of peanuts afterward.

Then came Tia's first grade feast, which had more of a multicultural theme.

We tasted a lot of new and interesting things that day.  Some delicious, and some...made me throw up in my mouth a little.  (True story.)

This was the only picture I got from that day. :)

Every morning after I drop the girls off at school, we take the little boy on the left to preschool.  When we first started doing this, neither of these boys really knew what to think of each other.

Now, they are best buddies.  All I hear is giggling, the whole way to school.

For the past couple of months, Ty has been all about Daddy.

As soon as J walks in the door after work, Ty grabs his pants then points downstairs, where the toy blocks are.

When J takes him downstairs, Ty then pats the floor where he would like J to sit, and then hands him block after block, until he builds a tall tower.  This happens every single day.

I think it's adorable.

Here they are sitting on the couch watching sports together.

We accompanied another family to a Christmas Tree Farm, where we helped them choose the perfect tree.   Ours is fake, and already lit, so we had no need for another. 

We had a blast.

 And we also found a deer carcass.

Maybe one day I will devote an entire blog post to our paint balling experience.  

It was an amazing time. 

This is the only picture we have with any relevance to that day.  I had several of these marks on my body.  Surprisingly, of all the places we got hit, Jordan and I both agreed that the upper legs hurt the worst.

Proof that I am domestic. ;)

Lots of holiday baking this month.

We joined friends this week for some gingerbread house making.

The kids prepared a little concert for us before the construction began.

And last night we did a little caroling.  

(Yes, every picture you see of me from now until April will also include my beanie hat ;)  

 

The girls in their new Christmas Eve robes.

And Ty in his new superman pajamas.

A Christmas Eve bedtime story...

And a Christmas Eve prayer.

Can't wait for Christmas Morning!

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday!