HAPPY NEW YEAR

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right. ~Oprah Winfrey

Merry Christmas

Roast beast?

SAANTAAAA!
Blissful mayhem
Big one first...
Hurry up and take the picture - I have things to play with!
I could get used to this!

Dance!

Ella did a wonderful job at her dance recital!!

Warning!! bragging ahead...

So I have a pile of scrap paper that includes these huge odd shaped envelopes that I let the kids use as their 'craft' paper. And if you know Ella she is always fiddling (drawing, coloring, cutting, etc.); especially since I set up the craft supplies within their reach. Well yesterday she brings me this - I was amazed. You may not believe it but she made it without any instructions. She traced her hand near the natural fold of the envelope then cut out half of the shape and unfolded to complete her reindeer - She added a red nose to make sure we knew it was Rudolph and put the circles on the head so Rudolph would have curly hair like her. I thought maybe it was a fluke, like she was just tracing and she happened to cut it out looking like a reindeer. So I asked if she could do it again and she did - didn't miss a step!! So now Mommy and Daddy both have a Rudolph. Now three weeks ago I tried to teach the activity day girls(ages 8-11) at church how to make snowflakes and they just couldn't get the concept of folding and then cutting - they made just about every other shape of snowflake besides round. So I am still amazed that she figured this out by herself!!

May cause drowsiness

Benadryl...enough said.

Crazy people we are

So last night we decided to go see Santa - I heard the fancy shmancy mall in downtown Norfolk had huge life size snowglobes of Narnia to walk through; swirling fake snow and all. We left pretty much as soon as Kyle got home. Once we got there, paid for parking, and actually made it to the Santa zone there were lines wrapped around him four times - we decided no way- so we headed to the food court had dinner, played at the playground, looked around a bit and then thought we would head back and brave the lines. We get there only to discover that they had closed the line an hour before close. One lady at the front of the line said they had waited close to two hours! - I could see why; they wouldn't let more than one person through the snow globe at a time and they let each have time to 'experience' it - but two hours? Come on...
I think I audibly heard Ella's heart break when we said no Santa tonight - so off to the toy store to pick up a 'little' something.
Its when I hear the ping of the cash register I think what the heck is wrong with us?? Who buys their kids toys days before Christmas?

Look Ma no hands!

"I love baths in the sink!!! "

Yes my hand was mere inches away.

Five Year old Jesus

Saturday night was the ward Christmas party and everyone was supposed to dress in 'biblical' attire - well the kids couldn't get the concept of just dressing 'biblical' they had to be somebody so Ella was Mary complete with baby doll and Benjamin said he was "five year old Jesus". We sent him to brush his teeth before leaving the house and he said I am going to brush my teeth really really good - like Jesus brushes his teeth. - Not very often that I have a mental picture of the Savior brushing his teeth.
At the party they acted out the Nativity and the kids were miffed that they were not a part of it - I couldn't make Ella understand the necessity of Mary being older than 4 and Benjamin kept whispering - when do they need the five year old Jesus?

Aren't I cute...

In my Christmas dress from Aunt Beth?

I told you to leave that car seat alone!!

I believe in natural consequences as a form of discipline - fall over and knock your head a few times, you'll learn!

Cookie Decorating

Nana sent sugar cookie mix and decorating supplies - Benjamin and Ella invited a friend over and had a blast!!

Tooth

Well someone has a new tooth!! - Big brother actually 'found' it. In the car he said "Maiya has teeth now" - I just thought he was joking around then during Ella's dance class I was letting her nibble on my hand to keep occupied and I felt something - sure enough there it was!!

Finally caught on...

Maiya has not been too keen on solid food - anything other than Mommy's milk and egg nog which daddy let her try - she acted like she just had acid put in her mouth (very theatrical she is...)-- but tonight I guess I hit her at the right moment and I warmed up the baby food a little and she thought it was just great!

Fighting sleep...

This picture was taken at about 10pm - she fought long and hard...

Santa

Miss Holland and Mr. Australia

2005 "International Christmas Cantata"

Merry?

Today we had a busy day - Breakfast with Santa, Cantata practice for church,(Benjamin and Ella are representing Australia and Holland and singing in the appropriate attire), and then we saw Narnia.
While visiting Santa Benjamin asked Kyle " so what does merry mean" - "it means happy" to which Benjamin replies "sigh - how do grownups know everything?"
After we had waited in line for our pictures we got in line for breakfast, they had candy lined up on the tables - which Benjamin immediately shoves in his pockets - I gave him a look and he promptly informed me that one was for Santa. He rushes back out to give it to him and Kyle had to stop him before he jumped in the frame of someone else's picture with Santa. But dutifully he waited in line for quite a while and made sure Santa got a Hershey kiss! - He may have been sucking up but it sure was cute!!

Now my homemade review of Narnia(LWW):
IT WAS EXCELLENT - It is a very rare occasion when I like a book to movie rendition, especially a story as powerful as Aslan's but this was tops - there was, as always, emotions missing that the mind can only capture when reading, but nothing was missing from the plot - and what was added fit well giving a little more suspense when needed. My only fear is that people may be so satisfied by the movie they won't find the gem that lies in the book - or the flip side; maybe it was only such a good movie to me because I had read the book. Overall I still have the same impression - CS Lewis captured the essence of the Atonement in this analogy better than almost anything I have read barring the scriptures, but sometimes I get lost in them. I can't imagine anyone that is Christian not being impressed by the parallels to Christ - but even if that isn't a factor its a great tale!
You know I love quotes so I thought I would post some of my favorite LWW ones...

"I hope that no one who reads this book has been quite as miserable as Susan and Lucy were that night; but if you have been-if you've been up all night and cried till you have no more tears left in you-you will know that there comes in the end a sort of quietness..."

"Here is your brother" said Aslan "and there is no need to talk to him about what is past"

"Yes of course you'll get back into Narnia one day. But don't go trying to use the same route twice. Indeed don't try to get there at all. It'll happen when you're not looking for it"

"And now" said Aslan " to business. I feel I am going to Roar"

Congratulations to Me!

100 Blog Posts !!!!!!!!

What's mine is mine!

Kyle came across two dollars yesterday and exclaims "yeah I found 2 bucks" and Ella immediately corrects him " NO Daddy that's my money" - With a tone of sarcasm, Kyle says "I don't see your name on it" - without missing a beat Ella says "Turn it over Daddy its right there" (twice actually) Ella obviously knows not to trust anyone around here!!!!!!

Camping

Well yes we are crazy but we had a blast!! Meg came down for the weekend and Kyle and I went camping overnight - Yes it was cold but actually we stayed comfortable the fire was warm and once we got in the tent we were warm. Even when it did rain we were fine and it stopped by morning. We liked our new air mattress we got in the crazy "after-thanksgiving" sale - it was nice to be comfortable for once in a tent.
Meg brought the kids to the campsite for dinner and they loved it! Even Maiya in her layers of clothes enjoyed herself - there was so much to look at she forgot to be fussy - which the evening is her favorite time of day to fuss!