'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Like many other families, on Christmas Eve, we sing carols, and reenact the Nativity while reading the account in Luke.  I love that tradition.

It took a good dose of humility to post this picture of me.
I only did it because it was the only picture we have of all the family gathered for carols.

After the Nativity, we prepare for Santa's visit in the morning by building forts out of the presents.  We hide in these forts and so we can secretly watch Santa when he comes the next morning.  Everyone has a hiding place.  This is Hayden making a tower of presents, that we had to dismantle, because no body could hide behind it.  But it was still a good tower.

Then, and we have a "dress rehearsal" to test the hiding power of our hiding spots, and how quiet the children can be.  Grandpa Stone pretends that he is Santa, and walks around the room, making sure everyone is hidden.  At the end, of the rehearsal this year, I made some smart remark about how he forgot to bring us the presents.  Hayden who was hiding with me, was appalled, and reminded me that we be VERY QUIET when Santa comes.  No talking!  Then it's off to bed, because the sooner you go to bed on Christmas, the sooner Santa will come.

The next morning, (after being up for a good portion on the night in the bathroom with the lovely stomach flu that ruined several of our holiday plans,) we got up early to hide and watch Santa!  He brought Sydney a highchair, 

(because the other one met an untimely death . . . I should post that story sometime), 

 

Hayden, an easel so that he can stop coloring on walls, Sean, a thomas the train shed, Daphne a pink razor scooter, and Dallin a Lego Indiana Jones Playstation game.  (He asked Santa for a laptop, an ipad, or and ipod.  Ha! I'll get one of those before he does!)

Here are the kids wearing their cozy jackets that Nona made for them.  They love them and wear them all the time.

Sydney's First Christmas.

Sydney and Uncle Jacob

Papa and Dallin playing some of the piano music we got Dallin for Christmas.  We got him a book of Star Wars songs and a book of Harry Potter songs.

The Christmas feast.  

Emma made this delicious amazing jello.  It took like two days to make!

What a wonderful day together!

We lucked out this year

And got to have Christmas at our house for the 2nd year in a row!  Thanks to Julianne being largely pregnant, Mom and Dad came out here to visit again this year.  It was so fun to have them out here!

Fun in the Snow

Warming up by the Fire

Games, of course!  

Sydney meeting her "Papa" for the first time.

We love to exchange massages in our family

Lilly and Hayden.  

Oh, these two.  

One minute they are hugging, and the next they are screaming at each other.  I won't deny it's mostly Hayden's fault.  He is kind-of bipolar with her.  He loves to make her laugh, and if she doesn't find him hilarious, then he gets upset.  

Today I heard him saying, "Laugh, Lilly.  LAUGH AT ME!  1. . . 2. . . 3. . .  

I SAID, laugh at me!"

wow.  

Hayden has spent a lot of time on the dryer as a result of his misbehavior towards Lilly. 

Hopefully he'll figure out how to be nice soon.

"Plippers," "Pupe," and other sayings

Hayden:  I need my plippers, mom.  (slippers)

Sean--What does "but" mean?  And I don't mean the one you poop out of.

Dallin--(on fast sunday)  I want to do what's right, but I'm just so hungry!

At breakfast one morning, the kids were all asking for stuff at the same time and reaching over each other spilling multiple things.  Finally I said, "Everyone needs to stop clamoring for the food.  First, we'll say a prayer and then I'll help you all get dished up."  Sean responded, "I'm not clamoring for food, Mom.  I'm just clamoring for the syrup."

At pack meeting a lady was smiling at Sydney and said, "Oh you're so cute!  Maybe I'll just take her home.  Can I take her home?"  In response, Hayden got very upset and yelled,  "NO!"

We went over to visit Barbara tonight for Family Night.  At home, before we left, Sean told Aunt Julianne and Aunt Emma that we go to visit Barbara because she is a widow and we don't want her to be lonely. Barbara is our next-door neighbor from our old house.  We visit her on the holidays and she loves to see the kids and give them little treats.  We sang to her and brought her some banana bread and a homemade scarf.  She had us in for some yummy sweet bread and sparkling cranberry cider.  The kids were really well behaved this time and didn't break anything in her house.  (thank goodness.) They said "Please" and "Thank you," and "Merry Christmas" and gave her great big hugs.  While we were eating the goodies she served us, Sean said in his loudest voice, "We come to visit you because your husband is DEAD.  He died, right Barbara?  Your husband is dead."  Good grief!  Thank goodness she is a little hard of hearing and doesn't understand a lot of what the kids say--I don't think she heard him, even though he repeated it several times.   We love Barbara so much!  She is so good to our children, and we always feel happy after we go visit her.  What a sweetheart.  Her mother lived to be 100 years old.  So hopefully we'll have many more years to visit our Barbara.

Sean refers to yesterday as "the back day," and tomorrow as "the front day."

Hayden:  "Sydney puped again."  (puked)

Energizer Bunny

Here's my day yesterday.  

(going and going and going and going . . . )

4:30 a.m.  I wake up for no good reason, and my brain immediately switches on and won't stop.
4:45 Figure I may as well get up and start doing stuff.  I start some laundry, make banana bread for Dallin to take into his Student Council Holiday breakfast.  (I didn't make it the day before because I was too busy making a bunch of other stuff for the neighborhood Christmas party I was hosting that evening.) Also, I catch up on some email and plan what to do for playgroup that day.
7:40 Take Dallin to student council.  Come home.  Me and Julianne get the other kids breakfast and ready to go for the day.
8:40 Take Daph & Sean down to school
9:15 Hayden's playgroup friends arrive and we do play group
12:15 Hayden's playgroup friends have left.  I dive into making dinner since the afternoon is going to be crazy, and I need to have it ready by three.  Julianne has been  helping out so much with meals and stuff, I just don't want her to have to worry about it.  After all, she's hugely pregnant!  Thank goodness she's up taking a nap with Lilly.
1:15  Busy chopping chicken when I get a phone call.  CRAP!  I know who it is before I even get to the phone. I had completely forgot to pick Sean up from preschool.  for the second day in a row.  How does a mom forget to pick up her son TWO DAYS IN A ROW!!!!????  I think part of my brain might be dying . . .
1:16 Race down to the school to pick up Sean
1:25 Finish making dinner while wearing Sydney in the bjorn because she wants to up where the action is-not in her swing, not in her jumper, not on the floor.  I have to be careful that her little fingers don't get in the way of the knives or on the hot skillet.
2:30 I have 30 minutes to catch my breath before the next wave of crazy.
3:00 Teach a piano lesson
3:30 Put away laundry
4:00 Kids get home from school, snacks, talk with Daphne about some drama at school.  (Isn't 2nd grade a little young for drama?)
4:30 Dallin's violin lesson
5:15 Dinner
5:30 Get Dallin to basketball
6:30 Pick Dallin up from basketball
6:45 Load up the family to get down to the church to pack meeting. Takes awhile because nobody has shoes on or is ready in any sense of the word.  When I got back from getting Dallin, the adults were busy picking up ornaments and sopping up the water that spilled on the carpet when Lilly pulled down the Christmas tree.
6:57 Almost at the church, turn around because in all the confusion, Arthur forgot something he needed for his song.
7:03 Grab his forgotten item and a container of gasoline because the van might run out of gas at any minute. We also notice that the white car has a flat tire that will have to changed when Arthur gets back because he has a meeting early the next morning.
7:10 Arrive at the church, and race into the building since we're ten minutes late, and Arthur's the cubmaster.  (He runs the whole meeting.)
8:15 Swing over to the gas station to fill up the van. Get home.  Arthur changes the tire on the white car while I get everyone in bed.
9:00 Put away more laundry. Get in pajamas and sit on my bed and talk to Julianne for an hour. (sisters are great!)
10:30 Fall asleep in probably less than a minute.

Thank goodness today was MUCH LESS hectic.  I'm still catching my breath from yesterday!  And that was primarily activities for one child! (Tuesdays are BUSY for Dallin!)  What do you moms do when you have multiple children taking lessons and doing extra-curricular activities?

Making Spirits Bright

Here are some of our Christmas Festivities so far this year:

Trimming the Tree:

The kids love watching the electric train under the tree.  

Last weekend was our Stake's 3rd Annual Nativity Open House and Messiah Concert. 

Above, the kids are seated in one of the beautifully decorated foyers of our chapel before we went and looked at all the rooms full of Nativities.  They loved looking at all the "baby Jesus's" from all the different countries, and were really good about "No Touching!"  It really is such a neat thing to walk through and see expressions of faith on the Savior's Birth from all over the world.

Since I am the Stake Choir Director, I have been involved in rehearsing the Messiah choir 2 of the last 3 years (I missed last year because of "Secret Garden" . . .).  Anyway, because I'm involved in producing the concert, Arthur supports me by staying home with the kids.

Well this year, a wonderful couple from our ward volunteered to stay with the kids each Sunday evening during rehearsals so that Arthur could participate. It was so fun to go to rehearsals together and even though we didn't get to sing together (since I not supposed to start singing again until next week) it was still so wonderful to be able to have that experience together.

I won't name these people because they are the kind of people that don't want public recognition, but I just want to say that I hope I can be just like them when I grow up.  Our children LOVED having them come over every Sunday, and we left each week knowing they were in great hands.  Thanks so much for your time and service to our family.  

Here is Arthur on his way to his first performance of Handel's "Messiah."  Look how handsome he is in his suit, all ready to sing.  I would love to have a choir full of "Arthurs."  He spent time on his own learning the music, and sang with his whole heart.  I am also thankful for the many members who give of their time and talents to be a part of this Christmas concert every year--it really is the perfect way to start the Christmas season with a focus on the Savior and his life.  My thoughts are turned toward Christ more abundantly through learning this sacred music.

Sugar Cookies for Family Night:

We are so lucky to have my sister Julianne and her daughter Lilly staying with us until Eric finishes school and comes down with all their stuff.  Julianne and Eric are moving here next week for 2 1/2 years while Eric goes to Physician's Assistant school, and I couldn't be more excited!  I have never lived near a sister since I left home for college, and I am highly anticipating all the fun we're going to have!  Since she's been here, we've done lots of baking and crafts and enjoying Christmas music and movies . . .  it's so great!  Welcome to the land of enchantment, guys!  We're so excited to have some family close by!

Thanksgiving 2010

Every year for Thanksgiving, we love having Mike and Amber come to visit us.  This year, Arthur's brother Matt from Brooklyn, who we NEVER see, was able to come too, which made it extra fun this time.  We ate, played games (Matt humored us, I don't think he's much of a game player), went on our traditional Christmas tree-hunting excursion, went to dinner, and just enjoyed hanging out. The kids loved being with their uncles and aunt and all clamored for their attention.  Thanks for being so good to them, guys!  We just love you and can't wait to you again soon!

Here are some of the pictures from the fun weekend:

The "Brothahs."

We got a new camera--hurray!  I was playing around with one of the features which is a "smile timer."  It doesn't take the picture until you smile.  Amazing.

But you have to smile very big, for it to sense the smile.  

Uncle Matt & Uncle Mikey made a very amazing marble tower with almost every single piece.  It was so tall, Hayden had to stand on the bin to put marbles in it.

Thanksgiving morning, we woke up to some snow!  How festive! And the great thing about Albuquerque is that is was all melted away by noon.  ;)

The Thanksgiving Feast--mmm, delicious!

Aunt Amber with Sydney who got very spoiled while they were here.

Dallin & Hayden sporting some gansta gold teeth, compliments of Uncle Matt.

And of course, our Annual Tree Hunting expedition:

The chosen tree is the one behind us.  

We actually found it remarkably fast--in fact, we had to play around a bit longer just to make it worth the trip.  This is one of my favorite traditions our family has.

Thanks for coming guys!  We had so much fun with you, and look forward to your visit every year!  We hope it won't be as long till the next time we see you, Matt!  Love you guys!