A Very Post-Christmas Assessment

Well, I had a lot of lofty plans for this Christmas, but since I still don't know whether I am coming or going since our Chicago trip, those plans just went down the drain like half sudsy dishwater.

But, I did manage to salvage two activities and an evening with Ralphie and the Red Ryder BB gun. Never fear. We did not shoot our eye out.

We used graham crackers, icing, gum drops and marshmellows and made an edible nativity. We went through the story piece by piece and made each as we talked about it. The gum drops were the people and the marshmellows were the sheep.

We could have used miniature candy canes for the shepherd's crook and coconut tinted with yellow food coloring for the manger hay, however that would have required a fair amount of preplanning on my part.

Yeah.....

It looks like I gave the baby a butter knife with icing. What kind of mother am I?

We also read the Grinch while the kids colored ornaments. I cut out a Christmas tree from posterboard, they pasted them on and accented with glitter glue.

These activities, Friends, were a stretch for me since I typically avoid disastrous opportunities like the plague.

There was a moment when all the graham crackers spilled out and I thought I might have to step out and breathe into a paper sack, but we gathered them up quickly and pressed on.

We got a new Christmas tree this year, with new ornaments, since all but three of our old ornaments had been broken. We went with blue, which I admit was out of my color scheme comfort zone, but I love how it turned out.

Although after two weeks of rearranging the ornaments higher and higher, the poor tree needed to go into its Rubbermaid home for 11 months of rest.

Why do kids always pick off the wiggle eyes?

Baby Jesus vanished for a few days, but turned up on Christmas morning under the Christmas tree. Exactly as it should be!

Last Sunday the kids did their annual Christmas program.

Timothy is in the back with the white shirt, Brooke is one row down and over in purple and Bethany is in the far right corner with the red and white striped sweater. My neice Emma is next to Bethany and my niece Dadriana (short, blond hair)and nephew Nolan are in the front row.

Since we had been coming off of a week of rounds one and two of stomach virus and round one of sinus cold, this guy wasn't feeling well.

Can you feel the pitifulness?

These pictures are from about 3 Sundays ago when our church does it's Hanging of the Greens program.

Narrators tell the story of Jesus and the significance of the decorations while the kids bring them all out and decorate the church.

The babies and toddlers bring presents out to put under the tree. Look at Travis in his red turtleneck. He's all ready to go up on stage with his present. And Bailey, in her blue and white dress.

Of course, when it was time to put the presents on stage, they clung to and hid behind my legs and did NOT want to put their presents on stage. Of course.

The kids also did a song from the program from last Sunday after the Hanging of the Green. Thomas was part of this song with his white vest. So cute!

Christmas Party Outtakes

David and I had several Christmas parties to go to this year.



Taking a picture is always so difficult.



The man will not just take a simple picture.



I don't know what to do with him.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra!

I had been wanting to take Tyler to Trans-Siberian Orchestra for several years now. He really likes them and I knew he'd have a blast.

So, when Money Saving Queen had a giveaway-enter your favorite Christmas Recipe for a chance to win 4 tickets- you know I entered.

AND I WON!




David couldn't go since he'd been out sick all week and couldn't take another day off :(. Brittany didn't really want to go (what is wrong with that girl?), so I took Tyler, Timothy and my nephew, Devin. I think Devin thought it was going to be Boston Pops Orchestra or something.

Boy, was he surprised.

It. Was. Awesome.

Cassandra had all the other kids over at her house. She said she's taking me to the casino. LOL.

What recipe, you ask, did I enter?

Green Beans Almondine

1 pkg. frozen (or fresh) green beans, cooked
1 small onion chopped
1 small packaged sliced almonds
2 T. butter

Saute the onion in the butter in a small saucepan until the onion is tender. Add the almonds and cook just til they are toasted.

Pour over your green beans and stir.

This is so much easier than Green Bean Casserole (and better I think).

Monday Musings: Christmas 2011

As I was reading aloud a book for our unit study on Canada, I read through their average seasonal temperatures.

Me: "It's 37 degrees........Celsius..........."

Thomas (bursting out in song): "In ex celsius Daaaaaay-ooooo....."





Last night for our church's Christmas party we watched Charlie Brown Christmas. Well, I did't really watch it since I took the two little kids to the nursery. Afterward, I asked Thomas if they watched Charlie Brown.

He said, "Yeah, but I didn't really get it."


I guess Charlie Brown is too complex.

Well, it is never a dull moment around here.

In addition to all but one of us getting a stomach virus this week, and in addition to it being David's birthday on Thursday, Bailey banged her head on the table and got a nice cut on her forehead.


I guess Bailey really wanted her Dad's birthday to be memorable. As David was getting ready to go to his second job I said, "Uh, I think we need to go to the emergency room!" As you can see from her shirt, she was covered in blood and chocolate icing.

We went to the same children's hospital that Bailey was in last year when she had RSV/pneumonia. They were awesome! They used that surgical glue and we were in and out of there in less than an hour!



Daddy bought her soda, so she was happy.

Wow, that surgical glue is amazing. SO, SO much less traumatic than when Brittany had busted her head and had to get five stitches about 11 or 12 years ago.

I also had to take three children in for shots on Wednesday, attempted to do school work, tried to catch up on laundry from the puke fest and take children to Christmas choir practice, and by the way, I just started coaching girls' cheerleading for Upward basketball.

But, I get to relax tonight and tomorrow night at the Christmas parties for David's two jobs. This December's scheduled is just packed solid, but, except for the puking we are enjoying it.

And, I guess also except for the shots and the bleeding.

And, the excess laundry.

Just keeping it real.

Chicago Vacation: Part 5

And still more sight seeing!

We drove over to Navy Pier. Lake Michigan is so huge that it really looks like the ocean, but it's not.



This ferris wheel is modeled after the very first ferris wheel designed in 1893 for the World's Columbian Expo in Chicago.

This is the Chicago skyline- looking from Navy Pier.

Anything is art these days.

This is the Chicago River which has been known to be dyed green for St. Patrick's Day.

This is the Michigan Avenue Bridge across the Chicago River.

Can you imagine parking here?

This is South Wacker Drive with Willis Tower in the middle.

We left Chicago late afternoon on Monday, and headed to Schaumburg to the big Woodfield Mall. Everyone got walking (and a little more shopping) out of their system so we could head back to Tulsa.

I really wanted to try to work out stopping in St. Louis on the way back, but it was going to be dark no matter what. So, we got a picture of the arch by the Mississippi as we passed by.

Overall, we had a fantastic time. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves on this much needed vacation. My husband was an awesome driver in Chicago. Whenever he drives and gets aggrivated I tease him about his "inner Chicago" coming out. (Because seriously, Chicago drivers are ruthless.) But, on this trip, even in Chicago traffic, he kept his cool.

Chicago Vacation: Part 4

The second choice on everyone's list (after the Field Museum) was to head to the Water Tower Place. It's a seven store mall on Michigan Avenue. It's also next to the water supply that put out the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

After we drove around forever trying to find somewhere to park our 15 passenger van (oddly enough, there are plenty of parking garages in Chicago, but with clearances of only 6 or 7 feet.) we finally found a great spot on the side of the road at a meter.

Have I mentioned that it was COLD?

I don't know why this picture turned out so dark. I've got to get a new camera.

The reason they wanted to go to the Water Tower Place is because that is where the American Girl Place is!

We had never been to an American Girl Place before, and it was very exciting. I started liking the American Girls back when they used to be mainly history based and we used Molly to study WW2 back when Brittany was in first grade. Now, they have strayed quite a bit from the beginning, but are still fun none the less.

The Place was quite impressive. In addition to anything and everything you could possibly need for your American Girl, there was also a salon, restaurant, and Main Street.

Here we stopped on Main Street for a sweet treat.

The boys were much more excited about the Lego Store!

Timothy is our big Lego fan. I think he wanted everything in the store.

It may also have been a possibility that I snuck into the Godiva chocolate store. Maybe.