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Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Christmas is Here!

This year, we hosted Christmas Eve and Day for my family. We were busy with cookie decorating, cooking, present opening, and, most importantly - eating! Above is Olivia before her play based on How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Below is Ethan's piano performance (no, he doesn't take lessons yet) of Christmas songs.
We had Christmas crackers during our Christmas Eve dinner, and here are the kids showing off their paper crowns and "prizes". Such strange prizes this year - mini staplers and tape dispensers, random jewels, magic tricks, and glasses rope (which is what Ethan has).
Joe later decided that the glasses string was not a look for him!
Rogue managed to get her head stuck in a plastic bag. We managed to take several pictures prior to helping her get out of it.
Ethan and Olivia with their letters and cookies for Santa/9 carrots for all of the reindeer. We had to leave the fireplace off to not burn Santa!
Santa came!
Olivia and Ethan with their Santa presents - Monster High dolls for Olivia (her big obsession right now) and Trash Packs and Hot Wheels for Ethan.
And, more present opening. These are the gifts from family! Spoiled is an understatement!
Olivia in the middle of her present opening mess. Her big gift was a Nintendo 3DS with games.
Ethan still opening gifts. His big item this year was a LeapPad with games.
The kids LOVED their electronics - I barely saw their faces the entire Christmas break! We allowed them to have free access to these devices during break, but starting today they are on 30 minutes per day time limits.

Ethan gave Joe and grandpa special "World's Best Dad/Grandpa" hats. He was very proud of the gifts he selected for family this year.
Merry Christmas!
And two days after Christmas, we celebrated with Grammy and Grandpa Brett.
Of course Ethan gave Grandpa Brett a "World's Best Grandpa" hat, too!
This picture of the cousins (Ethan, Lula, and Olivia) was NOT easy to get. Cute little Lula is definitely happy to be moving!
Olivia really likes to put together Legos, and here she is starting on her Lego house. We are so happy that Lego now is focusing on "girlie" Legos - Olivia really likes them, but had no interest in the Star Wars, Ninjago, or any other line like that. We have had a difficult time finding ones she was intersted in - City and Creator namely. I hate how sexist that sounds, but it is true.
Proud of the finished product!

Star Wars Christmas

If you are not a Star Wars geek, go ahead and skip this blog post. You will just roll your eyes at Joe's hobby. Star Wars had become a part of our holiday decorations, including Santa hats on the Vader and Boba Fett helmets (my idea, Joe isn't thrilled about that touch) and many SW holiday statues around the study. Joe is up to the 2 helmets, 7 lightsabers, one thermal detonator, one Jedi training remote, and the gold medals that are presented at the end of Star Wars IV. We are just about out of display room in the study.
The black SW Christmas tree...always a hit at our Christmas party.
The picture in the background is the newest addition to the collection...autographed by 13 SW characters.
Yes, even the tree skirt was special ordered for the tree!
And, the SW Christmas village. Who knew that such a thing existed?









December Fun

The run up to Christmas almost always starts with a visit to the Festival of Trees. This is such a fun event to walk around to look at the decorated trees, ride the train, eat gingerbread cookies, admire the gingerbread houses, and visit the kids' area. Here is one of Olivia's favorite trees at the event, and Ethan with his favorite..candy of course! That kid has a real sweet tooth!
Olivia on the Festival of Trees train.
The Beaux Arts Ball was a new event for us this year. I co-chaired the publicity for this Springfield Art Association fundraiser, and it was a lot of fun to attend a family event with a nice meal and dancing! Ethan and Joe even wore matching tuxedos!

Decorating the main tree - Joe is always on ladder duty, and Ethan loves to "photo bomb" pictures these days.
Admiring the tree.
This year instead of a true gingerbread house, the kids decorated a Spongebob Square Pants pineapple house. It was quite the conversation piece!
I just don't think we have the magic touch with gingerbread houses. Last year the house literally collapsed on itself, and this year's didn't hold up much better.
The kids posing in their Christmas outfits before Illini Country Club's Breakfast with Santa.


The kids meeting with Santa to talk over their ever changing Christmas lists.

Finally - a family Christmas picture!
Ethan (back row) and Olivia (front row) performing their songs ("Mary Rode a Donkey" for Ethan, and "Angels We Have Heard on High" for Olivia) at the St. John's Lutheran Christmas program.

Ethan (back row right) performing his five Christmas songs at his preschool Christmas program.
Rogue loved the Christmas tree! Luckily she just liked to bat at the ornaments and not climb the tree!
Lazy pajama day!

And, finally, Olivia was made Principal of the Day at her school this past December. She spent the day reading morning announcements, greeting people in the office, being the lunch monitor, and handing out "gotcha cards" to kids behaving in the hallway. She had a blast!