A Nice Holiday

All us teachers and students have Martin Luther King, Jr. Day off, so we though it a perfect time to have a play day. We brunched at Mimi's and then played some mini golf at Golf 'N Stuff. The kids had a great time, even though it was unseasonably warm, and I had to take some of them on two very long bathroom breaks. The fell asleep before we even hit the freeway. Kyler now thinks that every Friday is the signal for a three-day weekend, which I have to keep reminding him is not the case. What I wouldn't give to have a nice break now (we are all sick, sick, sick!). Here's looking forward to that next three-day weekend!

Thank You

I think I owe a few people out there some thanks for being there for me and the kids this week. It's finals so that equals every one of my tutors needing a session in three days and in addition to that Jason has been out of town all week in Louisiana for some training for work. I think I might have called in all of my favors and am not sure how to "pay" everyone back, so I am starting with a public note of thanks.
Crystal and Kyle - thanks for taking the long Monday night shift
Tami - thanks for taking the long Tuesday night shift
Grammy & Granddaddy - thanks for Wednesday and getting them ready for church
Terri - thanks for Thursday's hour
G-mama - for putting in extra time each and every day this week

A New Year...

Full of the same stuff - friends, fun and family. Perfect.

We partied on the eve of the new year with our friends from church playing lots of games and eating a lot of yummy treats. Konner and Kassidy made it to 11:15, then it was lights out for them! Kyler was going strong (or on fumes) and made it to midnight. Thanks to the Caldwells for opening their home to all of us loud gamers.

New Year's Day was spent at my Aunt Wendy's. We all ate our traditional good luck black-eyed peas, played at the little park, and played a few more games.

We were happy, healthy, safe and sound - hope the rest of the year follows along just as nicely.

Christmas in 7 Acts

Act 1: Christmas Eve, Gramma's house

The snacks were made, presents were wrapped, off we went to Gramma's house. We ate yummy treats, paused to make the kids take a picture together under their stockings, opened gifts like crazy people, at a delicious dinner, capture a rogue baby lizard that snuck into the house, and had a nice afternoon together.

Act 2: Late Christmas Eve, our house

We got dressed up in our Christmas jammies, put out our cookies for Santa, reminded our elf Snoodle one more time what we wished for from Santa, and then watched elf. Jason and I were the only two to make it through the movie - everyone else fell asleep.

Act 3: Christmas morning, our house

Our alarm clock, Kyler tries to wake up super early (again this year), we make him go back to sleep, he sleeps way longer than we expected, and we are now officially running late. The kids get just what they asked for from Santa - a scooter and roller skates for Kyler, a set of fairies for Kassidy and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for Konner. Happiness ensues, open our stockings and presents, frantically get ready.

Act 4: Later Christmas morning, Grandpa and Grandma's house

We hurry over, and are glad to see we are actually not late at all. Sing some songs with Grandpa's microphone while breakfast gets finished. Feed our hungry tummy's and open more presents!! Lots of love for our kids.

Act 5: Noon, Granddaddy and Grammy's house

Arrive with new toys in hand, play for a while, then it is lunch of our traditional tamales. We gather around to open stockings and presents. Lots of new clothes for the kids (yay). Some people take naps, some people take a walk, Kyler tries out his new razor scooter, try out new car track.

Act 6: Early evening, back at Grandpa and Grandma's house

Make a quick trip back over not to eat dinner but to visit with Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma Fox. Give them the coveted calendar as a gift and get a snap shot of us together - two of three children awake - good enough.

Act 7: Evening, back to Grammy and Granddaddy's

Eat more tamales. Try to gather up many lovely gifts and play a rousing game of pass the pigs. Kids crash on the way home and sleep the whole night through.

It was a Marry Christmas indeed!

What a Week

Since I usually have a VERY busy December at work, as soon as it was winter break the kids and I had some catching up to do on our fun for the month. Here is what we did in the week before Christmas (other than those several last minute shopping trips).

We had G-mama's Christmas. Twenty-five of us were there to eat pigs-in-the-blanket, open gifts with the kids, do some Christmas crafts, and play games. Always yummy, always fun, and always heart-warming to be all together at once.

We visited Santa. Painless for the first time ever, all three kids smiled, all three told him what they wanted. We changed afterward into some shirts they made (with Crystal, not me, um hello you thought I had the time!).

We made cookies for Santa. We sliced up some sugar cookie dough and jazzed them up with some "fun-dough" and sprinkles.

We went to San Diego and Christmas Eve Eve to attend the Poinsettia Bowl Game between Navy and San Diego State. Our first bowl game ever and it was tons of fun. We did spend the entire third quarter taking multiple trips to the bathroom and annoying our seat neighbors and had a small snag (read really long time) getting on the train to get back to where we parked, but it was worth it.

We jammed a lot into that first week of winter break and we were tired, but it was a good tired, and have some nice memories to enjoy.