Christmas Eve

Ahhhhhh...finally almost time for the big guy to come! Gotta make him some cookies! I read some things about people leaving him healthy food so that Santa can start living a healthier life...well that's not what he found when he came to our house!!!! Nick and Chelsea made the cookies as part of our preparations to host Christmas Eve dinner for my family and Ryan's Dad. Ryan whipped up his fantastic lasagna and mac and cheese and we ate way too much. The kids were spoiled by Nana & Papa and Uncle Pete, Auntie Tara, Uncle Matt & Auntie Karen. After the kids went to bed we had our annual Christmas Eve poker game and Uncle Matt won. We are thinking about banning him since he is a legit winner of a Foxwoods poker tournament and will probably one day be a professional!! We are looking forward to next year when hopefully Nan and Grampy York will be coming up from Florida to spend Christmas with us.

Made with love (and about 3,000 sprinkles)

Nick and his BFF Papa

I can only imagine what this conversation was about

And then I busted out the whoopie cushions. Since potty talk is Nicholas's premier language of the moment what could be better than toys that make farting/fluffing/tooting noises???

The adults in these videos are laughing so hard because Nick is so hysterical he can hardly breathe (not because we think that fart noises are so funny...even though they are).

Preschool Holiday Open House

On the Tuesday before Christmas we had Nick's Holiday Open House at school. The kids had different activities they could do and then we learned about Christmas in Hawaii. After the lesson, the parents got to go upstairs into the owner's house (the school is in her basement) for hors d' oeuvres (definitely had to google that for the spelling!), pastries and egg nog while the kids watched a video to learn how to do the hula dance and the limbo (in honor of celebrating Christmas like Hawaiians!) After the social hour we went back down for Christmas songs and then SANTA CAME!!! It was so much fun to see how excited the kids were. Their beaming little faces and almost uncontainable excitement. Just want to bottle it up and keep it forever!!

So studious at the elastic shape-making table!

Santa gave all the kids a very small gift (Nick got some paints) except one kid got a Leapster Explorer!! Hmmm. I guess Santa missed the memo on that one!

Nick and Mikey showing each other their loot.

Nick showing his limbo skills. Gotta work on them I guess!

December Weekend Three

Saturday of weekend number three took us to the Children's Christmas Party at Ryan's work. Emma, Drew and Leah joined us and the kids had a blast. They had a puppet show for entertainment and the kids LOVED it. Emma and Drew stayed for a sleepover and Nick and Chelsea were in heaven (Em and Drew were loving life too). On Sunday we headed up to NH for Wagner Family Christmas at Tommy & Maggie's house. They were wonderful hosts and we all had a great time.

Chelsea honed in on these cheeseballs as soon as we picked our table. I am pretty sure she and Leah ate the entire bowl over the course of the party.

Pizza, Capri Suns and cupcakes. Stomachaches anyone??

Puppet show!!

Nick and Drew got front row

Chelsea and Leah decided to hang back

"Criss Cross Crash" was at the top of Nick's list this year. Quite an improvement over "kid's scissors"!!!!

Legos, legos and more legos for Drew

Emma is so pretty. American Girl stuff for this American Girl.

Chelsea was not loving this. I got runner up for the "Terrible Mother of the Year" award when I told her that Santa wouldn't give her her present unless she sat on his lap!

Another one not too fond of the big guy. Poor Santa, the little, not so heavy kids don't want to sit on his lap so he has to bear the brunt of the big kids all day!

Back at the house for some quiet coloring time

Jammies on, time for a movie!

Next morning. Attempting to put back together the destroyed "Marble Machine".

Playing with Ryan's iPhone in the tent.

A triple nap (Mommy, Nick and Chelsea) in Mommy & Daddy's bed and then we are off to Wagner Family Christmas...

Nick being so gentle with Baby Abigail

The Wagner Crew

Nick and Owen opening gifts

We love books!!!!

December Weekend Two

Weekend Two brings us to Ryan's work adult Christmas Party. As good a time as you can have with the people you work with! Very funny to watch old ladies dancing to Pink!!! The food was good, we had quite a few laughs and we won a prize in the raffle...all in all a good night. The next day we finally got around to buying and decorating the tree. It was worth the wait because this one was a beauty!!! What was even better was that the kids quickly became bored and cranky right after we started so they went to bed, I went shopping and Ryan decorated the whole tree and the whole house!!!!! No complaints from me.

Chelsea didn't quite get the concept of spreading them out...

Oh Christmas tree!!!!

Non-stop December

We kicked off our jam-packed December by Ryan ripping out our kitchen cabinets and countertops and by attending Jonny P and Michelle's wedding at the Hyatt in Boston. WOW! Awesome place, awesome time. Ryan was a groomsman so that made it even more special, Jon was Ryan's first friend when he moved to MA from PA. The kids stayed at Nana and Papa's house for the night and we were told, "They were perfect, they can stay anytime". We will take you up on that!!! Somehow we managed to get a picture of every couple in our group of friends...but not one of us!!!

Bitchin Kitchen

Note to selves...December is NOT the month to take on a major home improvement project!!! But our new kitchen was completed on December 17th and we are in LOVE! Still needs a few finishing touches but we are happy that we no longer have to run down to the basement for knives, wash dishes in the bathroom sink and cook our food in a toaster oven!

We forgot to take pre-demo pictures so this one will have to do

Post-demo

New cabinets just waiting for a new home

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

This new use of space makes a world of difference!

We are thankful that this project is over and in the spirit of the holidays a little jingle below to celebrate!...

Twelve glaze-finished cabinets

Eleven trips to Lowe's

Ten rolls of liners

Nine pounds of saw dust

Eight new tools purchased

Seven nights of take-out

Six packs of paper plates

Five months of no interest

Four sections of countertop

Three handy friends

Two weeks with no sink

And an AWESOME, BRAND NEW KITCHEN!!!!

Christmas pics

We had a fairly successful Christmas photo shoot this year. Nick was Captain Photogenic as usual but Chelsea was being quite naughty!!! She flipped out when we took her gum out and would only stop if we put it back in...but of course the gum creeped into a few pictures. Towards the end she wasn't having it anymore at all. We managed to get some great shots though! A few more that were not on our card and that I didn't post to the main page of the blog...

Watch out for this girl...(seriously!)

We did cousin pictures this year!!! All the kids were great (except for Chelsea!)

Preschool Happenings

We absolutely love Nick's preschool. He has such a great time and is learning so much. He even has a crush on one of the teachers! He is always saying she is so pretty and her hair is so long (even though it's not!) So cute. On Sunday they had "Father's Day Pancake Breakfast". The kids all brought their Dads to the school for activities and to make/eat pancakes. It's so great that they take the time on the weekends so that the Dads can be included. Today I went to school to join them for their Thanksgiving Feast. Also great that parents are welcomed with open arms to all activities. I was so proud to hear that Nicholas is doing great. "Just fantastic. Couldn't be any sweeter and is a such a wonderful addition to our class" was the direct quote from one of the teachers. I can't wait for parent conferences in February so that I can get more details!!!!

Loves math just like his Mommy!

Such a studious little boy

That didn't last long! Crazy boys.

Nick was called up because the teacher was explaining the clothes that Pilgrims wear and she wanted to show everyone a collar. You should have seen his face when he was standing there...he was so proud/embarassed/excited. Priceless. I had a little tear in my eye (I know, obnoxious). Of course I didn't have the camera ready so I only got the departing shot.

Getting ready to make Pilgrim Bread (aka Monkey Bread) for the Feast!

At the corn table. Who knew that playing with kernels of corn could provide hours of fun??? Set one up in the basement!

Time to burn off some of the Feast (that I failed to get pics of but during which more tears were springing up. One of the teachers read a "grace" about being thankful that the kids repeated after her and it was the cutest, most touching thing I have ever heard. Too bad I didn't have the camera ready on video mode!)