Christmas day

All smiles with sleepy eyes on Christmas morning.  Thankfully my boys have never gotten up at a ridiculous hour.  They get up around 7 a.m. but they are ready to go!

Jay and Mike putting Nick's lego kit together.  Our Christmas days are typically relaxing and this year certainly was. 

I took this picture of Nick because I wanted to document the weather.  It was unbelievably mild - in the 40's.  The boys got out in the afternoon and rode their bikes.  Even as I write this we have yet to get snow.  We had a light dusting in mid December that melted six hours later and that's been it.  The boys missed having a white xmas but me, not so much. 

Jay got an Ipod Touch this xmas.  He loves it and I have officially entered the age of electronics with my oldest son.

Nick with his telescope from grandma and grandpa.

Mike's parents always spend Christmas day with us t our house.  We have a huge lunch time meal, open presents and relax.  It's so nice. 
And this is my final blog for 2011.  Happy New Year Everyone.

Christmas eve delight

We started the day by visiting my dad at the home.  It was dad's lucky year as he scored a new flat screen from my Aunt Karen.

The four kiddos.  I love this picture.

Nana and her four grandchildren.  We spent the afternoon with my mom.  We did things a little different.  Instead of having dinner together we had lunch and it was so nice.  It was less stress and it got us home at a decent hour that evening.

Nana got all four kids big stuffed bears - even Jay.  All of the kids loved them.

Lauren in her cupcake robe from Aunt May May (me)!

Jay with his new globe.  I expect him to be the geography whiz kid next semester.

Jay and Nana in his new vest.  The weather has been so mild lately he's worn his new vest jacket constantly.

The boys writing their letter to Santa and getting the cookies set out.  If Jay questioned Santa this year, he hid it well.  He was excited about Santa, talked about Santa and didn't think he was too old to write his xmas eve letter to Santa.  It was a wonderful and memorable xmas eve.

The gift exchange

On Friday, Dec. 23 the boys exchanged their gifts to each other.  This year my mom took Jay out to buy for Nick and Mike took Nick out to buy for Jay.  I'm never surprised at the thought the boys put into each other's gifts and I mean that - for once I'm not being sarcastic.  Ha.  The boys may be totally different personality wise but they know each other - well!  Jay picked out a checkers game from Cracker Barrel for Nick.  The "board" is actually like a big place mat.  Nick loved it!  Nick picked out a Lego kit for Jay.  Jay immediately put it together and loved it.  It does my mother's heart well seeing them being thoughtful with one another - even if it only happens once a year.  See the sarcasm is back. 

Ice Skating

My sister came up with the idea to take the kids ice skating but she thought it was something she could do with the 3 "big" kids by herself.  I gently told her that Nick wasn't that great of a skater and was she sure she didn't want me to come along?  After some thought she agreed she needed me to tag along and we were both so glad I came along.  She was glad because having another adult was a good thing and I was glad I came because we had a blast!  Jay is a good skater but Nick and Lauren, not so much.  I skated with Nick and Kim and her good friend, Molly, skated with Lauren.  It was so fun ice skating while listening to Christmas music and seeing your children with big smiles because they were enjoying themselves.

Nick trying out skating.  He held onto the wall for quite awhile but laer went out in the middle of the rink and you'll see how that turned out in another picture.

Jay is a decent skater.  He loves to skate and then he purposely falls - like he's sliding into first base.  Crazy but he loves it.  He had major ice burn on his legs the next day. 

Nick ventured out to the middle of the rink and crashed - bad.  He went head first into one of those orange cones and hit his lip.  His lip started bleeding so we took a quick rest.  I wish he was looking at the camera but he was having none of that.  Mostly his pride was wounded.  He did get right up and continued to skate.  A bloody lip wasn't going to keep him down.

The ice skating crew (minus me).  My sister and Molly are in the back.  We had a good time.  My sister suggested we make it a yearly tradition and I'm all over that.

Gingerbread House Giggles

This week I'll be posting pictures from our fun events we did the week of Christmas.  We really did have a lot of fun with family.  The first event took place on Thursday, Dec. 22.  Let me provide you with how this came about.  My mom bought the gingerbread kit but she wasn't able to make it with us as she was attending to my grandmother.  My sister might have said a few curse words once she opened the kit and realized she had to make the frosting and neither of us really felt confident enough to construct the house.  As you can tell neither one of us are a Martha Stewart.  Mike and Jay set out to construct the house and then Jay was off in a flash.  It was "cool" for a 4th grade boy to construct the house but not decorate it. 

Mike being the good sport that he is helped Jay with the construction of the house.  He also helped make the frosting the right consistency.  We got desperate and added flour.  Nick and Lauren waited patiently because they were going to decorate it.

Even Lukie joined in on the fun.  He mostly wanted to pull up on the table and grab whatever was in sight.

                                            The end result.  It wasn't perfect but like my mom and I always say, "Good Enough."

Highlights of Christmas

It's Christmas night.  I am sitting by the fire and it's 72 degrees in my house (something unheard of this time of year).  I am in my new hot pink slippers (thank you sister) and my jammies.  It is a perfect ending to a perfect day.  Let's be honest, Christmas day can be stressful.  Mike must spend most of his day putting toy after toy together and you add that with trying to cook a prime rib or snow plow ( like last year) and it can get overwelming.  This year was different.  The weather was beautiful and mild - a heat wave of 40 degrees (again unheard of this time of year).  The boys got outside this afternoon and played in the mud.  My in laws came over and we had delightful conversation with good food and good wine.  I was a satisified mother today - knowing I still have it - because everything I got my boys they LOVED!  Seriously everything I got them was a hit.  Sure they had their favorites but they really liked everything.  A few highlights.
*Nick woke up first this morning, came to our room and announced, "Santa came and he left me gifts."  Nick went to bed last night not knowing if he had "cleaned up his act" enough to be placed on the good list so imagine how pleased he was this morning to find his name on the packages. Nick's favorite song this Christmas, "Mittens & Gloves."  I pray I never forget his little 5 year old voice singing that song. 
*Jay got an Ipod Touch and has been playing with it all day.  He also got a hunter game for the Wii that he's been playing all day.  I questioned whether Jay still believed in Santa.  If he doesn't he sure put on a good show for me.  He wrote his letter to Santa last night and put the cookies out.  He was a typical almost 10 year old boy this Christmas - easy going and all about the electronics! 
*Somehow and I'm not sure how we got 4 kids through a 90 minute Christmas eve service. 
*We sure enjoyed time with family this Christmas and we are so blessed to have them so close.  The wonder in Lauren's eyes and watching Luke scoot across the floor was a pure delight.

 I thought a lot about Mary and Joseph this Christmas.  What was their journey like?  We're they scared?  How would I have liked to deliver my children in a stable?  It was those thoughts that kept reminding me the real reason for the season. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Counting of the packages

As Jay has gotten older his tastes have changed and he likes the more expensive - electronic - games.  I started "planting the seed" last Christmas that he may not have as many presents as his brother because his gifts cost more BUT I always make sure he understands I have spent the same amount of money.  This year he asked for an I-Pod Touch so I again went through the same song and dance with him.  He's never bratty about it and always shakes his head in understanding.  But seriously, who am I kidding?  I could not stand it if Jay had 3 gifts but his brother had 6!  This morning I got the gitfs out and counted them and Nick is short by one present.  So, I put my husband on a mission to find that last minute gift for Nick today.  Heaven forbid if Jay has one more gift than Nick.  Mike was happy to oblige but I was speaking to an attorney I work with today over the phone and he asked me "What is it with women and counting the packages to make sure everything is even?"  My simple response was, "I'm a mom."  No Mother Bear wants any of her cubs to feel "jipped" on Christmas morning!