Christmas Shenanigans

The week before Christmas was actually surprisingly fun filled and not stressful. Monday night for FHE we had 3 families over to decorate Gingerbread houses. In the past the kids have struggled to make the houses so this year Tyler was a trooper and pre-made 12 houses. All the kids (and a few of us grown ups) had fun decorating these houses with candy galore! Moments after these pictures were snapped all but Steven's house were back to just graham crackers. These kids of mine are such sugarholics. 

Wednesday night the kids made Christmas cards with candy canes and distributed them to random employees at Krogers. This was awkward because my kids are just as socially awkward as I am but it was a good opportunity for them to practice random acts of kindness. Even Penny gave the shopping cart attendant a card that she had scribbled on (Ben helped turn her scribbles into pictures).

Thursday was the last day of school before Winter Break for the boys. This meant party time! In the morning I helped out at Ben's Holiday Breakfast. I got to hand out food plates to kids in his class. One kid was upset with me because I didn't pick the marshmallow off her Santa Clause kabob. I politely told her that I am not a waitress and I don't do custom orders. She was not happy with my response. It was still a good time though. Ben is my sweet boy and he loved having me there.

That afternoon I had Steven's class party which I was basically in charge of. There was another lady there who planned the craft but she was very keen to let me know that the classroom was not her forte and that I could inform the kids on how to make the craft. Being in charge of third graders with Winter Break just an hour away and Christmas just days away was challenging. They were noisy and crazy and my "minute to win it" marshmallow games proved to be spectacularly messy. Steven's poor teacher was probably not very thrilled with all the marshmallows that were squished into her rug. I think the kids had fun though(except for my own stink pot child who made some rude comments about the whole affair). They got to make a Rudolph ornament, play the marshmallow games and then decorate a cupcake to look like Rudolph. Some of their Rudolph's looked nothing like Rudolph- Steven's had like 6 eyes, ha ha! 

Friday morning we celebrated the boy's first day of Winter Vacation by taking a walk down to Starbucks to get some hot cocoa. Lucy slipped on ice twice-- she's totally my child-- but I am pretty sure she felt that the chocolate goodness was way worth the falls. At Starbucks we took up 3 tables- sometimes I feel like a bit of a 3 ring circus when we are out in public-- but I am sure most people staring are just super envious of our crazy fun life ;)

I spent most of Friday afternoon and Saturday (Christmas Eve) cooking. I made sugar cookies for Santa, cinnamon rolls and my salsa for Christmas day and crescent rolls, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and ham for our Christmas Eve dinner. Tyler made a giant bowl full of his family's famous Christmas punch that he contributed to our dinner. We had invited a family to join us but their oldest threw up that morning so they decided it would be best to skip out. So it was just us and lots of our favorite food. 

After we stuffed our faces we were too full to think about decorating Santa cookies so we decided to unwrap our new Christmas PJ's and take some pictures. This year I felt like getting Carter cutsie PJ's for the kids, I was worried that Steven would think his were too babyish but surprisingly he loved them and was very quick to point out that his PJ's said he was "Santa's helper." He was very concerned about getting presents from Santa (he has had a really rough month---actually a really rough year). I think he figured that if his PJ's said he was Santa's helper then he must be getting presents...

After the PJ pictures our appetites were restored and we decorated some cookies for Santa. This was a bad order of events- the kids got frosting all over the cute new PJ's. 

Ben was very into giving all his cookies chocolate chip smiles, Penny was very into eating every topping that was placed in front of her, Lucy covered herself in frosting (or so it seemed) and Steven is actually starting to be a pretty good cookie decorator.

After we decorated cookies we went for a drive to see Christmas lights and then it was time for bed. The kids all passed out pretty quickly so we didn't have to wait too long to get everything ready for the next morning. And the kids also did us a solid and did not come and wake us up early in the morning. We didn't go downstairs until 7:30 and that was just perfect for me. Lucky for Steven Santa had decided that Steven's last ditch attempts to be good were enough and he got his Christmas present. I had tried to scale back on Christmas presents this year but somehow I still think they all ended up being spoiled. 

Steven's favorite gifts were his Lego set and Geodes. 

Ben's favorite gifts were his Lego set and his poop piggy bank *ugh!* and his 3 little stuffed ocean animals. *In the picture he is sporting the mask that Lucy (aka me) made for him*

Penny's favorite gifts were ALL the Barbie things (slippers, toothbrush, movie, car...). 

Lucy's favorite gifts were her necklaces and her Cinderella castle Lego set.

Dad's favorite gift was the picture that Lucy had drawn for him (She drew one for each of us without prompting and hid them away. Christmas morning she took them out from under the stairs and passed one our to each of us.) His second favorite was his telegraph key because as of late he has become a full out nerd and been learning Morse code.

My favorite gifts were the pretty necklace and bracelet the kiss picked out for me and the "I am Freaking Cold" sweatshirt Tyler got me (Because seriously- I always am!)

After all the crazy of opening presents, we cleaned up the wrapping paper massacre, ate some cinnamon rolls and then got ready for church. Tyler had to leave to church early to help set up sacrament since we were combining with a Ward so I had to get the rest of us out the door which apparently was challenging. As I was finishing up getting ready, Penny walked in (in her pretty church dress) with a cinnamon roll squished in her hands and Lucy threw a tantrum because she wanted me to make mac n cheese immediately. Mom life is super fun but somehow we made it on time and somehow we survived our kids hyper antics, like Lucy dancing in the aisles. 

We took a picture after church to document that we survived:

  

The rest of our Christmas day was spent with the kids building their Lego's, eating unhealthy food, painting toenails and fingernails, video chatting with mi familia and just enjoying our Christmas day. Another Christmas down in the books!