Trying to get into the Christmas Spirit

December 5

The kids got their Santa emails last week. Kendal watches her's at least once a day. 
This is Kendal's and This is Logan's. I didn't pay anything extra go get my very own digital copy, so if you want to watch it you gotta follow the links. 

December 6 

I went Christmas shopping at Walmart with a big group of friends then spent the evening wrapping LOTS of presents for the the next day. When I got home Loopy and the kids were playing a rowdy game of throw the pillow at a kid's face. Logan invented it and it is a great way to blow off some parental steam.

December 7

We skipped the Flagler parade this year.The last few years we've been there to watch Santa parachute out of a plane an land on the beach and eat endless candy canes that people throw to the kids. Loopy has a cold or something and can't get off the couch, and the kids were content. 
Either way, it was destined to be a good day. ♥ I was looking forward to spending the day with an amazing group of ladies delivering presents to local friends who needed a little Christmas cheer. The look of gratitude on the families' faces when we stormed in with a tree and decorations was what Christmas is all about. 

December 9 

Kendal is learning to write her letters on the Leapster Explorer
Kendal: I am making 'K' for Kendal. And Cat and City!
its a start anyway...

December 10

I think me and Logan got Loopy's cold. Kendal is hoping to "get the sneezes too" so she can "have some drink-medicine, that makes me happy!" (Drunk)

Christmas cookies count as dinner, right? Spritz cookies are my favorite at Christmas. A couple years ago I got a cookie press from my mom and I LOVE it!! I usually try to get the kids to help me but they lose interest and wander off. Each kid (including Sean) helped out with some of the decorating but it didn't last long. 

Plus they had homework to do. I told them to work on it together but that quickly deteriorated into silliness. 

December 11 

This is how you know it will be a good day. Kendal woke up early to snuggle with me and pushed snooze for me on the alarm. Logan got himself up and dressed. His favorite thing in the world is when we both stumble out of our rooms at the same time and run for a spinning hug like we haven't seen each other in days. Coffee with a friend. We are all just pretending we don't have a wicked bad cold. accept Kendal, she had some medicine.

Logan had me style his hair and spray it in place. (there is a LOT of hair on his head!) He said "Now the gals will really notice me and LOVE it!!)

December 12 

Simply make sandwich as usual and put into the bag!
Set toaster to medium.

I took some TheraFlu in the morning to combat the stuffy, sneezy, scratchy, runny mess that I had. The cold meds tend to make the day a blurr. I know that we received a box from ABC Distrubuting. I love that company because everything is dirt cheep and you get a HUGE box in the mail. The only problem is that only 1/2 the stuff ever works. The stocking holder tree that I was most excited about fell apart, the stocking stuff for Logan didn't work ect. Who would have thought that my new travel mug and 'Toastabags' (which we bought as a joke cause they were $3 would be so awesome!? 

Careful, bag and sandwich will be hot!

Enjoy! (the water was for just in case it went poorly)
AND the Toastabag is dishwasher safe!

A week away from Christmas and I'm not sure what to get for Loopy. I considered getting one of these. I found this in my coupon pile last week. The add says "Who wouldn't want their very own 10'' lifelike baby chimpanzee for Christmas?" I don't think its worth the unbelievably low price of $69.99 plus $8.99 s&h to find out the answer to that question. Back to the drawing board.

December 13 

3yr olds have NO patience. 
Kendal: Can you pweese wead this to me?
Me: Yeah, lemme finish this, I'll be right there.
Kendal: Pweeeese.
Me: Just a second.
Kendal: Pweeeeeeese pweeeeese pweeese!!
Me: I didn't say no, I said I'll be right there.
Kendal sobbing on the floor: Pweeese pweese mommy!

She also has some terrible eating habits that are proving impossible to correct. I think we can add this to the list of things to work on.







Logan was in his room reading books to Kendal. She is asked him all kinds of questions. The only problem is that he is telling her dinosaurs are extinct and they all died. She LOVES dinosaurs.. this might not go over well but listening to them have conversations makes me smile. 

Later that night me and Loopy were sitting on the couch. Logan came out of his room and walked through the living room, through the kitchen and back to his room. Then he came back again. I was like what are you doing, he said "I have to get something" Then did another lap and came back naked. I was like "Dude, what are you doing!?" He was sleepwalking and had to pee. I think he got lost again. The next morning when I woke him up for school he threw off the covers and grabbed them back real quick and looked embarrassed. He is pretty sure that our Elf on the Shelf, Pippi, stole his pants while he slept.

December 14

Got Logan to school, came home, chugged a cup of coffee, and went back to school to see Logan at the student of the month ceremony. This month's quality is patience. He didn't win THAT award (I felt bad, he was SURE he would) but his class sang a song about it. Kendal spent the whole time whining that she wanted to go home. On the way back we saw her buddy Grubbs walking so we picked him up and stopped at Panera before dropping him off at work. Now she is refusing to leave the house again. More stuff to accomplish this afternoon! Maybe movie in the park tonight.. we'll see.

When I got home I sat down on the couch and turned on the computer. It didn't take long to realize that something terrible had happened that morning. The details were sketchy but painted a horrific picture of the 'new reality' that we are living. It doesn't seem real, it CAN'T be real, right? I was JUST at an elementary school watching MY 6yr old first grader sing about virtues. Someone charging into an elementary school and killing 26 teachers and children is horrific and unfathomable. My heart cries for that community. Its hard, because I know what 6 looks like. It could have been my child. 

Logan got home and turned on the TV, it was still on the news channel I was watching earlier. He read the report at the bottom of the screen and looked so sad. He said "Why mom? Why would someone kill all those kids at a school" I have no answer. There is a Mr. Rogers quote floating around. I told Logan the same thing. There will always be more good people than bad. 

December 15

We woke up early and went over to ISTC for Logan's play "A Bug's Christmas" It was a little dreary that morning so we all ended up in the cafeteria. Which was CROWDED. Some parents had to watch from outside peaking in the windows. My friend Michelle was right down in front by Logan so she took a couple videos for me. 

Then we went out for breakfast where Kendal cried most of the time because I wouldn't let her bring her noisy jingle bells into the restaurant. 






We went to town center for the annual lighted Christmas parade and got there early enough to check out the lights, have a snowball fight, and ride the kiddie train. Kendal panicked and didn't ride the train.
Its similar every year. The parade is led by a couple police motorcycles driving in circles, followed by about 50 corvettes from the local corvette club. Most of them weren't decorated and made a us a little dizzy from all the exhaust. Then things pick up with decorated cars and floats, LOTS of candy canes and mints are tossed to the kids. Naturally, right when things started to get good the kids had to pee. We ran to the bathroom on the other side of the lake and then the sugar kicked in. It took us 1/2 hour to get back because the kids had to run in circles around every tree, pole, and traffic cone. Then some hopping, then some skipping.. 

SNOWBALL FIGHT!!

Leftover snow from a sledding hill

We watched Prancer when we got home. Logan hadn't seen it before. I told him it was filmed in Three Oaks near Grandma's house. He was all excited. I can't help but laugh at the small town-ness of the movie. The dad had to go "ALL the way to town in Benton Harbor" for the day. (Less than a 20 min drive) When you come across a reindeer injured on the way home from church what do you do? You get your already loaded shotgun out of the huge rusty pick-up and think, Mmmm, meat. My friend Carl is a police officer in the metropolis of Three Oaks (population 1,600) and said people ask him to show them where in town the movie was filmed. The town is 3 square blocks. Small towns are awesome. 

sitting on her brother's lap

sitting on his sister's lap

CHEESERS!

The kids were pretty cute snuggled together on the couch. I love when they get along!

December 16

Adriana offered to watch the kids AGAIN. FOR NO GOOD REASON. We dropped them off around 1ish and met up with Scott to go see The Hobbit in 3D on an IMAX. That was intense. I won't ruin it for those who haven't seen it, but I will say that there was LOTS of scenes with short hairy people on cliffs in various states of distress. Seriously, LOTS of cliffs. While we were eating dinner Adriana sent me a picture of the kids playing LIFE. Logan got to the space where you have to "Stop: Get Married" he proudly announced "I got myself a hot gal!" 

Coming this week: Countdown to Christmas!