Christmas Vacation

We have been enjoying the kids being off school, they have really been playing with all their new stuff and these have been very relaxed nice days! I really like having them all home!
Aunt Jeanne has been clearance rack shopping again, and Harper was delighted to get her new Spongebob pj's! She latched onto them and carried them around the house for quite a while! Madison tried to take them so she could wash them and Harper was not impressed in the least with that idea! Those are HERS!

Preston is doing club wrestling with Colin this year. So far, he loves it! He is going to be wrestling in his first tournament in a few days so last night he got his singlet. He looks so cute in it - and I must say I feel a little guilty looking at these photos someone needs to feed that boy! His little stick legs and arms are a hoot! He was showing me all his moves, and even demonstrated some pins on Quincy - she was a willing participant until she thought it should be her turn to pin him and he wasn't interested - I think he is going to have to find a new practice partner next time!

I cannot believe how nice it was today! We went to Topeka to use the gift cards and pick up a few things and we were out in our jackets or long sleeved shirts. WOW! I now officially have spring fever!

As it turns out, it was a good thing that it was such a nice day, as our neighbors teen aged children got TP'd on Christmas. They had done a reasonable job of cleaning up the ground level, but the trees in their yard were coated with a good layer of toilet paper! When the wind picked up out of the south, most of it ended up in Bev and our yards, so we spent quite a bit of time picking up little shreds!

Madison was not fond of this task, but Harper had a heck of a good time grabbing pieces and running off with them!

One more day of 2010 - not sure where it went?

After the Christmas rush...

Countless hours spent Christmas shopping, eight million new toys and what are Quincy and Harper doing?

Next year I am just getting them canned goods!

One would think, considering that the day before Christmas Quincy dropped a can of pineapple on her toe and turned it black and nasty, she would not want to play "grocery store" any more, but apparently it is a LOT of fun!!

Merry Christmas

We have had a great Christmas!

Madison and I baked a ton of good stuff, and even made some to -die-for carmel corn. We had to hurry up and deliver it to the neighbors so that it didn't disappear around this house!

Christmas at Grandma Nancy's house - I tried to get some photos of the cousins all together. The more photos I took, the worse they got, so next time we will just stick with the first one!

Our kids on Christmas morning. Cam heeded his warning and waited until 7 to wake everyone up!

Who gave Quincy an air horn???

I have tried for years to keep mice out of my house - then Santa goes and brings the kids all electronic ones!

Grandma Nancy, what's in your bowl?

After mass we had Christmas afternoon at Grandma Shirley's house

I don't want cousin Melissa to hold me!

Even if Grandma Shirley gives you a ski mask, it is not ok to be a bank robber Colin!

My dad always said "nothing's over like Christmas" ours was a great one! We hope yours was too!

Surgery complete!

Harper's surgery went fine this morning. She was a model patient and was in and out of the surgical center in record time. Which I think is good since the weather is supposed to turn nasty! She seems to be running around and having no pain, acting like nothing at all happened to her...but I am not clear on if it is really that she has no pain, or if the pain medication they gave her is really, really good! Tubes in- we will see if she can fight colds with no ear infections now? Time will tell!

Other good news - Christmas shopping complete (don't ask about wrapping). I took the girls to the mall last night with some of their friends. Since I absolutely refuse to break my streak of 5 years straight without setting foot in the mall, I dropped them off and went across the street to get the rest of our stuff. I have never seen so many people. It was insane! I do not like people, crowds, people, Christmas music blaring at me when I am trying to think, people...you get the picture. I was very, very happy to find the last item on my list and get the heck out of Topeka! The girls had a good time and were happy that they got to hang out with their friends....everyone was happy! Now if we can just keep everyone happy for the duration of the Christmas break from school we will be doing great!

Finally....Preston's turn!

Preston had his (rescheduled) music program tonight. He was very excited! He did a great job! Jim and I were very proud, especially considering that a couple of kids 'escaped' and a few others were beating each other up during the program! It was a good program, and we enjoyed it! Extra bonus - it was very short and they kicked us all out so that they could have the 1st grade program immediately afterward - no hanging out at the school!

Turns out...

Turns out, that I was missing something (I KNEW it!). We totally forgot Colin's religion ed class on Sunday. We were getting ready for church when there was a knock on the door. My aunt Linda always takes Colin to RE for me and there she was - whoooops! Needless to say, he missed class since he was not dressed! But that seems to be the only thing, so maybe I was nervous for no reason! Not the worst thing that could happen I guess! We did have a nice weekend of being home!

Quincy's last day of preschool before break was today. She was the "snack bringer" with her teacher requesting healthy snacks for them. She was very excited to be going to a Christmas party and she even wore a dress and let Madison fix her hair!
In an attempt to be creative, but not too difficult, Madison, Quincy and I made these really cute olive penguins for Quincy's class. They were a bit time consuming, but not hard! Unfortunately since the belly is cream cheese they have to be refrigerated, and the preschool forgot to take them out of the refrigerator, so the preschoolers did not eat them. That is ok though, because Harper and Quincy LOVE, Love, love olives and they had a feast of them at lunch! I also gave one to Aunt Geraldine when she came over to do laundry!
We also made these snowmen out of ritz crackers (even though they were covered in white chocolate I called it a healthy snack because it has crackers and raisins!). The kids really liked them and Quincy and Harper ate the leftovers with their penguin lunch!

Harper figured out in a hurry that we were using olives yesterday, and I truly think she ate half a can by herself. Notice her pleading hands? It really makes me laugh to see this kid smacking her lips and begging for olives!

Mallory even made sure she got some with cream cheese on it! What a good big sister!

Christmas cooking is working out very well for her!

I also witnessed one of the funniest things this weekend - a true story of who is the boss around here! Colin had a couple of friends over to spend the night. When it was time for me to go to bed I sent Cam up to get the extra blankets off of Quincy's "fort" so that they could go to bed to (eventually). She woke up Saturday morning and realized that they were crashed out with the blankets from her fort. She was not pleased. She demanded "you go right now and put it back together!!" You should have seen these 7th grade boys literally running up the stairs to please her Majesty! The fort is back together and looks as good as ever! Never again will these particular boys come over here without their own blankets!

What am I missing?

I have 2 blank calendar pages for this weekend. Nothing going on? That just does not happen, so that means I am forgetting something - but I just don't know what it would be. We never have a free day, much less 2 in a row, and even less likely its 2 in a row on a weekend? Something feels off!

I did totally and completely forget a meeting I was supposed to have today with the speech therapist at Colin and Cam's school. Totally forgot about it even though it was written plain as day on my calendar. I felt really bad (and kind of dumb) but when they called I had completely forgotten it! I did stuff my feet into my shoes and run like a maniac over there, and I did get every bit of the endless amounts of paperwork finished, but I usually just don't forget to do stuff that is written down!

Which brings me back to the feeling of utter nervousness on what else I might be forgetting!?!

That being said, I am sure we will conjure up something to do.
Like tackle Mount Washmore, fix the spreadsheet that I crashed at work, clean the kitchen, plan "healthy" snacks for the preschool party and finish the Christmas letter!

Notice I did not say I would start my Christmas shopping. There is a very nice checker at the store here whom I just love. She is really starting to panic about the fact that I have not started Christmas shopping yet. I keep telling her it is waaaay too early, but she is not convinced! I ran in today and she said "have you broken yet?" I love living in a small town!!

Happy 1st Birthday Harper!

Our sweet baby turned 1 year old today! I cannot believe it has been a whole year since we welcomed her into our family!
The kids were excited to give her birthday gifts this morning. So excited, that they had to wake her up - which apparently she wasn't ready to do! Mallory informed me that when she is asleep she likes to hold her because this is the only time she holds still and snuggles anymore!

We are all so blessed by having Harper in our family, but she really does think Madison is her best friend! Maybe she can spot the sucker in the room?

Harper got a jiggling cow - I am sure she was totally surprised - because Quincy kept the secret from yesterday's shopping excursion (Harper played with the cow all through wally mart!)!

Trying to get some birthday photos turned into one giant challenge. I took 78 photos of this child today, and most of them were just flat goofy! Or I managed to catch the side or back of her head! She is fast!

I did manage to get a couple which capture our sweet, funny little princess! Harper is very, very sweet. She loves to give hugs and kisses (and yank hair, but I am sure she is doing this out of love). She also loves to be tickled and even says "tick tick" or some sound that sounds like she is asking for it!

Harper LOVES to eat! She is especially in love with cake! She saw the cake tonight and there were no tears, only pure delight!

MMMMMM Cake Goooood!

Harper is walking, and getting faster by the minute. She is a master of disaster, often leaving huge piles everywhere she has been, which makes the kids nickname of "captain destructo" very appropriate. We had to have a family meeting tonight about keeping the bathroom doors shut since she has a new fascination with the toilet! She loves to take a bath, loves to run off with the laundry I am folding, and absolutely adores her daddy and her big brothers and sisters!

She is also rotten ornery, but that is why we all love her so much! Happy birthday to our 1 year old! You are a cherished treasure!

There was one sad, disappointed little boy at our house tonight. It was supposed to be his first ever school program. Since it was freezing drizzle it got called off. The poor kid had taken a bath, put on his best clothes including a belt and fancy shoes, and had his sister spike up his hair. He was beyond excited and kept telling me how hard they worked in his music class to get these special songs ready. He also has been hanging out at this stuff long enough that he very sweetly told me - and I quote - 'you know how you always wonder where to sit when we go to programs....well i am on the back row on the left side' - soooo thoughtful! I am not clear on whose left but he was definitely thinking about me. It almost broke my heart when the school called to say it was cancelled and his eyes got all filled with tears. He said 'but we worked sooo hard for this night.' I really believe it will be rescheduled, but he just didn't understand and was so sad! Poor kid! He has been dragged to so many programs, and was so pumped about having his turn. Totally heartbreaking!
It isn't all bad though, as Jim had a city council meeting he couldn't get out of so at least this way daddy will get to be there too!