Christmas Report and Photos

Rather then post a bunch of Christmas photos here, I put them on Flickr. If you click on the link to the right you can see them.

We had a great Christmas. A few highlights:
- Santa brought us a Wii
- Jason was able to join us for the gift giving before heading to work
- Sarah cried (see photo on flickr)
- Isaac was very sick. Poor kid. He enjoyed his presents a day late
- Joshie became a master Bionical builder
- Emma received so many Pollys that we all looked like giants in a small town

Christmas morning with young children is magical and wonderful. Now on to the New Year.

Snow Snow Snow

Brothers

Building

Keeping Busy

School Sing-Along

Last Friday we were pleased and honored to watch the Brookside Elem. Christmas Sing-Along.

Each grade sings 2 Christmas songs and this year there was a story teller.

She was very enthusiastic and I think the kids enjoyed it.

My favorite part of the whole program is when the whole school sings the 12 Days of Christmas. Each grade stands and sings their verses. The kids bob up and down. It is loud and frantic and I LOVE IT!!

And, of coarse you have to have Santa stop by. Fun Fun Fun

6th Grade Math: Fractions

I have always thought and believed I was a wiz when it came to math. I enjoyed the problems and the problem solving and I even got good grades.

Then I get married, have a bunch of kids, you know, live life.

Then my oldest needs help with 6th grade math fractions.

I think I can handle them. I loved fractions when I was in school.

I understood fractions.

Well, apparently while I was living my life,

my brain was trading all things fractions

(multiplying, dividing, adding, and subtracting)

with the best way to calm a crying baby, how to get throw up out of the carpet,

how to do laundry for 6 people in 1 day,

(it sounds like a fraction, but it is impossible. Fractions have answers)

etc.

After swallowing my pride or whatever,

I get online to look up the classroom book website.

After Sarah finds it for me (I am utterly humiliated now) I start studying.

There was a cracking somewhere deep in my brain and

I no longer know how to calm a crying baby,

but I do know how to divide and multiply fractions.

4 hours later I was able to help Sarah with questions she had

and all 7 pages of not-yet-turned-in homework are done.

Setting Up Christmas

I'm a bit late writing about it, but we put up our Christmas tree last Wed. night.

I made a huge batch of chili in the crockpot.

The kids warm and snuggly in their jammies. We settled in to set up, decorate and enjoy.

Well, I guess it's not a family gathering with out a little fighting. Jason and Isaac got into it a bit while putting the tree up.

Emma put the star on top for the first time. She was so proud of herself.

Grandma has given each of the kids a new ornament each year. She tries to pick out ones that show what the kids are into at the time. The kids have great fun rediscovering "their" ornaments and finding just the right spot for them on the tree. Hang them on the tree, stand back and admire.

(One thing I learned this year was when the kids leave and it's just Jason and I, we will have maybe 10 ornaments left. I guess that will be a good reason to shop.)

As many of you know, it takes some time to get the tree up, decorate it, admire it, maybe move a few ornaments around, make sure it is right in the middle of the window, etc....some little people get very tired and kranky.

She held up as long as she could.

Thankgiving 2008

The Turkey

Enjoying the yummy food. Thanks Grandma!

After the food, fun and games.

The best cousin Tyler willing to play "Pollys" with Emma

The best family tradition...UNO

A great day.

Of the many things I am thankful for, family is on the top of the list.

Where's the Beef?

I love ATMs

So convenient

I do 99% of my Credit Unioning (is that a word?) via ATM (BANK is a 4 letter word)

Of course the kids are with me (As they always are)

Today I went through the CU drive thru

As the cool vacuum brought the receipt back to me

Emma asks, "Where's the food?"

Origami

Paper

Folding

Creating

Keeping little hands busy

Swans / Dragons

I've been tagged...For real this time

Thank you Sheri for making me think....something I do against my better judgement.

So here are the rules:
1.Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2.Share 7 weird and/or random facts about yourself.
3.tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4.Let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

As usual I am changing the rules....I don't know 7 people with blogs that haven't already done this, so I am just going to list my things and leave it at that.

1. I don't like feet. I like having feet, but I don't like other people's feet. No massaging, touching, looking. YUCK!
2. I love shoes. Having them, wearing them, seeing them, shopping for them, etc.
3. I want to race cars. I love driving and driving fast (except with kids aboard(for you Jack))
4. I have never had a broken bone. (Chipped and sprained, but not broken)
5. When I was maybe 10 or 11 I went to a water park with a friend and went down a tube slide. A big kid followed to soon after me and landed on top of me at the bottom and I almost drowned.
6. I don't like water parks and swimming pools. (See above for explaination)
7. When I was a kid I wanted to be an astronaut.

OK, Bridgette and Erin are tagged. (Jack you would be if you started your own blog)

I've been tagged...not yet though

OK, so my cousin tagged me and I promise I will get to that.

But, first I have to say....I am going to the

Family Christmas Show at the Southtowne Expo today.

YEAH! Shopping here I come,

OK well mostly looking,

OK well mostly hanging out with my Mom.

See you in an hour Mom!!

Pinkalicious

Emmy has a new dress.

She wore it to church today.

After she was dressed and had a chance to admire herself in the mirror,

she was off to show Daddy how cute she looked.

He said, "You look so pretty!"

She scolded and him and said, "No I don't. I look awesome!"

I love this girl so very, very much!

Thank Goodness It's Friday

This morning the boys did not want to go to school.

Josh ran and hid behind the big chair.

"I want to stay home with Emma. I don't want to go to school!!!!!"

Since I am a Mother, I negotiate.

I said "Hey tomorrow you can stay home. Does that sound good?"

He says, "Really Mom? I can stay home tomorrow?"

"Yes. Of course you can." (I'm so nice)

He comes out of hiding. Happy to get his way...tomorrow.

With 4 kids, no negotiation goes unnoticed.

Isaac asks, "Can I stay home tomorrow too?"

I say "Of course." (Still, so nice)

(Sarah is rolling her eyes at me, but thankfully not saying anything.)

They are walking out the door and Isaac's light turns on,

"Hey, tomorrow is Saturday."

I say "Yep, have a good day at school."

And shut the door.

Election Day

Today we vote.

Today my children voted.

With our voting location being the elementary school, Jason and I pulled Isaac and Sarah out of lunch and class to vote with us. Sarah voted with Jason and Isaac voted with me. They were very excited to touch the screen for us.

I know we are blessed to live in this free country where our vote counts.

God Bless America

Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Sarah as Hester Prinn

Isaac as a Hippie

Joshie as an Old Man (sans cane)

Emmy as Cinderella

Sarah as Hester Prinn

Isaac as a Hippie Dude

Joshie as an Old Man

Emmy as Cinderella

We had a fun Halloween Day. We went to the school parade and Emmy walked with Sarah. It is a little sad that this will be Sarah's last Halloween school parade. Time keeps marching on.

Emmy went to Sarah's class and had a bit of fun with the 6th graders. She wants to be grown up like her sister.

The loot. Tootsie rolls and suckers.

Even Princesses need a break.



Later in the evening we went to the Church for the Trunk-er-Treat. The kids all had fun going from car to car and seeing all their friends.

Even the puppy found a treat that was left unattended. Nobody missed out.

Fall

I Love Fall

I hate raking leaves.

So it's kind of bitter sweet. Know what I mean? Anyhoo, the leaves in the back of the truck, bound for the compost dump, are great fun to play in. Isaac and his friend Connor had a blast covering each other in leaves and generally making a HUGE mess!

The other kids had fun also. Josh talked on the phone (like any normal 6 year old boy) and Emma hung out by the big tree.

A good fall day is not complete without walking the puppy down by the creek.