Christmas 2016

The kids had an incredibly long "winter" break from school this year.  It was a 19 full days off of school.  Reid managed to get about 15 of those days off as well.  There was a lot of together time--for better or worse!

The last day of school before break was the 20th, which gave us 4 days before Christmas.  We used that time to make and deliver a lot of cookies to local friends and to finish wrapping presents, shopping, and of course a trip to Costco.  One of the highlights of those few days was also a trip to see Moana.  We enjoyed the movie, although I was definitely questioning the decision to take Bree.  She asked if the movie was over right as the credits were ending and the movie just beginning.  It made for a long movie!  Even the contraband candy that we snuck into the theatre in my purse was not cutting it.  Shhhh....don't tell anyone.  But really, don't all moms with big purses sneak in candy?!

Christmas Eve was fairly laid back, although the kids were definitely getting antsy.  After dinner we allowed them to open the annual Christmas jammies and new ornament that we had gotten for them.  Finn's reaction over just the jammies made me question why we even bothered with presents this year.  He was so thrilled for the new "Santa-like" jammies that I figured he didn't need anything else.  But that's Finn.  Such a happy kid and so grateful for anything.  Every present on Christmas day was met with the same excitement and enthusiasm as the jammies.  It sure makes a parent feel good!

Bree was so excited to get the ornament that she made while we were on vacation with her cousins in Estes Park.

I think he's checking out the price tag here!  Haha!

ready for bed on Christmas Eve

The tree all ready for the kids the next morning

The kids opened their present from Santa first.  Bree was so excited to finally get her Doc McStuffins cart.  This was all she wanted and we actually weren't going to buy it for her but days before Christmas she was so set on it that I ran off to the store to grab one.  It turned out to be a good idea as she says it's the best present she's ever gotten and she plays with it nearly daily still.

Finn got a new bow and arrow set as he had left his out in the yard and it got damaged and he had loved it so much.

Kai got a Lego Minecraft set.

Both boys received special rubix cubes from their dad.

Bree has also loved this bouncy pink reindeer.

A minecraft torch

Finn got some books and I was surprised how he jumped right in to read some of them.

more Legos

Notice the pullups peeking out over her jammie pants?  We started potty training her right after her last day of preschool before the break.  It took her longer than the boys but she eventually got it.  By mid-January she was fully potty trained and has very little accidents.  The bribe of ice skating lessons was a complete stroke of genius and sealed the deal.

This cash register was also one of those spur of the moment purchases.  We saw it at Marshall's and I had to get an employee to discreetly run it to the register for me and then bag it in a way she couldn't see it.  It was worth it, though, because it also gets lots of play time.

Her Doc McStuffins doctor's kit

After a breakfast of cinnamon rolls and opening all of the presents, we still had to get in our morning round of treatments.

If Christmas has to fall on a Sunday, 11am church is a great time for it.  We were blessed to have a light snow in the morning hours while we were opening presents, that actually blew away by the afternoon.  For church we just had our Christmas program (which ran way too long to be honest, but was beautiful) and then we came home and were able to play with our new toys and cook Christmas dinner.

The day after Christmas I started on getting bedrooms ready for the boys.  I figured it was going to be a long process and while the boys aren't quite ready for their own rooms, maybe by the time I'm done they will be.  Finn wanted a green room.  He picked the shade--lawn party green by Behr.  I started with the ceiling (see it's white?!) and then I did one and half walls of green.  I had to talk Finn out of 4 green walls and into using a gray for the other walls.  This is once the green was done but before the gray.

 Later in the week I took a break from painting and we all went to the Denver Museum of Nature of Science.  We have a family membership this year.

Exploring the dinosaur exhibit

After lunch we split up.  I took Bree and Finn to the kids' Discovery Zone while Reid and Kai explored other exhibits.

Finn can spend hours at this machine.  Honestly, hours.

I've been wanting a Lite Brite for a while.  This is a giant sized version and Bree loved it!

I love this picture of Kai.  

January 1, 2017 this girl became a Sunbeam.  I have no more kids in nursey.  Such a sad, sad day.  But isn't she a cutie?!

Leftover night on January 2nd--happy faces for happy food choices

On Wednesday January 4 we headed to Castle Rock to go swimming at the MAC.  We had a great time and practically had the pool to ourselves.  Reid was at work so it was me versus 3 and I was quite proud of Kai for finally being comfortable and tall enough to be in the pool without a life jacket.  Finn still wears a life jacket there and Bree stays with me 100% of the time.

Finn wanted to make this for everyone for dinner.  He worked hard on this (and yes, he had a lot of help).

Friday morning we went to Springs Trampoline Park with ward friends.  The kids had two full hours of bounce time.  Luckily Reid was off to stay home with Bree, who wasn't feeling well.  See the girl to the right of Kai?  That's Reese, his sweet friend who is only 2 months older than him.  And the boys to the left of Finn are also Kai's friends and they are only 6 months older than him.  All 4 of them are in the 4th grade at Bear Creek and play together at recess nearly every day.  They also eat lunch together daily, too.

Poor Peanut's tummy wasn't feeling well.  She just wanted to lay in her bed but she didn't want to be alone.  I didn't want to spend all day with her in her bed so we had the door to her room open and the lights on.  She fell asleep and she also asked that I leave her dinner on her night stand.  

The kids went back to school on January 9th.  Of course, Finn had a clinic appointment that morning so he showed up at lunch time.  And then this happened.  It was one of our craziest windstorms ever.  There were wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour and trucks and high-profile vehicles were being blown over all over town.  By afternoon CDOT had issued a ban on all high-profile vehicles, including school buses.  So, we began a staggered early dismissal from school.  It was a crazy way to get back to our "routine".  After nearly 3 weeks of Christmas break we were so ready to get back to normal, but that was clearly going to have wait for another day.