Dancing Truck

Our cousins in California sent Baby X an MC Hammer dancing truck for Christmas. Baby X LOVES LOVES LOVES it. This video doesn't even show you how excited he is about it, but it gets close.

B's Birthday

B's birthday was on a Sunday this year, and I didn't really plan ahead what I was making him for dessert. When I went to start making it, we were low on a lot of ingredients so we ended up making him Monkey Bread. Except, you can see all the candles tipping over... because it was after Baby X's bedtime and we were trying to hurry so it had just come out of the oven and it's 350 degree temperature was melting the candles.

B got a blazer, a Winston Churchill movie called Into the Storm, and we pre-ordered The Simpsons, season 20 for him.

Christmas

Princess Sparkley has never been great at falling to sleep at night. She's our night owl (it makes sense since B and I are also night owls). Last night, she was still awake until after midnight. We'd peek on her to see if we could starting doing Christmas stuff and she'd still be awake, telling us how hard she was trying to fall asleep but was just too excited. Finally she fell asleep.





Baby X and Buddy woke up just before 9 AM and the festivities began.

OJ at the top of the stairs before coming down, B's family tradition.


Baby X with Daddy opening presents.


I sewed these little aprons for PS and paired them with a cookbook. I'll have to take pictures of her wearing them.


Buddy got this airport he saw at Target about 2 years ago and has been desperate about.


Among Baby X's other presents was this Elmo that B gave to me for Valentine's Day our senior year of high school.

Christmas Eve

For Christmas Eve, we went out for Chinese food. We stole this tradition from Uncle G's family. Although it's his parents and siblings that go for Chinese food on Christmas Eve, not he and Aunt H's family. We started doing it in California when there were to sets of grandparents to spend time with on Christmas and Christmas Eve, so we'd have a little bit of just our family time.


B told Princess Sparkley she could wear her new dress and bring Jenny in her matching one.


Baby X, his blankey, and Bubble. He loves all stuffed dogs (and cats) but is especially attached to this blue one, Bubble.


After Chinese food we came home and had a Christmas lesson, read from the scriptures, sang some Christmas carols and then opened family presents. Baby X got this Webkinz puppy from PS. (Not to use on Webkinz, just for the stuffed dogg-ness of it, we're letting Buddy use the Webkinz code).


Buddy gets Legos from cousin BRL.


Can you tell he's just a little bit excited!?!


Buddy got a Webkinz Zumbuddy from mom and dad and an Webkinz owl from PS.


PS got a Webkinz Zumbuddy as well.


He really wanted this owl. (He got his army watch from G and G M)


From G and G L, a marshmallow bow and arrow. He's thrilled.


The boys got B a Steelers shirt, and Steelers shirts for each of them as well. I'll have to take their picture all wearing them soon.


PS got a fun cookbook and recipe box from G and G L along with some books.

Restaurant

Because Aunt H is awesome, the girls had a fabulous time each night playing restaurant. One night it was a snowflake theme, another night presents. Here are the girls in their hostessing and waitressing outfits. The aprons were made my Grandma M's grandma. The fancy clip-on earrings were from Great Grandma Pf.

B's pre-birthday celebration

B's birthday it the 27th, so we had cake while the family was all together.

Bowling

On Christmas Eve Eve Eve, we went bowling.


Buddy enjoyed using the ramp they have for little kids to use. He had a great time.


Baby X was pretty miserable and just wanted to be free, running around, chasing the balls, etc. Finally, before we left I asked PS to let him use one of her bowling frames and he got to roll the ball down the ramp twice. And of course, loved it.


Even PS's new doll, Jenny, bowled.

We had a grown-up game going and a kid game going. B ended up bowling 4 strikes in a row at the end of the second game!! I got two strikes and a lot of gutter balls.

Matching Cousins

Grandma M sewed the girls matching Christmas dresses.
And matching Christmas dresses for their dolls.
So Aunt H did a little photo shoot.

Cookie Christmas Tree

The P family has a tradition each year of making this Christmas tree out of thousands (I should know, I had to make the first half) of star shaped sugar cookies in different sizes. Here are the kids and the cookie trees.








Aunt H turned us all into Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.


Can you tell Buddy wasn't too thrilled with this?
















Cousins G and S with their finished tree.


Buddy and PS with our finished tree.


PS, a frosting mess.

Early Christmas

On the 21st we exchanged gifts at B's sister's house. The family's each buy each other family a Christmas book. But we also exchanged grandparent gifts.


PS got an Our Generation Doll... Target's American Girl knock-off that she's been desperately wanting.


Grandma also made a bunch of outfits for the doll, Jenny, including a dress to match the Christmas dress Grandma made PS.


This was not a present, this was a train at Aunt H's house that Baby X loved. Woo-oo.


Buddy got this cool Lego helicopter.


And put Daddy right to work helping assemble it.

The Nutcracker

We went to Richmond (a day late) before Christmas to see B's sister's family along with B's parents who drove over from Ohio. One of Aunt H's family traditions is going to see a Christmas play, they were nice to take us with them this year. It was almost A Christmas Carol (which had PS's boots shaking) but it turned out to be The Nutcracker. Princess Sparkley was beside herself with excitement and her excitement rubbed off on Buddy. The play turned out to be a HUGE success. The kids all loved it. Baby X was awesome, he only made two noises through the entire play, once to crack up at Grandpa M who was sitting next to me (Baby X was on my lap) and once he pointed and made an indistinguishable noise when the ballerinas dressed as bunnies entered the stage.


Before the play. Grandma M made PS and cousin G matching dresses.




PS and Buddy.


Cousin G and PS.


Grandpa giving Baby X a smooch on the cheek.


Cousin S, PS, cousin G and Buddy with their Nutcracker ornaments.


Thank you to the P family for taking us.


Some ballet moves after the show as Grandpa M carried PS through the slippery sidewalks.