Thanksgiving 2011

This year we spent Thanksgiving in California with family. It was a great day! We woke up and ate snacks and then we took the kids to see Tangled (very cute). When we arrived home we helped get dinner on the table. It was really nice to be with family we don't see very often.

By middle of dinner Sydney was so tired she fell asleep.

Later that night I got to do my normal midnight madness shopping.  Being out of town I was away from "my girls" so Alan offered to come along .  I had  a great time with him.  Got several good deals my best was new balance shoes for everyone for only $12 a pair!  It was amazingly crowded and some stores had a 2 hrs line just to get inside!  My girls here at home were shopping in -3 temps so the 40 degree chill wasn't bad at all!

Happy Easter!

We had a wonderful Easter. Don't let me pictures fool you it was sunny, but it was cold. Spring where are you? I have had tons going on so sorry for my absence here. I have tons of posts coming :)

Chuck E. Cheese

The video speaks for itself... enjoy.

New Years Eve.........

New years Eve was a wonderful night. Good Friends, Good Food, Fun Games. We had Pizza, Fondue, and treats. The fondue was sooo good. Unfortunately my stomach was not big enough to eat all the stuff we had (tough problem to have huh).








The kids slept over at Grandma and Grandpa's. It was top secret but Grandma and Grandpa planned a surprise party at Chuck E. Cheese. They booked a birthday party package and got to have a birthday for everyone on New Years Eve. Unfortunately, Sydney, who has never been to Chuck E. Cheese was terrified. Would not get of the car. She actually hid under the table some of the time. I guess like her mother, she has a phobia of rats. Ha ha. Stay tuned I finally got the video loaded of Sydney and Hailey talking about Chuck E. Cheese. It's hilarious.

Christmas Magic.....

Christmas was magic.... So much magic I haven't been online in forever. NO posting, no peeking at blogs. Unheard of I tell you. I hope you all enjoyed Christmas as much as we did. There was a Wii waiting for my kids. I guess Santa felt we shouldn't miss out on the whole experience. We love it. Jacob cracks me up playing it. No one can beat that kid at bowling. He spins his arm and gets strikes every time. His arm is getting sore, serious fun. The twins were quite impressed with the non appearance of Santa himself and the stuff left behind. The Barbie cruise is well loved (although not recommended by me) and the Twin doll house is being played every day all day (I do recommend). I got spoiled too and will be enjoying my new Canon elph power shot. I needed a camera to keep in my purse (although will remain loyal to the Rebel).
Alan is enjoying a new flat screen t.v. I almost had a panic attack seeing it installed and the furniture all moved but have to admit the new t.v is nice and sleek.

Off to catch up on all your Christmas fun....

A visit to Santa-Photo story Friday

We began preparing for our visit to Santa last year. Minutes after a scream fest that was our visit to Santa. In the summer after their birthday Santa was big on their mind. They could not remember receiving their gifts last year so the whole idea of waking up to toys sounded pretty magical. One problem to overcome was, to get that kind of magic, they were told it required a visit to Santa and finding the courage to actually tell him what you wanted. Every week Sydney would talk about her desire to see Santa and that she would actually do it, you could tell she was trying to talk herself into it. She was worried. Hailey talked about it too and she seemed more confident of her ability to overcome her fears. This has gone on for months. On our way to Thanksgiving dinner Sydney suddenly got panicked, "Is Santa coming here"? No we told her. "Oh good" It was clear she wasn't going to Thanksgiving if he was coming. She even told us she did not want the Twin dollhouse she has been planning on if it meant seeing him. That Saturday was the big day, we always go see Santa that weekend. The whole way there the girls seemed like they were planning on doing it, they wanted the toys badly. We got out of the car and got in the small line that was forming. Suddenly the jolly old man came from the house waving to all the happy children, except mine. Sydney and Hailey began screaming in unison, clinging to every part of me, desperate to get away. Telling me over and over they wanted no toys at all. Well being the mean mom I am, we were going to see Santa it's tradition screaming and all. As our turn came up it became more clear to me that there was NO WAY the girls would go sit with Santa at all. So I told Alan we would have to stand behind Santa and hold the girls. So we headed in. I had Sydney and she was literally clawing me even being near him. Santa looked over to her and told her, " I am the nice guy. I bring toys. Don't you want toys, etc..." that was it. All the the sudden Sydney said, "I want to sit on his lap". What? I could not believe my ears. I thought we might escape the picture if we could get Hailey in it too. That was not possible, all her big talk was just talk. She did, however, tell him what she wanted. Success or close to it. Amazingly I liked the picture we were forced to take as a family. Maybe that is our new tradition, why not?
Here are few other shots of our Santa visit 2008.
This week while interviewing preschools one boasted that Santa comes and the kids all get to sit on his lap etc... I had to laugh, even now, that is the twins worst nightmare. LOL!

For more Photo story Friday's go here...

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Christmas Kick off...

Tonight I made roast beef and mashed potato's and we ate it in the dining room. There was Christmas China and Christmas music. I don't think we have been able to eat in the dining room with all four kids. They were thrilled. We decorated the Christmas tree's... its beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here.
Tomorrow there will be lot's of cleaning oh and I have to finish our Christmas cards, followed by girls night. We will be seeing Australia. Enjoy your day!

Thanksgiving week...

The week began with Alan finally going to the doctor. He had the bad flu a week ago and it had gotten worse, much worse. He was diagnosed with Pneumonia received several shots and prescriptions and was given orders to rest. By Tuesday he still wasn't better. Wednesday was spent at Urgent care (they we useless) followed by another doctor, more shots, more prescriptions... hoping to avoid the hospital. Thursday was surprising better. Alan was doing somewhat better and we were going to my Aunt's house for dinner and I brought nothing but ourselves. I spent the afternoon relaxing and reading The Hunger Games (which I highly recommend). I was trying to prepare for midnight madness and a night without sleep (can you really prepare for that?).

It was a great day. Filled with family and love. I am glad Alan was well enough to join us, although it totally wiped him out.

My sister Holly and me

My brother Stephen and Alan

Jacob and me

My sister, Diana and her husband...

Stayed tuned for midnight madness...

The rest of the crew...

Halloween night 2008...

Chili and cornbread with family before hand.
Seeing headless horseman galloping our neighborhood.
Sydney excitedly saying after every house, "Look what I got" then getting tired (after 20) and telling us she was not going to tell us what she got anymore.
Hailey saying after every house, "Can we go to another house"? saying "thank you" every time we said yes.
Light rain (but warmer temps).
Jacob and Sydney were done much earlier but Hailey was the die hard of the group and made it go on as long as possible!
Lindsey's first time trick or treating with a friend (and parents of course).

Lot's of sugar and lots of fun!

Jacob and my nephew Andrew

Meow Lindsey

So you can see the girls feet ...

Grandma, the twins, Molly (as a bat) and Cali (my niece).

Hailey

Jacob

Sydney

Aunt Holly (my sister) and the girls...

Photostory Friday- Fairies are not harmless!

These two little fairies are all sorts of trouble. Yesterday they painted themselves from head to toe with shampoo and conditioner in the shower, fully dressed. Thankfully the costume is washable. That was one of many disasters on my halloween eve. Sydney and croup, lost costumes. You can guess what kind of day yesterday was.

Before it seems like I only have twins... come back for the rest of halloween pictures tomorrow.

The details of the day...

Every fourth of July the kids and I are up early to go to a parade at Grandma's and Grandpa's house. There is lots of fun and candy. After the parade we spend the day playing with friends. We later returned for a bbq and fireworks.





This year our group was missing two important people. On Lindsey's birthday we gave her tickets to see Miley Cirus at the Stadium of fire. So Alan and Lindsey headed of for that after they enjoyed the meal with us. It was a great night full of family and fun. The kids, all of them, were tired by the end of that big day.