and all through our house
every creature was stirring
and singing and baking
and bowling?
Emma's Preschool Christmas Program
We have been hearing 3 main Christmas songs around our house this month and were excited to see the final performance (with actions). The first song was a capella due to technical problems, but all of their songs were great! It was so funny to see 4 yr old's singing and doing actions at the same time!
Emma squinting because the flash makes her eyes water!
"In a Little Stable"
"Wishing on a Star" (from Polar Express!)
Emma's Christmas present from Miss Cindy
I think these ramps are perfect for kids
Love the shoes!
Blending the Oreo's
Licking the marshmallow creme spoons
Brielle loves chips
Emma loves goofing around with Jill
One of the "angels"
Emma played "Mary"
Brielle loved her new "ballerina" tutu
Emma showing off her Barbie I want to remember a few things the girls have said so...
We were on the Polar Express and they passed out cookies from Mrs. Claus. My mom commented that they cookies had "magic" in them. Emma: "Will I still be me?"
We were playing babies and Emma had just named her baby Flower. We asked Brielle what her baby's name was. She paused for a moment and then said "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt"! (Can you guess one of the songs in our CD player?)
Emma and I were getting ready to read bedtime stories one night and she said out of nowhere: "Mom, I am so glad that Jesus sent me to you!" Awwwww.....
I was making cookies while Brielle was playing play dough in her booster seat. I sat down next to her for a few minutes while they chilled. When I stood up again, Brielle said, "Mom, sit down." I asked, "Why do I have to sit down?" Brielle replied, "Because you are watching me!"
Brielle's word of the day: "Awesome!" (Taught by Emma!)
I needed a picture to document Nick's involvement!
my beautiful girls playing "dress up" before we leftSo, part of my distress this week was that I had to attend traffic school for my speeding ticket on Wednesday. Two hours and $25.00 down the tube. I got there 10 minutes early, handed my paperwork to the police officer and watched a gruesome movie showing bodies from traffic accidents until the class starts. (okay, I get it, I won't speed anymore, can I go?) The class turned out to be about 1 1/2 hrs and they gave some good information and statistics. (FYI- the police force does have quotas!) As they dismissed class, they called out names and handed everyone back their paperwork to prove they had been to the class. Well, everyone got their paperwork back except--ME! The officer had marked that he had stamped my paperwork, but it was nowhere to be found. He ran outside to see if anyone from the class has two papers. By then, only 10 people were left from the 45 that had attended class. He assures me that the court will dismiss my citation since he had my name checked off. But that is not what I am worried about. My citation had ALL of my personal information. My name, phone number, address, date of birth, drivers license number AND my social security number! I came home in tears. You try to protect yourself in so many ways. Here I am, just trying to get my driving record swiped clean, and in turn all of my identity is lost. The police officer assured me today on the phone that everyone that is offered traffic school has a good record and he is going to contact everyone in the class to see if they have my paperwork (the officer happens to be over the fraud cases as well), but the reality is even good people can resort to desperate measures especially in a bad economy. (Am I too cynical?) Would someone really turn it in if they had it? I don't know what to do. I don't know where to start. Put an alert on my social security number and credit information? I am sick to my stomach. Anyone done this before?
A glance at the first week of December!
Temple Square
Nick's family usually goes down to Salt Lake the Saturday after Thanksgiving, but this year a Jazz game kept us from finding parking, so we went Friday instead. It was the best year so far because the weather was so warm!
I wish this could be our Christmas card, but Brielle isn't looking!
she made up this pose herself!
now she looks at the camera!
what cute girls I have!
the last picture before our battery died.....
a homemade card from Emma
tools and money.....it is so hard to shop for boys!
blowing out the last two candles we had!
Happy Birthday Nick! You are an awesome husband and dad!
Emma mostly put ornaments on the bottom except for this one!
Brielle had no interest in the tree--she liked the nativity set.
no, it's not Christmas morning! Just a random morning by the tree.
the girls were so excited to peek in all of the windows!
of coarse Emma had to stand on the top step!
Santa!!!!
Brielle would not let us hold her candy cane from Santa!!
Christmas Village is a "must" for next year. The girls loved it! I know this month is supposed to be joyful and triumphant, but sometimes, December just wears me out. Between family parties, ward activities, and work dinners you can get pretty busy; but that doesn't include school functions (unless you count preschool) and (for us) the 4 family birthdays from December 1- January 4. So, yesterday I was feeling a bit frazzled. I felt like I was busy all day (and probably ignoring my kids), yet I accomplished nothing. Wait--I take that back! I did manage to lose one of our memory cards for our digital camera, complain to my sister-in-law about family parties, eat everything chocolate in sight, and ruin our kitchen disposal by dumping a mysterious object down it from our diaper bag. I think I took care of everything on my list! Right after Nick got home, I pretty much brought every one's attitude right down to my low level. Why? All of this is easily fixable (well, maybe not the chocolate on my thighs), but nothing to get upset over. I think it just came during a month that I want to be the perfect mom who provides her children with wonderful Christmas memories yet I am preoccupied with everything else going on. I need to let go of perfection. I don't need to have a cute and crafty neighbor gift, or a huge package for my missionary brother, or race out to get the best deal on something. No one will remember these things. I just need to bring the Christmas Spirit into my home. That is what my kids will remember. Joyful and triumphant! (And......relaxed?) Easier said than done!!!
Our pre-Thanksgiving week has been busy but fun. The highlights:
Preschool Thanksgiving Feast
Although Nick did receive a reminder call to take the camera to this event, it did not happen so imagine 50 preschool children and their parents eating Thanksgiving dinner and singing songs. Here is Emma's Thanksgiving turkey. She was thankful for the world, turkeys, and houses!
Temple Square Bell Choir Concert
On Friday, Nick and I got tickets to the Bell Choir concert at the Tabernacle. Cultural events are not Nick's favorite thing, but I usually talk him into one around Christmas. It was really good and interesting to watch all the different bells they used to make the music. I love Christmas music!
The Polar Express!
This year I really wanted to ride the Polar Express at the Heber Valley Railroad (especially since we wouldn't have to buy a ticket for Brielle). It was so fun. Prior to going, we had read the book and watched the movie. It is fairly expensive and probably not something we can do every year, but definately worth doing at least once! They served hot chocolate and cookies, read the Polar Express book, sang Christmas carols, and received a Christmas bell from Santa! Emma was in heaven! Afterwards, we ate at Dairy Keen in Heber that had a train table outside, train set inside to play with, and two trains running along the ceiling. Very distracting to the kids as they tried to eat, but a really cute place.
in front of our box car
waiting to board the train
the anticipation begins
reading the Polar Express
watching for Santa as we arrived at the North Pole
the first bell of Christmas!
Emma and Jill ringing their bells
my neice Isabelle wondering where Santa went
conducting the train at Dairy Keen
a fun picnic train table...too bad it was too cold to eat outside
As a child, my mom made an advent calendar from a dark maroon terry towel where she placed 24 numerical Velcro steps that took Mary and Joseph up to the top where there was a empty manger. Each year one of us kids would get to hide the baby Jesus until Christmas morning when the rest of us would get to search for Him and add Him to the nativity. Although this calendar was not fancy, I loved it! This memory is why I love advent calendars! I am always on the lookout for a cute calendar even though I already have quite a few! (My other love is nativity scenes--I have at least 10 different nativities--also related to a childhood memory). This year, when I put out my Thanksgiving decorations Emma kept asking where the thing was that has stars you put on nails. I couldn't figure out what she was talking about! Finally, it clicked that she was thinking about my nativity scene that is an advent calendar (double bonus)! You put numerical stars in the sky above the manger scene until you reach 25 which has the biggest star that goes on the point of the stable. I was amazed that she remembered it since she hasn't seen it for 11 months and I don't remember her liking it that much. So when I saw this Countdown to Christmas widget, I had to put on my blog because it reminded me of all my advent calendars!
One of my coworkers makes the most delicious, unique sugar cookies you have ever seen! They are always too cute to eat, but now she is selling them along with her homemade toffee and other sweet treats in creative gift boxes for friends, neighbors, whoever. Check out her blog http://www.jillybcreations.blogspot.com
Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!
In honor of the Twilight movie coming out this weekend, I thought I would post my character quiz. I actually have tickets to the movie this weekend (at a theater that reserves seats--there was no way I was going to wait in line). I was unsure if I even wanted to see the movie because I loved the book, but after watching the previews, it got me excited to relive the book again through the movie. I will be interested to see what all the reviews say and hope that the movie is worth seeing!
