Holidaze

This blog is a month late, but the cards are still up. 

The holidays are always a busy time for anybody, especially our family with three birthdays and an anniversary in December/January.  We're getting better at handling it though and the kids are getting older and more used to the Thanksgiving through mid-January rush.

This year Thanksgiving was the easiest one on record, and even with the time crunch of having morning plans we were able to get the turkey cooked and all the food on the table.  Well, except for the cranberry sauce, which we ALWAYS forget in the last minute push to get dinner plated.  I think we still have one of the five cans we bought for the event.  It was our 7th time hosting in the past 8 years and since we now have the 36 hours prior to dinner meticulously scheduled, it was our most relaxing.




Sure, Mommy, I'll help you saute the squash for the soup!

Mmmm - Cannoli may have found some drippings

Now Gobbles gets to blend the soup!

Tastes great!

On Thanksgiving morning, hubs was ready to participate for the first time in the annual neighborhood football game.  Sounds fun, but this is no ragtag operation to be taken lightly.  The hosts had out a bloody mary bar and we all brought some kind of breakfast food (or beer) and lawn chairs to watch the men play in their backyard, while the under 12 crowd played another game behind us.  It was the coldest Thanksgiving of record, and of course the Lobster Roll was not feeling it.  Gobbles was fascinated with the playhouse the kids had, so he chose not to play football with the other kids.  After about 20 minutes of trying to socialize while the Lobster alternated between put me down, I go play with Gobbles and I cold! Pick me up! go inside!, I decided to take her home.  Gobbles stayed behind to play with friends and watch hubs, who apparently didn't realize his son was still there until Gobbles decided he wanted to leave - before the game was over but when I was already home. Thankfully, his neighbor buddy's mom was on her way home too and dropped him off.  Love this neighborhood!

No joke football game

Hubs came home from the football game with what he thought was a broken finger, but never got it treated because he didn't feel like being in the ER on Thanksgiving, because, you know, it's just a finger.  Our families showed up and the kids felt all important having their own kiddie table for the first time.  We stuffed ourselves until we couldn't eat anymore and enjoyed each other's company.

Let's eat!

Butternut Squash soup with Spiced Creme Fraiche and Apple Chips

Beer bread



Red Lobster's secret recipe cheddar biscuits

The turkey - beforehand obviously!

Simmering the gravy

Sage stuffing

Haricot Vert with Shallots

Well Poozers - this looks like a fine table at which to dine!

Forget eating - let's play!

Yea, so what I'm wearing pants with my dress?

Look out - here it comes!

Smiles with my girl

The Lobster didn't share her joke with anyone else

Thanksgiving family shot

The next day, hubs had more neighborhood gang time fun when he and eight other dads took the kids to the mall (yes on black Friday) for Santa pictures, lunch, and a matinee.  I was looking forward to it because I had my own black Friday mission.  A few weeks before Gobbles picked out a superhero coloring set for a friend's birthday.  That morning, as we asked him what he was asking Santa for, he told us that he indeed wanted a superhero coloring set for himself.  Exclusively at Kohls.  Not knowing if they would sell our or what, I braved the crowds while hubs had the kids.  After I got what I needed I swung by where they were eating lunch to retrieve the Lobster Roll for her nap, as she wouldn't make it through the movie.  He told me that it was an easy morning, despite our daughter taking one look at Santa and bolting.  I later found out that of course it was easy for him - the neighborhood girls basically babysat our kids the whole time!  Gobbles did not stop talking about his Santa encounter and hanging out with his friends and all the fun he had, so it turned out to be a great day for them.

We're so excited to go see SANTA!

Wahh hooo santa!

The Lobster ran away screaming!

Well thank goodness for photoshop!

The days in December which we were not celebrating something else were all dedicated to Christmas.  Tree hunting and decorating, happily smiling for the Christmas Card, nonstop cookie making, and brunch with Santa.  At school, Gobbles had a winter show (nondenominational of course), and since you were transitioning classrooms, he actually practiced with two classes.  He waited until the very last minute to decide who to sing with, and chose the familiarity of Preschool 1, with a bit of our prodding.  We figured it was a nice send off before he started full time with Pre-K in January. 

Yes - I LOVE trees!

We even climb Daddy like a tree!

Which one?

This one!!

Now a post-tree hunt break

Check out my pretty decorations

And there's my birthday ornament!

Merry Christmas

Let's assemble on Spoon's rock for pictures!

Just posing for the card, ya know!

I love my big brother!

Check out these special effects again!

It's like a harry potter christmas card!

Nothing is prettier than snow and Christmas lights!

Ready to use these boots!

A little tentative on the hill!

When in doubt, roll!

Or make an angel!

This sled goes much faster with two of us!

More Santa visits!  Promise me a free breakfast and I have no problem sitting on his lap!

See - cupcakes make us happy!

And silly!

We're talking, steal mommy's necklace and pat grandpop on the butt silly!

Well, Daddy's never really silly anyway...

Still counting down to christmas!

Baking, baking, and more baking!

Boy mom, you're lucky we like to help!

Angels by these angels!

Wow it even spanned more than one day!  At least more than one outfit!

Ready to eat, let's go!

 

Playing with playdough on an unseasonably warm night on our decorated sunporch!



Ready to see Gobbles perform his winter show!

The precision in which that jingle bell is dancing is amazing!

Sing your heart out, Gobbles!

Meanwhile, the lobster has her eyes on your pal's little bro!

The weekend before Christmas started off with a playdate at Mooshie's house, with over half my girls' kids there.  It was so much fun to watch them interact and enjoy the girls' company after all these years.  It's comforting that even though we don't see each other as much, we can still fall back into it like old pals. 

More playtime - ready to go!

Chaos!

The girls' kids minus 4.

Couger

Every year the days immediately surrounding Christmas are mass chaos with families, travelling, and presents - the kids are so lucky to have so many family members that love and care for them.  First up we had Christmas with my family, where the kids were of course spoiled with a ton of stuff from their wishlist and more.  We spent all day at my mom's opening presents, eating, playing, and just enjoying the comfort and coziness of the holidays.

After all this Christmas celebrating we almost forgot about presents!



Yes!  Shoes for my collection!

Gee thanks grandmom, a hat.

Just like the dinosaur I got for my friend!

Of course we smile at pictures of us!

Trying on my new stuff

Wrapping that man around my finger

After a quick school Monday, we loaded up the puppies and the kids to head to Hazleton to stay with our in-laws overnight to Christmas Eve.  The visit was another whirlwind of visiting and presents, so many presents.  I love watching the Lobster Roll and her cousin Poozers grow up together and interact like best friends when they see each other.  Gobbles doesn't seem to mind the attention the girls get, because he gets plenty of his own as well.  This year, with another snowstorm coming through, we packed up early and were on the road before dark.  When the sun went down, Gobbles loved trying to search the night sky for Santa's sleigh, pointing out all the lights that were possibilities.  For weeks after Christmas, the Lobster would tell us, Santa Claus lives in the North Pole, far far away!  

We've said it once and we'll say it again - double. trouble.

Even the Lobster and Poozers have their moments

Pure sweetness!

Now on with the snack!

Gobbles stuck in the middle!

Standing on my tiptoes to get close!

The next morning, the kids actually slept in a bit before realizing that Santa had come.  When they realized there were more presents; however, they made up for lost time.  Gobbles tore through the presents so quickly, tossing over his shoulder clothes and anything else he didn't find interesting.  The Lobster was more fascinated by her pink bicycle, which was just like the spiderman bike Gobbles got, only smaller.  She kept sitting on it with excitement, while Gobbles finished up with his presents and moved on to hers.  We ended the morning at church where the Lobster Roll spent her time back and forth in the potty and Gobbles enjoyed listening to the singing.  Their favorite part was the recessional hymn, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, which they refer to as "The Charlie Brown Song" since they heard it first on Charlie Brown Christmas.  Later on we celebrated with my family, aunts, uncles, cousins, and their kids at a big party at my uncle's house.  Even though we don't see them often, it's always so much fun to get together with them.


Santa Came!

How'd he make it through the chimney with all this crap here?

The $ store chalkboards from our stockings were our 3rd favorite gifts!

Learning to read... or at least to push buttons

Happy and ready for our annual church visit

Ready to ride!

Destroying my great-uncle's newly renovated house

Hey M - we match!

This guy looks friendly!

Wow they have a pool too?

Our other bikes - testing them in the kitchen!

Post Christmas with our "cousins"

Getting the hang of it!

The Lobster is not one to be outdone!

A week later we celebrated new years to close out the holidays.  We were invited to a party at our neighbor's house where she had about 30 adults and 45 kids running around.  It was a lot of fun and I'm sure will be even better once the kids get older.  The Lobster, being the youngest one there, kept alternating with wanting to play in the basement and wanting to hang out with me and hubs.  She did pretty well going up and down the stairs and hanging with other kids (where Gobbles was the whole night), but I would get nervous during some of the stair trips.  After all, it was way past her bedtime to begin with.  I think she also liked being the center of attention in the room full of adults before running to the basement steps again.  One of the neighbors reminded me to relax, she's ok, but I think he didn't realize that she wasn't even two yet, considering she was speaking in complete sentences to him.  Both of the kids made it to midnight and celebrated with confetti and karaoke before we called it a night.  It was the perfect end to a fantastic holiday season.

Where the party at??

Looks like it's under the table!



Happy New Year!

yup.  That was a party.

Starting off the new year right!