Duane, Danni and Kiddos: December 2007

Christmas Day

This year from the time we put the tree up the kids have been sooo excited about Christmas and waited so paitiently for Christmas day to open their presents. We told Trei on Christmas Eve that when he wakes up he can run into Mommy and Daddy's room and say "Its Christmas" and we can go downstairs and open presents..so sure enough thats what he did the next morning. We read about the 1st Christmas & sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus & then they attacked the presents.
I think the best thing for me was to see them play with the manger scene throughout Christmas and to see Desiree Light up every time she saw the Christmas tree and say "Oh wow, Christmas Tree"...so priceless.

Trei Opening Presents.

Desiree's Dora Bath doll.

Desiree's Doll House.

Umbrella, Raincoat and Rainboots from Grammy and Buddy! Something he has been wanting all year and they are green his favorite color! Thanks!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was spent reading Stories, and getting to have our Christmas Stockings filled with books, toys and of course Candy!!!

Stuffing a chocolate in his mouth!

Today at School each of the kids brought 1 book wrapped to give to a "friend" so they each ended up with a different book as a Christmas Present. Trei was sooo excited and couldn't wait for "Circle time" to exchange gifts. He got a "Whinnie the Pooh Adventure" Book, then they each got Christmas goodie bags from their teachers before going home. I snapped two pics here they are.

Our Holiday card created by Duane

Merry Christmas from our family to yours...(Ya gotta click on the link)...
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1400230098

Today

The kids & I went over to My friend Julia's to make Gingerbread houses and I must say it ended up mostly being her and I working on them at least to do the basic structure of the houses then they helped once it was time to decorate with candy...I think they did more eating then anything else, but it was fun. Trei and I worked on a house and it looked sooooo good till the roof collapsed and turned more into a "cabin-looking" contraption, another nice word for a collapsed roof. It was comical but fun to do.

CANDY!!!

Helping Julia to make the frosting.

Our Gingerbread house in the making, well aside from the fact that Trei is stuffing his face with goodies. And this is the house prior to it "caving".

Caden working on his Gingerbread house.

Ours ended up more like a "cabin" since the roof caved, but who cares it still tasted good...guess I should add more support beams next time around...

Trei's Party.

They celebrated Trei's birthday at school today since school is "out" on his actual birthday. We were invited for the small celebration of singing Happy Birthday, watching him pick out a party hat & Surprise from the Birthday Box and then celebrating with popsicles, his choice since their his favorite! I can't believe my baby boy will be turing 4 in less then 2 weeks. Where does the time go? I took a bunch of pictures since Duane was unable to attend so I figured I would post them here too...

Picking a toy out of the "Birthday surprise box."

His Birthday candle. Since he requested Popsicles for his birthday, (he is not a cake person) they put his candle on his plate for him to blow out!

We got him a Christmas Thomas Train that goes around the tree and gave it to him today so he could play with it throughout the Christmas season.

My Letter to Santa

Dear Santa:
I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor and sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18years.
Here are my Christmas wishes:
I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color,except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze, but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.
I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere. If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like finger print resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music, a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals, and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.
On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, 'Yes, Mommy' to boost my parental confidence,along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.
I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting 'Don't eat in the living room' and 'Take your hands off your brother,' because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog. If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.
If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare tomato sauce a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.
Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is calling and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold.
Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.
Yours Always,
MOM...
P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa.

Holiday must have for couples!

This glove is called a "Glover for lovers", honestly they sell these things for couples who go on walks and their hands get cold so you can still hold hands in the cold..I must say Duane and I could have used this the other nite on on our way into the Squadron party it was COLD!!!!!!!!!! Not the most attractive item though!

Trei's Christmas Play

Last Thursday Trei's class did their Christmas Show for us, they dressed up like angels and performed 3 songs with bells. They were all sooooo cute and did so well! I took a bunch of pictures and a movie which I will post soon...hope you enjoy the pictures of our little angel.

Trei and friend Ashton getting ready for the show.

The kids Performing!

Trei showing his "Christmas Program".

Trei and his teachers

Cookie time!

Trei made a gingerbread house at school today, he could hardly wait to show it to us and eat it...Pretty cute no?

Went to the annual Squadron Christmas party tonite it was held at the Officers Club on base...We took a picture before hand in front of our Christmas Tree since my camera doesn't work at nite...still, yes I know!

What can I say I saw this picture on Nadia's site of my beautiful sister Amy and Michael and had to post it...Amy and Michael sitting in a tree.....just kidding!!!
You two better come and see us sometime soon, Michael your the best you make me laugh and are a great person to be around..and well Amy you are a wonderful sister, Happy Holidays to you both!!!

Trei standing in front of the Tree, Duane, Trei and I decorated it a couple days after Thanksgiving which he just loved. His favorite part was putting Baubbles in the tree. We also set up our Christmas Villages and hung icicles outside. My camera is having serious "issues" it won't take any shots at nite, I need to get it fixed soon cause basically once the sun sets its witching hour for my camera and I can't take pictures...weep!

Kids setting up their manger scene in front of the tree.

Christmas Villages

Mail Time

Grandma sent the kids a Christmas card today, they were thrilled to get a letter in the mail..of course Trei busted out in the whole "Blues Clues Mail song" (probably only parents will know what I am talking about), then opened it to find a Snowman sticker card...Really the neatest kids card I have seen, there are 3 snowmen and a page of stickers of hats, scarves, carrots, buttons, candycanes etc to make your own snowmen...he had a fun time doing that, thanks Mom!!!