Playing Catch-Up: December 2014

Oh, December. Magical time of year, is it not? Something about the lights and decorations and how excited the kids get really make it the best time of year. So you can probably guess our major events, but I'll tell you anyway. Rhyla's birthday and birthday party ( I specify because the girl's birthday celebrations seemed not to end), Christmas, other Holiday Fun, and New Year's Eve.

A local church did a live Nativity and Christmas concert (type thing). And since I'm all about keeping Christ in Christmas I loaded up the kids and met my parents there.

At one point in the concert, they allowed all the kids who wanted to participate come up and choose a bell. Then they held up cars with corresponding colors and if you played when your color came up, it ended up playing Silver Bells. My mom went up to help Rhyla, who loves performing, but she ended up figuring it out all on her own anyway! So cute. Vash chose not to participate because he hates being up in front of people. (Can't say I blame him; it's hard getting up there!)

Afterwards, when I asked what their favorite part was, both kids said they loved seeing baby Jesus. (He really was a cute little thing.)

For a fun change this year, Amberly and I decided to have a joint party for Xochitl and Rhyla. A costume joint party at that! Rhyla insisted on being Elsa, of course. And again, we had ton of people over; we kept them busy with games, food, and other activities. Amberly did a great job of planning most everything and making delicious food. I really just baked cupcakes and cleaned the house! 

Took the Fisch a while to wake up and get excited but he soon realized more fun was at hand.

Rhyla let Xochitl borrow her Cinderella dress so they could both be pretty princess for their party.

Just a fun shot of the deliciousness. 

One of the activities was mask making; staying in with the costume theme and all. And while Vash didn't want to dress up, he was stoked about a mask.

Fischer didn't get a choice as I dressed him up in my old scarecrow costume, which I think he hated. However, he forgave me for it once I chummed him with cookies. 

Some of our party guests fell in love with our little Disney train. I think it got derailed more than it ran but it sure was fun for them!

Yes, you know you have good friends when they will brave the rain to attend your child's party.

Got to love it when grown ups get down and play with kid toys.

A fun balloon game that no one could quite win at (and thus ended up cheating).

Birthday cupcake instead of cake for her too. I think it worked out.

Make a wish!

The biggins watching Netflix as we cleaned up the party mess.

Poor baby partied himself right to sleep!

We waited until the guests had left to open presents because my mom had brought so many for Xochitl and Rhyla. I'm not sure people really like watching anyone open gifts anyway, but that could just be me.

Vash played his dragon game and tried not to be upset that he didn't get presents. (Gifts are most definitely this boy's love language.)

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your wig! I mean... oh well.

We actually had a daddy home for Christmas this year! Sure beats Skyping with him like we had to do last year.

This dance segment brought to you by Really Tired Children.

And also sponsored by Fighting Sleep.

Self- We! 

Vash helped me wrap presents for the Cub Scouts' Christmas Party.

Fischer made messes while we wrapped but now we call it "Unmaking." As in, "Fischer loves to unmake all the laundry I just folded." or "Fischer just unmade the room we picked up." He's really a very talented unmaker.

My very own elves. This must have been at Fischer's birthday picture session because we're in the portrait studio here. Almost looks like a routine's about to start.

One of the many go-arounds on the fire truck.

Vash loves taking pictures when he's supposed to be in bed. He loves catching me in my pajamas and working on my book late at night too.

He's got Daddy.

And the Fisch who also doesn't want to go to bed. (Really, he's good about it most of the time, but now that he's teething? Not so much.)

Angry Selfie.

One of Rhyla's presents was a dress up station, complete with dresses. She couldn't wait to put on this Aurora gem that my mom found on sale. I just love those gloves.

Snuggle/ nap time!

Just love this face;)

Almost forgot; kids had their Christmas program at Preschool. Fischer was well occupied with the offering slips.

And he stayed quiet the whole show too! ( I might have given him a treat at one point though...)

Vash was up first, and unlike last year, the kid wouldn't sing a word! Not a word! He told me later he was just too embarrassed. 

Then Rhyla was the biggest, loudest, most animated singer of her class, so the other mothers kept telling me that they evened each other out. 

Then all the classes got up together and again, Rhyla sang and Vash cowered under the pulpit.

Rhyla also had her first dance recital this year!

I'm not even lying when I say she did the best in her class; partially because she's the oldest, but she also just loves to perform. 

Fischer bopped to some of the other classes’ music.

My long legged beauty.

And she did so well with ballet too! I love when she curtsies and almost falls over.

To celebrate, Daddy took us to Sweet Frog's.

So Happy for sugar!

And I think Fischer was in love at first bite.

Craig has taken up the guitar again recently. He's progressing quickly and has some nice callouses going. Anyway, Rhyla loves singing along with his awesome rendition of twinkle twinkle.

Lazy Sunday where we snuggle around Daddy and watch MLP.

And of course there was the obligatory trip to see Santa. Fischer was more excited about the train. In fact, he sobbed to be let down from the man's lap! (Again, I don't blame him.)

Vash and Rhyla were excited to see him, and they each knew what one thing they were going to ask for. When Santa asked, "What else?" They reminded him he was only allowed to bring one thing.

And because it was right there, we buckled and brought them rides on the train. Fischer and Vash in the front, with Rhyla spreading out in the car behind.

Fischer's first selfie. A bit young but obviously has promise. LOL.

Christmas Eve began our cookie mania. Peanut wandered the kitchen and looked adorable.

Rhyla put on her new apron and "maked' with me. She always asks that when I'm in the kitchen. "Can I make with you?"

Vash worked on a puzzle and begged for gingerbread cookie dough.

No one wanted to help me roll buck eyes this year;( I think it was because I told them they had to wash hands first.

Later we went to Me-ma and Pe-pa's for lunch and presents.

And oh, were we gifted.

Happiness abounds when babies get to Facetime with grandparents.

These are their thankful faces.

Ruthie and I competing in the head bow contest. Who won? You tell me.

This dance brought to you by All Sugared Up.

Then, as per tradition, we read Luke 2 and The Night before Christmas by the fire before setting out milk and cookies and scuttling off to bed.

Of course, the grown ups had to wrap thing and wait for Santa to drop by. Isn't it a splendid sight?

Finding our stockings full and realizing Santa broke his cookie plate! Must have, uh, stepped on it on his way out of the chimney.

Fischer fell in love with his stocking stuffer Mickey so completely, that he didn't care about anything else he got.

Onto the homemade gifts! Really, I made all of them. Kids seemed to like that better than store bought anyway. Well, excluding the store bought gifts Santa brought.

Rhyla loved the gift Vash picked for her so much that she had to hug him to show her gratitude. I'm not sure Vash is as grumpy about it as he looks.

Fischer's favorite gift was the Quiet Book I made for him. It's become a regular read about here.

We spent the better part of the day playing with our new things and spending time together as a family.

We got several new games so we had to break them in. It's fun now that some of the kids are old enough to really play with us.

One night we made a trip out to the fair grounds for the Christmas light drive through and Santa's village.

It wasn't as chilly as last year so we had more fun.

Vash rode the train alone because Fischer wasn't big enough and Rhyla wasn't interested.

We hit up the playground, and enjoyed hot chocolate and cotton candy that they called "Spun Snow."

Then it was... Rhyla's birthday! (Her real birthday but not her party day.)

Fischer pointing and dancing.

We went to sea base to play and burn off energy. Rhyla remembered her party there from last year because she kept asking when we were going to go into a room and have cake and presents, lol.

Fischer likes sea base much better now that he walks.

I love it when they fall asleep in random places. He's my first baby that will lie down and sleep when he'd tired; on the floor, in a chair, doesn't matter. My older two really preferred beds.

Rhyla explaining her eyebrow dilemma to me. Apparently, they need to be higher. 

I let Rhyla open a new tea set on her birthday so she'd know it was still her special day and she didn't even have to beg the boys to have a tea party with her.

Another Selfie. He's getting too good at these I think.

Rhyla wanted to make faces too, but prefers someone else take the picture.

And Peanut; just loving life in general. 

For new year's we went to Amberly's. A group of us met up there and shared yummy food and visited as we talked about our favorite parts of the year. I somehow missed pictures of this. (Oh well.) We couldn't stay until midnight because the kiddos needed to go to sleep, but we had a good time for the short time we were there. 

So.. December finished our year on a high note. My little girl turned four and we had our first Christmas where it was perfectly low key and 'more about the Savior, less about the presents". We did a lot of fun things and made so many good memories. I even fulfilled a dream of singing Mary's Lullaby in the Christmas program at our church. I'm excited for the new year and what it might bring, but more about that in my next post.

Until next time...