Oh Christmas Tree

My Christmas tree is not Pinterest-worthy.

It isn't very color coordinated.  There is no real theme.  But I like it.

It is a mish-mash of ornaments.  Some of the ornaments are mine from when I was a kid.  Some of them are keepsakes from my own kids: hand prints and baby pictures and fingerprint reindeer:

Some have been picked up in our travels, like the London bus or Minnie and Mickey from Disney world.  More and more of them are one-of-a-kind handmade ornaments made by preschoolers, kindergartners and second graders:

It is so much fun for me to put up the tree and remember where each ornament came from and the history behind it.  It might not be the most beautiful or stylish tree around, but it is ours, and I love it.  Especially on Christmas Eve when everything is quiet...you know, not a creature stirring and the stockings hung by the chimney with care.

Too bad it is time to take it down already!  (That is never as much fun as putting it up, is it?)

Pre-Christmas Catching Up - Christ in Christmas

Like many of you, I want my kids to remember the real reason that we celebrate Christmas.  It is sometimes a hard thing to do.  It seems they are just bombarded with Santa! Reindeer! Presents! Elves! pretty much 24-7.  They are on TV, they are at the store, they are at school, the library, everywhere!  Don't get me wrong, I love Santa and reindeer and presents (and well...you already know my thoughts on elves).  All I want is some sort of balance.  And let's face it, it's not just for the kids! 

This year, we took the kids to "Echoes of Christmas," which is a musical live nativity that they have at Liberty Park.  This was a our first time trying it, so we weren't quite sure what to expect.  We had to wait in line for about half an hour, but the kids had fun running around in the snow and playing with all of the other kids who were waiting in line too.  When we got to the front of the line, they put us in a small group and a shepherd led us around to the various stops on our journey.  At each stop, a part of the Christmas story was told.  The kids were SO good and so quiet as they listened to the shepherds, angels, wise men and innkeepers sing songs about the birth of the Savior and the parts they played.  The kids also (of course) loved that there were real live sheep, donkeys, and even a camel!  

Preston had his phone and took some pictures, but for some reason (maybe the cold) his camera was freaking out and putting weird lines through the pictures.  Here is one picture that wasn't too bad...it is one of the three wise men singing with the camel in the background. 

I thought that it was pretty good, especially since it was free!  I am not sure who the group is that puts it on, but they had heaters at each stop and had hay bales for the kids to sit on.  It was fun to hear the well-known story told in a new way.  We might try to make it a tradition.

On the ride home, Cora said her favorite part was " when I saw the baby Jesus, oh and the camel."  Arden liked the angel that sang to the shepherds, and thought the donkey was soooo cute!  Dax liked playing in the snow while waiting in line best.  *sigh*   Hopefully some of it soaked in a little.  I enjoyed myself at least.

We also braved the crowds one night and headed to Temple Square to see the lights, which is always awesome:

Here is Dax in front of my favorite red tree:

When Preston and I were first married, one of the guys in our neighborhood was the groundskeeper for the Ogden temple.  He told us once that the big red cedar tree on Temple Square has more than 75,000 lights on it, which is more Christmas lights than they have at the entire Ogden temple.  The lights generate so much heat that they only light the tree up every other year. I am glad it was a red year!

Awwwww:

We were lucky enough to have lots of helpers with the kids grandma and grandpa were there, but somehow escaped my camera.  Val and Josh weren't so lucky!  Aren't they pretty?

 Amanda and Matt also helped out.  Cora had a great time pointing things out to them:

The Monday before Christmas we always act out the nativity story for FHE.  We don't have real costumes, so we sort of wing it.  Every year the girls have a "discussion" about whose turn it is to be the angel and whose turn it is to be Mary.  We got it figured out and made it through without any major mishaps.  Here is the "after" picture.  Cora was the angel.  Dax was a shepherd, though he didn't want to wear a robe so he is a shepherd with a dinosaur skeleton shirt...oh well.  Preston was Joseph and Arden was Mary.  Baby Jesus was played by a doll, which is lucky since our Mary doesn't look like she should be trusted with the real thing.  I read the story from the bible and also acted as the wise men.  My costume, if you are curious, was a robe and a princess crown.

It isn't perfect, but the kids had fun and for at least 5 minutes they weren't thinking of Rudolph.

I will try and finish up the Christmas posts before New Years!

Christmas Photo Wishes

Happy Christmas Eve!  I am way behind on my blogging, but here is a short one full of pictures for you.  I will catch up after Christmas, but right now I am in a wrapping frenzy with less than one day to go!

Short background:  the kids love to do crafts.  I bought a Christmas craft book on a whim last time we went up to the cabin.  My awesome sister in law Alison came with us that time and saw that one of the crafts was some silly Christmas photo props.  There was a Santa, a Rudolph the reindeer and some funny glasses.  She thought it would be fun to set up a picture area at the Zaugg family party last weekend, and I was in charge of the props.  I had to add a couple more, but it was fun to see how the pictures turned out.  Here are some of our little family:

I love this one of Arden the red nosed reindeer and Cora-Claus:

Dax (Buddy the Elf) and Cora (Frosty the Snowman):

 Me (Rudolph) and Santa Arden with Cora elf:

The whole weird bunch of us:

 Grandma Zaugg and Aunt Colette (I had to put those one in because Grandma NAILED IT):

 Cora and Preston...Cora's face is too small and she can barely see past most of the props:

 See what I mean?  Rudolph's nose takes up her whole face!

Santa made another appearance too:

Giggly girls on Santa's lap:

With that, my break time is over and I have a zillion things to do before Christmas morning!  Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Santa and his Elves

Here is a little reminder for all you kids out there (sorry it is blurry at first):

My kids seem to do their best singing in the car.  They got that from me, I guess.  What cute little friends they are when they are not trying to maim each other!

We have been pretty much living and breathing the Christmas stuff around here lately.  The kids get at LEAST one reminder a day that they better shape up or risk getting on Santa's dreaded NaUgHtY LiSt.  

Arden asked me the other day why we don't have an Elf on the Shelf.  There are a number of reasons.  First, and most important...the Elf CREEPS me out to no end.

For reals.

Even the big man is with me:

And reason #2,  I will mess it up.  I am busy, I am forgetful, I am lazy.  It is only a matter of time before I broke one of the 247 Elf of the Shelf rules and ruined Christmas for my kids forever.  (But mostly, its because of the creepy thing.  You can tell by just looking at them that they are plotting something truly horrible for the minute you close your eyes.)

So, at my house we just are sticking to the "Santa knows if you are naughty or nice because he is MAGIC" thing that worked for me when I was a kid.  Also, I know his phone number, so in serious naughty emergencies (see above statement about Dax and Cora trying to maim each other), I just reach for the phone and start dialing some numbers and I get an immediate response.  Even if that response is for Dax and Cora to stop screaming at each other and start screaming at me "NOOOOOONOOOOOO PLEASE DON'T CALL SANTA PLEEEEASE NOOOOOOOO!" at the top of their lungs.  The decibel level hasn't decreased, but at least it has been redirected a little.

We actually got some face time with St. Nick at the annual Haun family Christmas party.  All the kids were excited to see Santa this year:

We've been gooood, but weee can't last!  Hurry Christmas, Hurry Fast!

The Desolation of Smog

Here is what it looked like from my house this afternoon:

Ew.

Every day it creeps up higher and higher and soon it will engulf everything.  The weatherman tells me there is no hope in sight.

But I am still hoping for a Christmas miracle.

(Can somebody quickly invent some really REALLY large fans or something?)

2-4-6-8-In-Out-On!

Does anyone know from the title what this post is about?  10 extra points if you do!

Arden is now in second grade.  The other day she caused me some MAJOR elementary school flashbacks when she told me that at recess her and her friends played "Chinese jump rope."  When I was in second grade, I spent every single second of every single recess the same way.

For those of you who do not know...(duh?)...a Chinese jump rope is pretty much a great big glorified rubber band wrapped in fabric.  In order to play the game, you must have two friends who are willing to stand about three feet apart and wrap said giant rubber band (which may or may not have anything to do with China...does anyone know?) around their ankles so that it forms a rectangle.  Then, you jump around in a certain pattern without making any mistakes.  Sometimes you have with one foot inside the rectangle (two, four, six, eight are alternating which foot), sometimes with both feet inside, both feet outside, or both feet on top of the rope.

If you succeed on your first try ("reg-gies," in my old 2nd grade lingo), you progress to different and harder rope positions.  "Skinnies," "Fatsies," "Kneesies," "Triangles," "Crossies," "Bunnies," it could go on and on and on (and on).  Eventually you run into madness like "Kneesie-Skinnies" if you have mad skills.  If you mess up, you are out and one of the rope holders gets a turn.

Arden is totally addicted.  Last weekend she crafted her own Chinese jump rope out of Rainbow Loops with the help of her awesome aunt Alison and some helpful cousins.  Maybe Santa will bring her the real thing, but in the mean time, she is happily jumping around, and is always in need of an extra person or two to lend her their legs.

And what if you are at home, and your mean mom can't spend all day in one place with a rubber band wrapped around her legs? You improvise:

Chairs have legs too!  This made me laugh out loud because I clearly remember doing the EXACT SAME THING.  It is like Arden is living my second grade life all over again.  Blast from the past, big time.

Does anyone else remember these things?

Thankful...

I am thankful that my kids are no longer barfing.

On Monday night it started.  It started as it always seems to start...in the middle of the night.  Like 30 minutes after I fall asleep.  My kids have NEVER started throwing up at like 3 in the afternoon.  No, it has to be the dead of night.  I am not sure if there is some scientific reason for this, but it is how it goes around here.

Anyways, Cora started the fun about 12:30 a.m. Arden started up about 45 minutes later.  Dax held out until about 2:00 a.m. but then he started too.  Someone was going at least every 20 minutes, and sometimes more than one person was hurling at the time.  We ended up with Cora and Arden in bed with me, bowls at the ready.  Preston was sleeping in Cora's room, listening for Dax to call.

It was a loooooong, disgusting night.

And a long day afterwards.  All three kids were still at it for most of the day.  And I had forgotten how it feels to stay up allll night.

Poor Dax missed his Kindergarten Thanksgiving party, which they have been building up to for the entire month of November.  Seriously.  They created headbands with feathers, fringed vests made from brown paper bags.  They created their own bowls from clay and painted them.  (I LOVE how political correctness does not apply to kindergarten.)  He was so bummed to miss it.  

Luckily, it was only a 24-hour bug, and the next night was much better.  We were still pretty tired Wednesday, so we laid low and I just made pies and stuff to get ready for Thanksgiving.  I only had to bring one pie to the actual dinner, but I made two so we would have one to eat all by ourselves.  Raspberry Creme Pie...mmmmmmmm

Everyone was feeling better by Thursday so we were luckily able to go to Thanksgiving dinner at my sister-in-law's house. I still wasn't thinking too clearly I guess because no pictures were taken.  No pictures on Thanksgiving or for the entire week.  That's got to be some sort of record for me.

Friday was still a little weird.  Arden took a nap.  For like 3 or 4 hours.  Dax took a good long nap too. Only Cora stayed awake to "help" Preston put up the Christmas lights.  She threw a gigantic fit when we wouldn't let her get on the roof.  Seriously?

We did get out and took the kids to see Frozen on Saturday night.  I LoVeD it, and so did the kids.  So go out and spend your money, it was worth it!

But seriously, I have so much to be thankful for.  Family, Friends, my warm house, online shopping, the gospel, my country, pie, my awesome husband....I could go on and on.  But right now....

...I am thankful for the absence of vomit.

And hopefully a good night's sleep!