New Years Eve

The kids spent New Years Eve with my parents. They asked a few times while on break if they were going back this year, which made them excited when they got to go. They played games and ate lots of food. They even stayed up till midnight.

Plate Pictionary

 

Arm wrestling Grandpa.

I think Emery won...

Making treats.

Flying paper air planes

Most everyone stayed up till midnight, Jacks didn't make it, but we didn't think he would.

Christmas Day

It's always amazing how fast the actual am goes on Christmas. After all of the planning, it goes by too fast.

The best thing we did was to stop the name tags and just have different wrapping per kid. It does make opening a little slower since they have to find which color is their paper is before they really get into their gifts. 

They boys got a PS4 VR to share. Beck also got a LOT of Funko Pops. He loves to collect them. 

Jacks got a 2DS, which you HAVE to call it a 2DS or he will correct you. DS is not good enough. He also got King Kong toys. 

We have heard about what Emery wants for months. She wanted a re-born baby doll. They look more real than normal dolls. She made at least 10 lists of names to call her baby if she got one and finally set on London. 

Santa even made a crib. We have yet to tell her the truth (and I really don't want to). She walked in on Santa making the crib at least 2 times but still won't put it together. She was too excited for the baby to care where it was made. 

 

The clean up is the worst.

Beck crashed by 9 or 10. He kept saying the day was going so slow. After waking up at 2 am I can see why. First he slept with his dog, they changed to his feisty pet. He decided this year to pick a team to root for and he choose the Eagles. We hoped he stuck with them until at least Christmas so the sweater would still mean something. He thinks it's funny when we are around town and people will comment on his sweater because they like the team too. 

Emery also got this pod swing. She uses it to read to London 

 

Camden wanted a hammock to sleep in. Usually he will sleep on the floor even though he has a bed, so we thought this may be a good alternative. 

I got book and an Amazon Echo. It is really cool to play around with and use. I made my shopping list on it and the kids always ask her to tell a joke and play songs.

Brad got a TMNT figure and also this paint by numbers. He has wanted to do another realistic scene painting, just this time a scene he chooses. I figured painting this could help him see how they highlight areas and make it all work. He has worked on it for quite a while and well lets just say it will keep him busy a long time.

Christmas Eve

Another year has gone by which means it is time for Christmas. By the time Christmas gets here we have heard a million times what the kids would like, so we are more than ready for it to happen. Since Christmas Eve was a Sunday, we decided to do a few things Christmas Eve Eve. We went to Black Bear for breakfast then came home and opened the gifts we got for each other. The kids love exchanging names every year and shopping for someone. They all loved what they got each other.

Christmas Eve we spent with Grandma and Grandpa Arrington. We went to a few nursing homes and the kids played their Christmas songs and Grandma sang a song. I'm awkward at nursing homes, but it was really fun to see how much our little program really brightened some of their days. I heard them say how cute the kids were and how well they played. They were all impressed with their playing, especially Camden playing "Moonlight Sonata." 

We went back to for games and chicken noodle soup. We played the plastic wrap game, which all of the kids really go into and loved. Even Grandma won a few prizes. 

We went back home to open out PJ's. This year the kids wanted everyone to have onsies. The kids look cute in them. Not sure how much I'll wear the llama (or sheep, we can't decide). Every year Grandpa rings the bells outside the house for the kids. It gets them excited to hear Santa close and then they all go to bed. This year Beckham was able to help him ring them. He had a lot of fun. Emery and Jacks couldn't believe how fast Santa was, since Beck some how didn't see him when he took the trash out. 

They all set up for the night upstairs. They took books and games and things to do since they all knew they wouldn't sleep very well. And they didn't... They first came down at 2am to see what they got. We sent them back to bed, then they came down again at 6:30am. So early but they couldn't wait any longer.

Random

The kids had a day off school a while ago and in the middle of the day I got a text from Teresa. She had a meeting at Rock Creek and saw a picture Jacks made. What is sweet boy. It says "I will be like Jesus I will be nice to my teacher and play with all kids. I will be nice to my friends."

Yes this is a repeat picture, I know that, but what you may not have noticed is Cam and Brad's hands. I'm not sure how I'll survive twin boys and Brad. I'm pretty sure my brothers did this a little when I was growing up, if not then it was boys in my grade. If you can get someone to look at that and it's below your waist you get to punch them in the arm, why? Because they're boys... It is a constant fight to trick everyone to look at a spot. Even Jacks has gotten into it and needless to say, I'm over it. Jacks however is also trying to 'chipmunk' the boys. (chipmunks favorite food is nuts.... fill in the rest) I think we need to stop him from this before he does it to a grandpa or uncle or someone else who may not find it funny. 

Emery is pretty well all healed from her tonsillectomy. She was a billion times easier than Camden was, but had her moments. After day 2 she got a little harder to deal with, but it was only after dinner. One of the nights thankfully Grandpa Arrington saw this and he took her for a movie night at his house. It helped to get her out of the house that she had been stuck in for a few days, and to give me a break from taking care of her. She came home a lot happier. The next day Emery and I went to lunch and did a little Christmas shopping. I think I have it easier than Brad because it was just her and me. He later took the boys for the same thing but had to take 3 kids with him. I love only having 1 girl. One because she is all the girl I can handle and two because then we can have fun mom and daughter dates like this.

Gaga

This week Brad and I went to Utah to see Lady Gaga in concert. First we went to dinner and on our way out we say this R2D2 that some one made and use using an x-box controller to move. It was really cool and we had to take a picture to show the kids. 

We had weird seats. We were more to the back and a little behind the stage. It was an interesting point of view to see what happens behind stage but the sound wasn't that great and the things that were shown on the front of the stage we couldn't see. We were a section that was later opened up after all the others sold out, so they were second thought seats. Really I was just happy to go. I am always nervous going to see people in concert, because what if they aren't good? Then I'll just be disappointed. I've heard Gaga live on programs before and so I wasn't too worried; I knew she'd sound good. 

Gaga Before she went on stage. 

My favorite thing to see is how the artists start their show and to hear the crowd go crazy when they finally do start. Gaga is known for being eccentric, which is one thing I personally like, so it made for some interesting people dressed up at her concert. She sang great and played all the songs I was hoping she would. I think I was a lot more excited than Brad was, and maybe even more excited than I thought I was initially. I told Brad we have to stay for "Million Reasons" no matter when it plays (he likes to get out before the big crowd of people) It was the encore song and worth the wait for me. It is by far my favorite song by her, especially when sang with just the piano. Here are two of my favorite performances of it.

 



More Projects

We have done a few more Christmas projects these past few weeks. We made gingerbread salt dough ornaments. They smelled good but got very brittle. Needless to say they didn't last. 

Another night we made hot coco and marshmallow snowmen to melt in our chocolate. They turned out a little messed up...

When I asked the kids ideas for projects they all said they wanted to watch "The Last Straw and have a service chain. Little things like this make me so proud to be their mom; they wanted to do service. It has been slow growing the first week, but now we have a lot longer chain and the kids love doing it. 

We then made presents for the kids friends. Emery and Jacks made peppermint play dough and gingerbread play dough. Cam and Beck made ornaments filled with M&Ms and a candy cane/Kit Kat/ chocolate sleigh. They also spent Thursday night at Gma and Gpa Arrington's house and made hot coco kits for their friends as well. It was more fun for them to make things then anything else. 

The elf left a surprise in their sock and we all went and saw the new "Star Wars" movie. They were all excited and loved the movie. Good thing we have such a nice elf.