Snow Day

It came a day late, but we finally had some snow. The kids actually played in it for a long time. Jacks was sleeping, so he didn't join in the fun. Most of the pictures I got of Beck were of him eating snow. That is his favorite thing to do. 

 Thanks to no gloves fitting Camden's cast, he got a bag on his hand. It wasn't easy for him to make snowballs with one hand. 

 One of the few without Beck eating the snow. 

The snow was a day late and so was the tooth fairy... you would think it was the first time they came or something like that. Beck woke up the next day and said his tooth was still there. Brad told him the tooth fairy was on Christmas Break still, good save. The Tooth Fairy felt bad, so Beck got $2. He was pretty excited this morning though. 

Beck's Tooth

Beckham now has a hole in his head, he lost his first tooth. We didn't even know it was loose. This morning I told them to come brush their teeth and every once in a while I brush them after they do just to make sure they are good. When I was brushing Beck's I saw something big in his mouth and all I thought was he did a bad job at getting the food out. Then I noticed some blood and told him not to swallow. We got the tooth out and he was shocked. He has been playing with it all morning now. Camden however is mad. He said he is the oldest and he should have lost one first. Beck is excited to have the Tooth Fairy come tonight, which may make Cam more mad. Beck told me now he wants to go and show everyone.

Christmas Morning

This year the sleeping wasn't too bad. Beck came in about 3:30 AM and was excited but I said it wasn't time to wake up yet so he went back to bed. Then at 4:30 Cam came out, excited that Santa left them a note and ate all the cookies. I told him sweet but it's not time to wake up and he went back to bed. Jacks woke up at 7, so we got all the kids up then. Jacks was funny because he usually likes to be held in the morning at first but Brad just put him down. He was mad until he realized that they were presents and even better a stuffed animal. It was fun to watch him. 

Here are some picts from the morning. Emery was excited for her Tangle doll and Horse. 

The boys were really good with waiting a turn to open a present. They loved this year. 

Jacks finally got how to open presents and loved it. 

You have to love the complete mess that happen after... and all of the box opening which is worse. 

Emery got a tea set too and a doll with clothes. The boys got a DS, some games and Skylanders. Camden got 100 sodas  He really wrote that on his list. He got 2 packages of gummy pop, 2 packages of pop shaped sugar candy and then two 6 packs, the small kids size ones. He was so excited for that. Jacks got trucks, lots of noise trucks, but he loves them. It was fun this year for me. Brad didn't know anything he was getting. It is hard to keep a secret from him but I did it. It has been such a fun day. The kids have loved every minute of it. All the months of planning are over in a few minutes. Now we have to find a place for all of their toys. 

Last Project

Well we missed a project one day again, but they did color pictures on Sunday. They kids love when we print stuff off of the computer, so they thought it was pretty cool. Emery didn't want to color, so it was just the boys. Notice Jacks in the back of Beck's picture? He loves to turn on and off the lights. It gets really annoying. 

On Sunday the boys came home from church with letters to someone saying something they would do for them. Beck told Jack's he would give him a present. (which that was the name he pulled, so I guess it worked) Camden told me he would change Jacks diaper for me. So we let him so that and it was a little funny to watch, but he did a great job.

Jacks wasn't sure at first, but he just laid there, which he never does. 

 It was poopie, but he did well with it. 

 I think it freaked Jackson out, but Camden did a good job, maybe I'll have to make him do it more. 

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was a really fun day for everyone. The first thing the kids said when they woke up is that they get to open up a present. We first went to breakfast at IHop. The kids love it there for some reason. After we let the kids open the presents they got each other, even though they knew what they were getting. 

 The kids loved it and played with their toys all afternoon. Next we went to Grandma and Grandpa Arrington's for Dinner and other fun things. We delivered the presents the kids bought for the other kids and we delivered them on a sleigh-ish. Jacks loved it. We let him ride there in the back with us, then he had to go in the truck.  

 The kids also did a cousin gift exchange and had a lot of fun opening them. When we got home we opened out PJ's and the kids set out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. While they were setting things out a special someone came...

The kids love when Santa comes and ring the bells. Emery ran to bed, but she was a little worried when we said Santa would be back after they fell asleep. She didn't know if he would. The kids were all so tired from the day that they went out really fast. I think one on of my favorite parts is looking at all the presents set out. It's the last time the house is clean for a while. 

It's was such a fun day... now for Christmas Day. 

More Projects

It's almost Christmas. The month of projects has gone by really fast. Yesterday we let the kids pick out a $1 craft from Micheal's and they did that. We even got one for Jacks. I really didn't plan on him wanting to do the projects, but he would get mad if we didn't let him join in. He has also figured out the camera and the joy of saying "cheese." It's been fun lately with him, he is FINALLY talking. He says, bite, more, no, Beck, eat, drink, mom, dad, and a few others. Notice how most of them have to do with food? He is a good eater. 

Camden chose characters from Rudolf. He calls them puffets.

 Beckham has really gotten into the projects this year. I can tell he is growing and caring more what his finished product looks like. 

 Emery got gingerbread men, but then switched with Jacks when she saw his came with pom poms.  

To finish off their day they got to spend the night at grandma and grandpa Arrington's house. They made Christmas treats and had a blast with their cousins. They love sleeping over there. Only a few more projects then I'll have to think of something else to do with them while they are off of school. 

Presents

We didn't do a project with the kids on Wednesday but yesterday we did. The kids had a blast picking out presents for other kids, so we decided to let them pick names and then go shopping for each other. They got $10 each and were so excited to do it. I let them wrap the one they bought and the wrap jobs are interesting. Emery is holding the one she got and the one Jacks got. Jackson actually wanted to be a part of the picture so he had to grab one from under the tree. I'm still not sure if having them under the tree is a good idea or not, Jackson is too busy and has played with them a few times. He ripped one a little today, but it wasn't too bad. We told the kids not to tell each other what they got... they lasted less than an hour. Camden looking in the back of the car and Emery told him. Oh well, they are still excited for them. Beck asked if he could play with Jackson's on Christmas day because he liked what he got Jacks too. 

Necklaces

The elf left the kids a project in their sock today, so that is what they wanted to do today. The boys got Christmas bracelets and Emery got a necklaces  Beck was happy when he found out he could do it himself. He has been wear it all evening. Camden is really getting into posing for pictures lately. 

Great Grandma and Santa

Yesterday the kids had a fun day. First, as a whole family (my brothers, parents and my families) are doing Christmas for a family. Grandma and Grandpa Arrington gave them some money each to shop for a child. The kids had a blast doing this. Camden was so excited with what he got. He said he knows she'll love it. 

Next we went to Grandma and Grandpa Arrington's to have dinner with Great Grandma Arrington. The kids don't get to see her much because she is in Utah, but it was fun for her to see them. The boys thought it was pretty cool that Grandpa's mom was there. 

 Next we went and saw Santa. On Monday's you can take your own picture, so we took advantage of that and went. The three older kids loves it, Jacks not so much. He was happy to get a candy cane though. The boys did ask how Santa was here and not getting ready for Christmas... they are thinking too much into it. We just told them that this is a Santa helper and he'll go and tell the real Santa what they want. The boys are getting so excited for Christmas. I'm really excited for all of us to have time off from school and just enjoy the time we'll have together. 

Peppermint Play Dough

Saturday I slacked, we didn't do a project. The boys were playing with their cousins all day, so they didn't mind. Yesterday we made peppermint play dough. The kids thought it was awesome it smelled like a candy cane. Play dough it the best thing ever, it keeps kids busy for hours. I however didn't take into account Cam's cast. It didn't get too dirty, but it smells good now.

 These blogs are my journals. I wish I could go back to when I was younger and have more pictures of things we did. I love looking back and remembering good times. When I was a teenage it would write in a journal almost everyday. I actually hate going back and reading those ones, I sound so....well teenager-ish and I wasn't super girly girl, so it could have been worse. It is fun to go back and read that about a week before Brad asked me out the first time I wrote about him in my journal. I said he was really cute and loved working with him, but he was 22 and wouldn't care about me.... I'm glad I was wrong. When the boys here about 2 Grandma and Grandpa Barnes gave all the grand kids journals and I started to write in them for the boys. It got annoying writing the same stories twice (joys of twins) so I started a blog. I have loved doing it and I know that there are some who enjoy reading it. Saturday I got my first physical copy of the blog, well the first 9 months I did it. It's fun to look at it and see how small the kids were and the things they did. Now I just have to get the other years printed off then we'll have them forever to look at. Journal-ing is really fun and rewarding and I hope someday the kids enjoy reading what they were like when they were little.