M.I.A.

Well, we've been off the grid for the past week.  Our last day of the semester fell on the same day as Aaron's last day of work at his second job (yippee!!).  It seems as if our family went from running in a million different directions to a walking pace all over night (if it is possible to go at a walking pace when you have a toddler).  We have truly taken the last two weeks to relax, spend time with family, and simply enjoy each other.  Here is what we have been up to this month . . .


Gingerbread Village
For the past three years, we've made gingerbread houses out of graham crackers (maybe I should call them graham cracker houses. . . . ).  Aaron puts the structures together and then the kids each have their own house to decorate.   I was amazed at the progression in technique.  Olivia stuck everything to the roof.  Benjamin covered his house in random fashion.  Luke developed a plan and a pattern complete with a wreath over the front door.

Controlled chaos

Sneaking some icing

Icing faces!

The finished projects

 

 

 Cookie Decorating
On the last night of Aaron's second job, the kids and I visited my sister-in-law and nephews to decorate gingerbread men (and women).   Icing was everywhere, but the results were delicious!

Sugar!!!!!

Cousins!

Painting Pottery
The kids painted coffee mugs and a platter for their great-grandparents and for my mom.  Most amazing was that Aaron and I made it through the session without losing our minds. The place was very child-friendly, but paint, breakables and Olivia do not mix very well!

Olivia painting a cup for her Grannie Bop.

Ben painting a mug for his Pappaw.

Luke painting a mug for his Mammaw.

Big Snow
We "enjoyed" our first big snow of the season.

 

Hugs and smiles before Luke threw a snowball at Ben's face

Soccer
Luke continues to enjoy soccer.  He was disappointed that the league is more of a clinic than a competition, but he's learning new skills and burning a little stored up energy

They want to play so badly!

Library
After our tri-weekly tearing apart the house to find missing library books, we made a trip to the library.  I love that I had to drag this kid out of the car!

 Birthdays!

We had two birthdays this month.  Luke turned six and Olivia turned two.  I cannot believe how much they've grown!  On Luke's birthday we went bowling with friends (they even surprised him with chocolate cake).

Great Wolf Lodge
As a birthday gift for all three kids (Ben's birthday is in February), we went to Great Wolf Lodge for a night.  One perk of homeschooling is being able to vacation during the off-season and taking advantage of much, much lower rates.  We met Aaron's parents there because they were on their way to visit us for Christmas.  We had such a nice time at the lodge and can't wait to go back.

Go Team!

Storytime!

Breakfast!

These children require more and more food all the time!

Family pic!


Family Time and Play Time

My hat, her superwoman cape, and Luke's shoes

Olivia and Papa

Christmas!

The boys knew that the last day of our Advent calendar meant that Christmas was here!

 The kids always get new pajamas on Christmas Eve.  They were very eager to model for my camera!

Spider-Ben!

Dino-Luke

Sweet Pea

Olivia and Yogi on Christmas morning

Luke and Big Papa getting ready for brunch

Olivia was on her way to our last event of the day.  Christmas is exhausting. 

My dad and the boys racing while pushing toy eggs across the floor with their noses. 

Luke received a gift called Snap Circuits in which he can (safely) make circuits to light a bulb, start a fan, play a music box, or sound an alarm.  Here he is with his first success.

The boys loved their dress-up clothes from Christmas morning.

Museum Trip
We visited our local history museum with my in-laws and nephew.  The whole museum was still beautifully decorated for Christmas and everyone burned lots of energy.

Olivia sitting in front of a similar model of my very first car.  Yes, seeing my first car in a museum made me feel very old.

Date Night!
Aaron and I finally had a chance to go out for a dinner and a movie.  If I remember right, the last time I went to a movie was when I was pregnant with Benjamin four years ago.