New Year's Eve

You really can't go wrong on New Year's Eve with Wii, party food, and balloons!

The boys played Wii most of the night. Dance Party was a big hit (and helped them to sleep well later).

We had lunch bags to open on each hour to make the waiting not take so long. One bag had noisy horns to blow!



One bag had stuff to make NYE crowns to wear for the evening. The other bags had goal setting lists and Favorite Things from the Past Year games.

Earlier in the day, we hung tablecloths from the upstairs banisters to the high window sills in the Family room and filled them with balloons and confetti. The plan was to cut the string at midnight, of course, and let it all fall down on the kids. Sam got a little overeager and cut the string at 10:30 for us, so we had a balloon smashing contest!

When midnight finally came, we celebrated with our 'cheater fireworks' - we danced on bubble wrap!

Christmas Morning 2010

Every year, the boys beg to open 'just one' gift on Christmas Eve. We try to keep Christmas Eve about Baby Jesus and the scriptures, but in the end, we always cave and let them open one. This year, we made a rule that we get to choose which one they opened. Like dogs with their eyes bulging and tongues wagging, they agreed.

(As a side note, I hate that all of the anticipation of Christmas morning, shaking boxes,
the hours of shopping and wrapping are all over in 30 seconds of mass chaos and confetti
rain comparable to NYE at Times Square.)

So, we let them open one gift - oven mitts. They were a bit confused until we told them that they had to wear them Christmas Morning to open their gifts so it would last longer. They were, um, somewhat amused by us...I guess.

Christmas Morning came and we woke up to the buzz of excitement around 7AM. I wish I had a picture of everything before the boys went downstairs, but we don't. Instead, we have a bunch of pictures with a bunch of toys, a bunch of wrapping paper, and a bunch of smiles.

I almost forgot : one of Sam;s favorite gifts was a little Thomas train from his stocking. He is so cute singing Choo, Choo, the Big Train is Coming Down the Tracks (*cough, cough*)
Sorry it's sideways!

Not-So-Religious Manifestations

We made Christmas shaped pancakes for breakfast this morning.
As I proudly set our 'fun' breakfast on the table, I told the boys they had to identify the shape before they could eat their pancakes.
Jared took the lead, for which I was grateful...at first.

"Look, I got Santa's butt when he leans over to put the presents under the tree!"

Um, No. That was supposed to be a manger. See the rectangle with the crossed legs? No? I guess it does look kinda like a bum and boots. Well, the rest of them looked exactly like the things they were...I think.

Christmas Cookies

While the big boys played Monopoly behind closed doors on Thursday, Sam helped me make the Sugar Cookies. We made all kinds of Santas, Snowmen, trains, candy canes, and snowflakes. Once they were baked, they looked more like cookies from the Island of Misfit Toys!