Christmas whirlwind!

Its always crazy busy when we go home... this year was no exception!

Saturday night we hung out with our friends and their families. The kids had a blast, swimming and playing wii (I think the adults had more fun!).


Here all the kids - ages range from 9 to 21 months









Here's Corynn and her friend- they are one month apart. In fact he was born on Corynn's due date...









Here is a pic of the FIVE generations of women on my side of the family!








Santa made a visit over to the Kelly's on Christmas Eve- It was very difficult trying to get a good picture of all the kids. Hopefully my brother in law snapped a better one!






Even my in laws got in on the Santa action.... too cute!









In the pic above, Nancy is holding a shoe- that' s because she is an avid Wii bowler and quite a pro! She can outscore all of us! So Santa brought her a monogrammed bowling shirt and used bowling shoes. It was really just TOO funny! She was a great sport!



Here she is striking her signature wii bowling pose - she also wearing the bowling shirt and shoes!









Christmas was really great! My brother, Jared and his family- me and the girls and my little brother Trev all went to the movies on Christmas day. We went and saw National Treasure 2. Going to a movie on Christmas day is tradition in my family- it was a pretty good movie too!

We really had a great time being back home and seeing the families! But its also great to be back home!


oh and on a side note... Emma didn't make the trip with us, instead she went to a doggie spa while we were away. She got to go swimming, had Christmas dinner, daily playdates with other dogs and one on one time with a trainer. I think she was just a little spoiled! But she seems happy to be home! The things we do for our dogs! my oh my!

We're back home!

We went back home for Christmas! It was alot of fun! I finally have the house semi-picked up and things unpacked.... so I will get back to posting tomorrow!

My New year's resolution is to blog everyday. hmmmmmm- wonder how long I will last?


Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

Corynn's hilarious vocabulary!

We have never used baby talk with our children... not even when they were babies. Mainly because it makes you sound like your bloomin' crazy- but also because I believe kids should learn grown-up actual words to convey their thoughts. Communication is hard enough with out a language barrier. Anyway....

All of the girls have big vocabularies, but Corynn just cracks me up! This week's words are: outstanding, miraculous, fabulous and oxymoron. I have no idea where she picks up some of her words. And for the most part- she uses them correctly. The girls and I were discussing oxymorons this weekend, just a short little conversation and she quickly picked up on the word. At first she thought it was a bad word, like we were name calling. Once we explained it to her - everything was an oxymoron. Today at school- her teacher told me she was trying to explain the word to a group of kids in class. She had them (about 4 kids) in a little circle and she was trying to think of some examples. She doesn't really know what the word means- I think she just likes the sound of it. So she made up words that she thought were oxymorons. Pretty soon the whole group was pointing at things saying- "The marker is an oxymoron" or "the coat is an oxymoron". The teacher said it was quite funny. A bunch of three and four year olds calling everything an "ox-ma-ron"

When I asked her about she said "We're just not old enough for that word yet. I think its a five year old word!"

She is still learning spanish- but my favorite phrase from her is hasta luego... which comes out hotsa legos. Too cute!

OH the candy!!!!!

Today afterschool we made gingerbread houses. This is the story* of a how much a simple gingerbread house can mean!


A man in his early thirties was having a horrible time. He had lost touch with his family, feeling a complete failure in his parents eyes. He couldn't hold a job. He didn't have a wife or children and the holidays were causing him to feel extremely lonely. He found himself drinking more and more everyday just to numb the pain. Then one night, close to Christmas, he heard a knock at his door. He really didn't want to answer the door, but the person or persons just kept knocking. He finally answered the door, and there were two girls with huge smiles on their faces with a brightly decorated gingerbread house. The girls sang him a Christmas carol, wished him a Merry Christmas and gave him the house. The visit was short but left a lasting message with the man. They girls would never know how important that small act of kindness meant to the man... at least not for several years. The next morning, he called his parents and went to Christmas service with them. He quit drinking and found a better path to follow.


So in the spirit of this story, we made gingerbread houses.


Here is Kwynn working on her masterpiece...














Ah... they really do love eachother







Here are the girls with their second cousin, who was over playing









I think they ate more candy than anything (but that's what its all about)






*that is how my mom's neighbor, Joe, described the Christmas a friend of mine and I took him our gingerbread house. He reminds my kids of how much it meant everytime he catches us at my mom's house

Friendship

The twins and I argue alot...Not big fights, but we just have alot of conflict. I am not surprised though- according to the Chinese Astrological Chart, we are complete opposites and should avoid eachother if at all possible. They are Tigers and I am a monkey. The attributes completely fit our personalities and the caution to 'avoid' eachother is starting to totally make sense. I am dreading the teenage years! ;)


Anyway- at the beginning of this last summer, the girls and I gave eachother matching friendship bracelets. In hopes that it would help with bickering- since we were spending all day everyday together.

You may have seen me wearing these. McKynna has the matching blue one and Kwynn has the matching pink one.

We were looking at these this morning and McKynna mentioned how it meant alot to her that I was still wearing the bracelets. Because its not normal mom jewelry. I just reminded her that you are supposed to wear them until they fall off- if you do then your friendship will last forever. At least that's what I was told by my friend when I was younger.

So we continue to wear our friendship bracelets in hopes that it will remind us that we truly love eachother and to stop bickering.

The true test is today.... a snow day...stuck inside together...for hours and hours...
Let's pray the power doesn't go out! :)

Snow dog!

Emma always gets excited, hyper and restless the night before snow. Last night she was freaking out- she kept wanting to go outside (presumably to see if the snow had come yet). She about knocked me over this morning when I let her out of her kennel. She ran right over me towards the door. But still no snow.


But now we have about 4 inches of snow or better in south part of the city...and I decided Ems had waited long enough. I let her out to play.


Here she is running in the snow...












Putting her face in the snow...







Eating snow...







Chilling in the snow after an exuberant 5 minutes of playing. What a sweetie!





Corynn was quite displeased that only Ems could play outside... she has to wait until the snow has stopped. In her words "I wish I was a dog!"

Getting to know my HOLIDAY side

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? wrapping paper
2. Real tree or artificial? artificial
3. When do you put up the tree? the day after Thanksgiving
4. When do you take the tree down? The week between Christmas and New Years
5. Do you like eggnog? umm- NO!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? I always liked finding my stocking on Christmas morning
7. Do you have a nativity scene? No- I really want one, but it has to be perfect and just haven't found that ONE yet!
8 . Hardest person to buy for? grandparents and parents
9. Easiest person to buy for? Corynn- anything Disney Princess
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A sweatshirt with a horse painted on it - I was in highschool. I felt bad for never wearing it.
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Snail mail cards all the way!
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A tie between the cartoon and movie of the GRINCH
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? All year long
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think so- pretty sure its a NO
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Gma Tillie's divinity and cheese frenchies
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? clear
17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy night
18. Travel for Christmas or stay at home? Doesn't matter as long as we are with family
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? no
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? We either use a big bow or a santa hat
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? My family always did it Christmas eve- but I love watching the kids Christmas morning.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Christmas songs on the radio... in OCTOBER!

Christmas "BOY" ideas!

I have three little boys to buy gifts for and they are all three the same age... 20 months. I am begging for ideas...any would appreciated! Boy gifts or even unisex gift ideas- any and all! I haven't had a little one like that around for awhile... so I am a little lost! Thanks

A bit of advice...

I started Christmas shopping this summer...and inspite of all that hard work and preparation, I am finding myself becoming overwhelmed as the days pass and the holidays get closer. There are so many little things left to do...gift cards, stocking stuffers, making christmas candy and goodies, getting our christmas card/pic out in the mail, finishing up the last little odds and ends on the gift list...ughhhhhh!

My super smart "pa-in-law" gave me a pillow with some really great advice...

In my case, it was the christmas lights... literally! If you only knew how close I was to getting the shears and hacking through the strands of defective lights wrapped around my tree! Instead, there was a little screaming, yelling, swearing (oops!) and even some tears. I soon decided to take a break and get back to it when I felt more in the christmas spirit. In the end- our tree is up and nicely strung with working lights.

In not so literal terms... I am vowing to keep the christmas spirit with me this month and have sworn to remain stress-free!


Hmmmmm Well- so far so good. But check back around December 23rd! ha! That's the true test!

Anyway- just wanted to share my "pa-in-law's" holiday advice! Untangle that tinsel, people!