Christmas

We are back home from our Christmas adventure, so it's time to update the blog with everything we've been up to!   A couple of weeks ago, the boys had their Christmas program with Appletree.  They sang three songs with their class and they actually sort of participated!

Seth.  He has creepy eyes because of the red eye fix on the computer.  I was too lazy (or didn't care enough) to bring it into photoshop and make it look better.  He's still pretty handsome...even with creepy eyes.

Noah singing 'Rudolph'.

 Seth

The Thursday before Christmas, I went to the boys' school to help with Noah's class Christmas party.  I didn't tell him beforehand that I was going to be there and he was beyond excited to see me!  It made my heart melt a little.  The class had a Polar Express party.  The kids and parents were encouraged to wear their pajamas.  I chose to wear my sock monkey in Santa hat pajamas.  They were a huge hit with the kids...the other mothers looked at me funny.  I didn't care, Noah loved it.  The party was non-stop activity.  He decorated a reindeer cookie, made a reindeer pot, strung beads on a string to create a necklace and played Christmas themed bingo.  Such a busy afternoon.

 
We traveled to Missouri to spend the holiday with my family at my brother's house.  The boys were worried that Santa wouldn't know where they were, so they asked to leave him a note. Chris wrote it, but the boys told him what to say.

 
The day we arrived, it was 62 degrees (it went downhill from there).  Beautiful!  The kids took advantage of the weather and spent some time at a park.

Seth, Gavynn & Noah

I'm not sure what was going on here.

Gavynn had two shadows the entire time we were there and was such a good sport about it.  They always wanted to sit by her and hold her hand....  She's a sweet cousin.

Noah, Seth & Riley

Noah had fun playing with the guitar.  He came up to me and wanted me to sing a Christmas song while he accompanied me on the guitar.  I think he asked me to sing 'Deck the Halls'.  I'm not a great singer and to be honest, he isn't a great guitar player, but he loved it and it was super cute watching him.

It didn't take much to convince Riley to join the band!

Elmo spoiled the boys!  She let them play her iPad any time they wanted to.

Gavynn and Seth cuddling on the couch during a movie.

Getting cookies and milk ready for Santa.

Seth insisted on leaving cheese for the reindeer.  Last year he left a cheese curd.  It got eaten, so Seth is now convinced that the reindeer want cheese.  Gavynn & Riley left the reindeer a celery stick.

Ready for Santa!  Noah was mad because I asked him to not hold the stuffed animal in front of his face for the picture.

Noah received reindeer food (oatmeal & glitter) at school.  He wanted to make sure the reindeer could get to the food, so he asked me to put it on the roof.  I gave it my best shot.

We couldn't find our copy of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, so we  made use of available technology and read it off of the iPad.  Such a sweet picture of Chris and the cousins.

Santa came!  There must have been some GOOD kids this year!

Noah, Seth and a photobomb by Uncle Bub.

Seth

Noah

The gift card from Bass Pro made Papa happy...very happy.

I had Dad's name this year for Christmas and he only put one thing on his list....broadheads.  So I got him broadheads...

...and broad heads.

He also got to unwrap the underwear he left at my house when he was here with Judy for the boys' birthday.

Chris got an Indiana Jones hat and whip!

Gavynn must have been especially good this year and Santa must've brought his XL sleigh because she received the coolest gift ever!

She was nice enough to let the boys sit in it.

Gavynn also received this air hockey table (I said she was good).  It was the perfect height for the kids.

Now that's a Nerf gun!  Noah showing off his gift from Papa & Judy.

I received a water balloon cannon, sling shot thing.  The boys took it out for a test drive.  It was FREEZING on Christmas day, but that didn't stop them...or Bub from laying on the ground.

Gavynn was more than happy to take everyone for a spin in her dune buggy.  G & Noah.

G & Seth

Curt, Cyndi, Cal & Macy came by to spend the day with us.  The kids all played together and had a great time.

Riley, Macy, Cal, Noah, Gavynn & Seth

Mindy and her beautiful mom, affectionately known as YaYa.

The king holding court at dinner with Merlin and the rest of the subjects.

The day after Christmas we went to the Discovery Center in Springfield.  

Seth is talking to Papa through the Whisper Twister.

Gavynn & Noah

Seth

Would you drink from this?

Gavynn did!

Noah did!

Chris did!

Dad did!

I pretended to.

Seth & Riley

Riley sold tickets to a theater show starring himself, Gavynn, Seth & Noah.

The grand finale was Riley singing a Christmas carol in a tutu!

Seth & Papa

After we played, we went to Bass Pro to eat at Hemingway's and check out the fish.

Riley put away a pound of crab legs in record time.  It was amazing to watch.

I'm so glad we were able to spend time with everyone...even the ones that we didn't get pictures of (Aunt Ninnie, Rod, Judy, Angie & family, etc...).  My favorite thing from our time there was watching our boys play with Gavynn & Riley.  They love their cousins so much.

We thankfully had an uneventful drive home.  We were somewhat surprised to find snow when we got here!  The boys didn't waste any time in going outside to play.

Seth making a snow angel.

Noah throwing snowballs to Brody for him to catch.

Looks like Noah got a snowball to the face.

Putting him to work young.

Seth wouldn't stop eating snow.

He ate it off his gloves...

...off his brother's back...

...out of the shovel.

This is when playing in the snow stopped being fun.  Snow went down the back of Seth's shirt, so he was all done and came inside.

 Seth & Noahisms:

• The boys had their 5 year well child appointment earlier this month.  They are very healthy and right on track.  We are so overwhelmingly blessed.  While we were there, the doctor asked the boys several questions.  Seth was eager to answer and answered honestly.  Noah...not so much.  The doctor asked them how high they could count.  Seth said '100'.  Noah replied '15'.
• They were also asked many questions about strangers.  Seth said he knows what a stranger is.  Noah said that he did not.  When asked if they should take candy if it is offered to them by a stranger, Seth said 'no', while Noah very enthusiastically said 'YES!'.
• One day when I was picking the boys up from daycare, Noah came up to me and showed me a game.  He said that he was playing the game together with Seth.  I said 'You were?' and he replied 'Yes, he's so cute'.
• The boys received blow up boxing glove things from our neighbors for their birthday.  We don't have them out all of the time because things quickly go downhill.  The other day, Seth asked if he could play with them.  I told him no and he pouted and said 'You never let us play with them!'.  I told him that it was because all they do is fight with them and he replied 'But that's why Ed got them for us!'.
• Noah told Santa (and anyone else who would listen) that for Christmas he wanted a buddy turtle with its mouth open and when you squeezed it, it burped.  As he was opening almost every gift at Christmas he would say 'It's my buddy turtle that burps!'.  He was disappointed when he didn't receive one.  So...if anyone knows where to find a stuffed turtle that burps, let me know.

 -Shelby