CHRISTMAS

We have had a wonderful Christmas week! The kids are at the perfect age, still believing 100% in Santa, his reindeer and of course the elves.

We spent Christmas Eve at home. I made tons of appetizers to munch on & of course baked lots of cookies. The kids helped me get ready for our feast while Scott was working. Once he arrived home, we had dinner & sat around the table talking away. The kids were SO excited! After dinner, I let the kids open up one present each from us (a new pair of PJ's...a tradition here). They also opened a new Christmas movie to watch that night (Elf) & decided to exchange gifts from each other. Allie gave Jake a football/water bottle set & Jake gave Allie 2 HS Musical Barbie dolls. We watched our movie, which was really funny. After the movie, we got cookies/milk out for Santa, wrote Santa some letters & read "Twas the Night Before Christmas". Then it was off to bed. The kids both fell asleep rather quickly, so Scott & I started our "Santa jobs" and began putting out gifts & filling stockings.

We told the kids on Christmas Eve that they couldn't wake us up before 6:00. We awoke on Christmas morning to "MOM, DAD it is 6:02". Needless to say, they were really excited to see what Santa left for them. They were pleased with what Santa brought and it was so fun watching their reactions to their gifts. We then opened gifts from each other & had brunch. Mandy & her kids came around 2:00 (Mike had to work) and they spent the evening with us. We had steaks for dinner & a wild game of Clue after dinner (Santa left the kids the game).

Mandy & I took all 4 kids out bargain shopping on Wednesday. The kids were great, but the crowds were awful. I got what I went for...lots of wrapping paper for next year & some other small things. Mandy & the kids left Wednesday afternoon & I started putting away all of the gifts we received, cleaning up the kitchen & of course laundry!

Yesterday, I was in the mood to get all of my Christmas decorations put away (they'd been up since Thanksgiving). I got all of the knick knack type things taken down & decided to take a break. I took the kids to lunch at Carlo's and we went to see the movie "Enchanted" (it was great). Once we returned home, I took down all of the Christmas trees. Today I will dust, vac, & clean the house top to bottom. A good day to do it since we are getting snow.

We are celebrating Christmas with my family on Sunday. The kids can hardly wait. We weren't able to get together with Scott's family due to snow & bad roads last weekend. We are pretty sure that we finally found a sitter for NY Eve. We'll go to dinner & out for drinks with our neighbors. No plans for NY Day, which is fine. Then back to school/work on the 3rd.

Jake works on decorating some cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve.
Allie gets her cookies decorated.
Jake opens a gift from Allie on Christmas Eve. It was the football that he really wanted.
Allie opens a gift on Christmas Eve.

The kids pose by the tree on Christmas Eve.
Jake leaves a note for Santa.
Allie leaves a note too.
Jake leaves Santa some fudge, which is Jake's favorite Christmas treat that I make.
Allie chooses a newly frosted cookie for Santa.
Here are the gifts that Santa left for Jake. A couple of movies, a football book, a CD player, Spiderman action figures, a new CF Tigers blanket, a skateboard, a CD, a Hawk's basketball jersey, slippers, a football tee, a Super Soaker squirt gun & a stocking full of stuff.

Santa stuffed our stockings. Note the pink football in Allie's stocking...she really wanted that!
Here is Allie's stuff from Santa. A Hannah Montana guitar, a HM camera, a HM art set, a HM mirror, a HM backstage closet (do you see a theme), slippers, a couple of Barbie things, a robe, some movies, Bath & Body Works stuff and more!
Here are the kids running downstairs checking out what Santa left them.
Not a great picture, but I love it...Jake with the new snowboard that Santa left for the kids to share.
Allie posing with her new Hannah Montana guitar.
Did a tornado go through our living room? No, it is Christmas morning!
Allie with her gifts from Dad & Mom.
Jake with his gifts from Dad & Mom.
Allie taking a picture of me taking a picture of her!
Cousins! They look like a rough crowd on the morning after Christmas.

WHAT'S NEW???

We've been keeping busy here & we are ready for Christmas. Hopefully I can start staying current on my blog once the holidays are over! Here are some pictures taken over the past week.

Here is Jake's class hanging out on the playground.
This is the Christmas tree in our living room.
Here is a little tree in our living room. It has all of my "Mom" & "Sister" ornaments on it.
Here is a little tree in our entry way. It has my Hallmark Wizard of Oz decorations on it.

Here is another tree in the entry way. It has lots of different Hallmark ornaments on it. Allie & her friend Madison making Xmas ornaments at their Daisy meeting.
Allie frosting cookies at the Daisy meeting.
Allie trying to get the candy cane into the glass jar without using her hands. We played that game at the Daisy meeting.
Allie eating a snack at her class party.
Allie's class at the party.
Jake ready to "slap" his ruler down while playing a game where the kids had to listen to a couple of lines from a Christmas carol & then finish the line. Jake got "We Wish you a Merry Christmas" and sang it well!
Jake & his friends dancing at their party.
Jake's class at the party.
Jake & his friends (Ben in blue & Caleb in red). Caleb's last day was Friday. His dad passed away at the beginning of November & he is moving to Idaho to be closer to his extended family. We will miss Caleb & his sister Catelyn (Allie's friend) a lot.

OUT OF TOUCH

OK...I realize that it has been a long time since I posted anything. Why, you ask? Honestly, I don't know, we've been really busy doing nothing here! We've done our usual weekly commitments (dance, religion etc.) but we've also been on the go with appointments, parties, shopping for Xmas etc. We've been dealing with ice and snow as well. So, I guess that I really haven't had anything worthy of posting until today...

KIM & MICHAEL ARE EXPECTING!!! That is my big, big news worthy of posting :) Here are some details. They are due on June 23rd. Kim is feeling pretty yucky, but thankful that she has stayed pregnant. She was able to hear & record the baby's heartbeat and it sounded wonderful. Jake & Allie were really excited to hear their new cousin's heart beating...a bit confused though on how that all works!! I've been dying to post this news for about a month, but I promised Kim that I would let her share her news with everyone first...it was tough for me!

I think that we are ready for Christmas. I wrapped my last gifts last night, my cards were mailed earlier in the week, my baking is done & in the freezer, I have started a "menu" for our Christmas Eve/Christmas Day food..yep, I think that is it...for now! I am enjoying being at a school during this holiday season...the kids are SO ready for Christmas and SO excited. It is fun to see the holiday joy through the eyes of lots of different kids.

THANKSGIVING, SHOPPING & MORE

Last week went by in a blur....there was no school on Wednesday due to Thanksgiving break. The kids & put up the mini trees in their rooms, mini trees on the main floor & the tree in the entryway. It snowed a lot of the day, so we were really in the Christmas mood.

On Thursday, we celebrated Thanksgiving with a big lunch. It was just Scott, the kids & me. We had a wonderful, quiet day. Scott of course ate way too much & talked ALL day about how much he loves Thanksgiving! After the kitchen was cleaned up, the boys went outside & put up Christmas lights while Allie & I finished putting up Christmas decorations in the house. We all gathered in the living room later in the evening to watch "Home Alone".

Friday morning, I woke up at 4:30 & couldn't sleep so I started online shopping & ordered a few things. The kids & I got on the road to my parent's house by 6:00. I dropped the kids at Mom & Dad's so that Kim, Mandy & I could shop. We were at the mall by 10:00 & still found lots of great deals. We went back to Mom & Dad's, ordered pizza for dinner & celebrated Dad's birthday a day late.

Saturday morning, Mom taught Mandy & I how to make her cinnamon rolls. They were delicious & I need to make them again soon, now that I know how to. The kids and I headed home & made it in time to see the UNI game...it was a great game & we can't wait to see them play again on Saturday.

We spent Sunday with Scott shopping & making a quick trip to the Quad Cities. We were all exhausted when we finally made it home that evening.

I finished wrapping almost all of the Christmas gifts we have bought. We have just a few more to get & we are done. The majority of my baking is finished too, I just have 2 more kinds of cookies, 1 more kind of bread & then a few snack mixes which I can't make until the week that we want to eat them.

This week is pretty quiet. The kids both have friends coming over after school this week to play. Allie had dance earlier in the week. My sister & her kids are coming to visit this weekend. We actually have nothing planned...that will be a nice change!

Allie, Maddie, Jake & Ben pose for a picture.

Jake & Allie ready to play in the fresh snow.
Allie makes her snow angel
Jake loves sliding down the snow covered slide.
Allie put her new Island Princess Barbie ornament on our "Hallmark" tree in the entryway.
Jake puts on his new ESPN ornament.

NEW JOB

Thanks to everyone who has asked "how did your first day go". I appreciate the calls, emails & text messages!! For those that I haven't gotten the chance to reply to yet, it was WONDERFUL! I enjoyed it so much more than my old position. I didn't have to deal with behavior issues, which is a nice change. I am doing a lot of one on one work with a variety of K-3 kids struggling in all subjects. My hours are 9:45-3:15. I have a 30 minute lunch break when both of my kids are in the lunch room, so I can eat lunch with them every now & then...probably Allie, Jake isn't too interested in having lunch with mom. I also do recess duty when my kids are outside playing. I've avoided supervising Jake & his friends' football games...they often require intervention & it is best not to have Jake's mom as the ref! Anyway, I am looking forward to going back today, which is a great sign!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

RECAP

Another week has come & gone...way too quickly! It seems that the days just fly by & before I know it, another week is gone....

Monday: After school we rushed to Allie to dance class. I made Jake do a little Christmas shopping with me in the downtown area while Allie was at dance. He wasn't pleased, but dealt with his fate just fine. After dance we went over to UNI to the planetarium for Jake's Pack meeting. Jake really enjoyed learning all about the constellations & planets.

Tuesday: The kids had their last night of swimming until January. Jake capped off his night by jumping off of the board & swimming the length of the pool alone. Allie ended her night with a jump off of the board & swimming alone to the side. I also had a PTA meeting that night.

Wednesday: Jake had religion class. Allie & I wrapped a few Christmas gifts and baked a batch of Christmas cookies for the freezer.

Thursday: After work, I went to Jake's classroom and made tray favors for the local hospital. We made turkeys out of paper bags. They turned out really cute. After school, Allie had her Daisy meeting where she "officially" become a Daisy Scout. Jake & Allie before school on Thursday. They were to wear their favorite school shirts for American Education Week.
Jamie, Makenna & Jake with their turkeys.
Jake made Arthur glasses at school...here he is acting dorky & getting a laugh out of the class.

Allie saying the Girl Scout Promise.
Allie & her Daisy friends (Chloe, Allie, Madison, Krisha, Riley & Madison)

Friday: My last day of work at Cedar Heights. I didn't think I'd be sad, but I was. I'll miss the kids in my classroom. I was showered with cards & hugs as I left. After school, the Cub Scout popcorn was delivered to my house to be sorted...all $9000+ worth. A few parents helped & we had it sorted & to the den leaders by about 7:00.

Saturday: I took the kids to Santa's Workshop at UNI. They got to make crafts, have cookies & see Santa & Mrs. Claus. Allie was thrilled by the activities, Jake not so much! Allie had her friend Madison's birthday party that afternoon. The theme was High School Musical & all of Allie friends were there...she had so much fun.

Allie, Mrs. Claus, Jake & Paul
Jake, Paul, Allie & Santa
Allie working hard on a craft...note the snowflake crown that she is wearing. Jake REFUSED to wear his crown.
Jake by his favorite tree...it is a "martini" tree...he liked the bubble lights on the tree, not the martini glasses!
Allie by her favorite tree...a teddy bear tree.

Sunday: The boys got up bright & early & left to Minnesota to see the Raiders play the Vikings. Jake couldn't wait to see a professional football game. Allie & I spent the morning baking & cleaning. We went to the Teddy Bear Tea at UNI & had a wonderful time...in fact next year I may be co-chairing this annual event!

Me & Allie before the tea.
Katie, Jordyn & Allie on the "Polar Express" (a bus that took us across campus to the tea)
Rebecca, Jordyn, Allie, Madison, Kayla & Madison at the tea.
Allie, Abbie, Jordyn, Allison & Katie at the tea.
Allie gives Santa a BIG hug!

This week: I start my new job on Monday & I am really looking forward to it. Allie has dance & we have a fundraiser for PTA at Texas Roadhouse that night. Tuesday evening Jake makes his first Confession. We have no school on Wednesday & I'm planning to bake pumpkin pie & get our sour cream potato casserole ready to bake on Thursday. We are planning a quiet day at home on Thanksgiving with a big noon dinner. Allie & I are going to get some holiday decorating done while the boys watch football!! I am shopping with Mandy & Kim on Black Friday while Mom keeps the kids. We love doing that!!

WRAPPING UP THE WEEK

Wow, we had a busy, busy week last week. Here's our recap...

Monday

Allie had dance class & then we enjoyed a quiet evening at home.

Tuesday

I attended conference for each of the kids. Both kids are doing really well in school. I'm so proud of them. Jake excels in Math, Spelling & PE. He needs to slow down & work on his handwriting. Allie is doing really well with her sight words, Music & Art. She also needs to slow down & not be the first one done!! We also had the book fair last week. I was able to work a shift & enjoyed seeing all of the kids friends. The kids had swimming on Tuesday night.

Wednesday

Jake's class had "Read In Day" on Wednesday. The class got to bring pillows, blankets & stuffed animals into class, get comfy & read all day long. They LOVED it. Jake had religion on Wednesday night.

Jake is in the red...reading away during "Read In Day"...

Thursday

No school!! I had a sitter come over & watch the kids so that I could go have a root canal fixed. Not fun! The kids had swimming Thursday night. Both kids are doing great. Allie is jumping off of the diving board & swimming alone to the side of the pool. Jake is working on his back stroke & breathing properly while doing the front stroke.

Friday

No school again so we went with friends to see Bee Movie. It was pretty cute. Earlier in the week, we got news that one of Jake's friend's father passed away suddenly. I talked to Jake about Caleb's dad's death & asked if he wanted to go to the visitation to see Caleb. Jake really wanted to go, so we did. He did really well & got to spend some time with his friend. I feel so bad for this family...the mother is a stay at home mom that has 4 children, 1 in 4th grade, 1 in 2nd grade, 1 in Kindergarten & a 6 month old. They moved to Iowa last year from Idaho. They are planning to move back to Idaho soon.

Saturday

Allie had her Festival of Trees dance recital. She danced to Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas & did a really nice job. Nana Terri came to see the big performance & spent the night with us.

Allie at dress rehearsal...ready to dance!
Allie is on the far right...this is at dress rehearsal.
Allie & her flowers for a GREAT performance!

Sunday

Allie & I went with a group of friends to see the play Annie. It was SO good.

Allie & Jordyn before Annie started!

This week....we have dance class, Cub Scouts, PTA, swimming, religion, Daisy Scouts, popcorn delivery (UGH), Santa's Workshop & the Teddy Bear Tea. I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving week when I can relax...yeah right!