Blogging while the kids fall into a deep winter's sleep

I have five things to quickly add and store away in our Christmas memories of 2014.

1. I found these pictures on my phone from Kami's Christmas orchestra concert:

2. Christmas season arrived, and some of my youngsters, who had been as good as gold all year long suddenly became...well...quite the opposite! Sunday I subbed in our church nursery singing time, and I brought along this little prop:

And I got ideas about it, and it has been sitting in our front room right beside the Christmas tree every since.  I told the kids that each time they noticed someone being kind they could add a piece of  "straw" to the manger and get it ready for baby Jesus.  They are noticing kind things that others are doing for them and being extra kind themselves so that someone will notice and add more straw!

I still can't report that they're perfect, but it's a lot better!  I've decided that Christmas season is pretty hard on little kids - all the parties, treats and candy, late nights, no schedules and ON TOP OF ALL THAT the anxiety that "elves are watching them" every second of the day, as my older kids are sure to remind them of FREQUENTLY;)

I may have to build a sturdier manger next year...perhaps a good (first) building project for Nolan.

3. We spent a good part of one day filling bags with "reindeer noses" for the younger kid's friends and classmates:

Cute idea - thanks pintrest!

4. Isabelle decided this year that we needed "nice" Christmas stockings, and she wanted to make one for herself. Then she decided she wanted to make one for the whole family as her Christmas gift to them. Sounded like fun to me!  We drew out a pattern and made some that I really like - they're fully lined and everything! We got busy and cranked them out yesterday. Isabelle sewed while I cut them out, and then we both sewed and I was impressed with how well she did!:

Caden took these pictures today and I thought they were ALL cute, so I have to add them all:)

Below is the stocking she chose for herself.  Before we even went to get fabric, she told me that she wanted chevron on the bottom and polka-dots on the top.  She found just what she was looking for!

5. My little boys have been quite the kitchen helps lately:)  I found them washing dishes a few evenings ago.  After I took this picture, I noticed that they were using hand soap AND dish soap because they were impressed with how silky the soap felt with the two combined.

I got them all set up with some sugar cookie dough yesterday, and they got down to business:

They decorated them just the way they like them:

Then we brought them along to the extended Gee family Christmas caroling get-together that we have every Christmas Eve, and they were a big hit with all like-minded sugar-seeking children:)
mmmmm, mmmmm, MMMMMM!;)

Have a Merry Christmas, everyone!

acrobatics

We've been having scripture time a little later in the morning with the kids home for vacation= Pace is awake and rather distractingly cute!

We have been reading all of the accounts and prophesies of Christ's birth this week leading up to Christmas.  I have a sneaking suspicion that no one heard much of Helaman Chapter 14....

Pace loves his "Bubba" as he calls Caden:)

He did this over and over again, much to everyone's amusement:

Every now and then he would come down from Caden's shoulders to "read" with him:

'Tis the season...

For recitals and concerts:

Kami with her friends Emily and Elisa:

The season for pictures with Santa:

(These pictures were taken at school - Santa is the school principal.  Abram flatly refused to go anywhere near this Santa Claus:)

The season for bundling up in so many layers that you can scarcely walk...

And being in serious need of help getting all of those layers off (Shawn had to use some pliers):

Tis the season for the neighborhood live nativity:

Tis the season to reach out more to others and have them reach out to us.  My Lutheran friend and neighbor invited our Relief Society to their Christmas Cantata. It was great!  Wonderful music, followed by a delicious luncheon that they fixed for us:

And now, as of last night, it looks like it is finally the season to get to enjoy some snow!  I hope that it just keeps coming!!

For mothers who wonder

Isabelle just finished a science fair:

She was figuring out which diaper had the best absorbency.  Interestingly enough, Huggies held the least water, and looked like it would leak the easiest because of its short side-flaps.

Currently Pace is making his way through the rest of the pack of Huggies that we bought for the experiment, and he is showing that the results of her experiment were correct.  He wakes up drenched every morning because the diaper has leaked, which was a rare occurrence before, plus he currently has the worst, (and first) diaper rash that he has ever had.  I suspect it is from this brand of diaper?

The cheapest diaper, which we got from Wal-mart was ALMOST as good as Pampers, which was the best.

 Isabelle summed it up this way "If you are looking for the diaper that holds the most, AND the diaper that is the cheapest, I would recommend Parent's Choice.  If you aren't worried about the cost and really want to give your baby a treat, you can get Pampers." (She thought that Pampers felt the softest to the touch:)

So now we know. Thanks Isabelle!!

Some days are like that

...especially when you are cutting four molars AT ONCE. Yikes!!

This is how it went:  We were all up at Shawn's shop, and Caden had brought his camera along, as usual.  He and Kami were getting a kick out of Pace's crying faces.    I heard, "It's okay, Pace! (click, click, click)  Do you want me to hold you?"  (click, click, click, - many giggles from Kami and Caden)

Don't worry - Pace quickly got the attention that he needed:)