Christmas week

Mon and Tues Dan went to work out with Myles Scott, our neighbor who owns a cross fit gym near by.  We didn't have other ambitious plans those days.  The kids played with the Scott kids both days, some at our house and some at their house. We also joined them at the Big Hero 6 movie.

Christmas Eve was great. We hung around in the morning while Dave went to work and then in the afternoon we went out to launch the Estes Rockets he has. It was too windy so the kids just played. The girls - Clare and Lexey and Ellie Scott were completely drenched in mud!  What a great way to burn some energy!

Christmas eve was lovely. We went to the Scott's house with a couple of other families. The Scott's made an amazing prime rib and cake balls and other families brought delicious sides. We made green beans, peppermint ice cream cake and sweet potatoes. My favorite dish was the scalloped potatoes!

After dinner we had a talent show. Brinley played violin, Ellie and Lexey played piano, Peter danced while the fog machine was on.  My three girls and Dave did a skit "Is it time yet?"  It is very silly but everyone laughed really hard.  Perfect for the young audience we had.

Then the kids dressed up and acted out the nativity, with three week old baby Nolan Scott as baby Jesus. It was a really wonderful Christmas eve.

We got the kids to bed late 9:30 and watched 3 Days to Kill (kind of dumb) while waiting for them to sleep and then finished prepping for Christmas.


Chrismas morning Calvin woke up at 6am. We had told him he wasn't allowed to leave our room so we gave him his 2ds and let him lay in bed and play. Around 6:30 Remy (the dog we are dog sitting) needed to go potty and woke up some of the other kids!  Then it was just Jo sleeping. We had a hard time waking her up. She didn't want to come out of her room. It took some coaxing to get her to even open her eyes but still she refused to come out. She kept asking if Santa came and we said "YES!" very excitedly! But then she asked "Is Santa here?" and I realized that she was scared that Santa might still be here. When I told her Santa was gone, then she was willing to come out!

darling silly girls

Santa's setup for each kid:

Jo
.  She asked Santa for an umbrella this year.

Calvin. (he is still letting the bear wear the clothes though I think the clothes are meant for Calvin and not the bear). Calvin named his bear Blue. (as in Michigan "GO BLUE)

Lexey

Clare . Her bear is named bear.  Clare's nickname is bear bear.

Santa always brings lots of balloons

Christmas morning :  YayJo!

Lexey makes the best excited faces ever

We've been watching My Fair Lady. The kids don't really get it but I hope they'll grow to appreciate it.

Calvin playing the new wii U game he gave Dave for Christmas!

Lexey's MP3 player and headphones. Best gift!

 The many cute Jo faces with her sophia playdoh

Calvin loves his bear

Christmas day legos (and mess in the background is the Christmas Eve rockets Dave did with the kids)

Jo LOVES her bike from Dad.  As Jo said, "Daddy gave me the bike. Santa gave me the umbrella and my computer. I love my bike."  I picked this up on a neighborhood trading site for $25. They are so expensive new but oh so fun. Jo can ride really fast on this already!

finishing up the Bob and Kari trip

Saturday Dan came to town which was great. We all went to pick him up from the airport together! We were so excited to have him  here.    Sunday morning Dan came to church with us and then Bob and Kari made their way over, after making a Costco run to stock us up on some good food. We spent the afternoon at Luby's for lunch (Bob's new favorite place) and then Bob and Kari took the kids to Michaels to get a few craft supplies for the kids.

Swimming in the hotel pool. It was part indoor and part outdoor. A very cool pool. AT night bright blue florescent lights came on.

The kids were pouting when Bob and Kari had to leave

Bob and Dan

"Don't go Grandpa"

 super cute of Kari!

Lexey was uncontrollably sobbing when they left for the airport!

the rest of the week

Thursday:  We woke up to a crazy Houston rainy day!  So fun!  Bob and Kari arrived around 11:30. They went to lunch with Lex and Jo to Luby's. Then they were going to head out to a movie at 3pm so we checked out Clare early and waited for Calvin to get home. His school released at noon today so we expected him home around 1pm. At 2 I started calling around to find out what was going on. The bus situation here in Houston is appalling. Calvin finally got home around 3pm. We fully expected him to say that they were stuck in traffic all afternoon, but no, they were just picking up and dropping off lots of other students.  When Calvin's bus driver is out they don't get a sub, they just radio out and ask a driver to pickup the kids. It is the most horribly run institution I have ever dealt with.

By 3:30 the kids were bouncing off the walls so we thought about taking them to a indoor playground. We found a indoor trampoline park. Bob and Kari took the kids and I stayed home to read.  then they went to McDonald's to eat and play. When they got home it was bath and bed time.

Bob and Kari picked up some Fadi's Mediterranean food for the adults while I put the kids to bed.

I am feeling good enough to feel bored and anxious sitting around...then I try to do stuff and I hurt like crazy.  It's good I'm bored to sit around. Hopefully another week and I'll be able to do whatever I want!

 Everyone has been enjoying lots of snuggles with Olaf.

 baby selfies

Sitting at home snuggling with the stuffy's while Bob and Kari are out with the kids

 At the trampoline park. Clare has quite the attitude these days

So well taken care of!

Life is going well. I am feeling much better each day.

Bob and Kari had kindly offered on more than one occasion to come out and help with the kids and my recovery, as did many others, thank you so much!  :)  Saturday morning I woke up in more pain than I had gone to bed with Th or Friday so I went ahead and told Bob and Kari that I'd welcome a little help! 

Kids in bed with me keeping me company

Dave watched the kids all weekend for me. He did a great job. There was a little bit of frustration on his part that I kept telling him what to do and a little frustration on my part that he was not willing to follow my every instruction to a T, but overall it was great to have Daddy in the house for a few days!

Dave played lots of wii U with Calvin.  He also took all the kids to Hobby Lobby to get a model rocket to build and then launch. Unfortunately the weather changed into a super windy day when they went out to launch so they didn't get to launch, but some of the kids enjoyed playing in the mud and dirt!  

Dave took the kids to the ward Christmas party (such a trooper)!  When I told him he was going he said, "wait, I'm going by myself?"  And I said, "your turn buddy! I've been to so many events by myself!"

We had family movie night and watched how the Grinch stole Christmas!

Friends brought in dinner for us TH, Fri, Sun, Mon. So amazing. Actually, one of those nights, I think Fri night our friend was going to bring dinner, made these awesome calzones but then put them in her oven on disposable tin trays she got at the store and they totally caught on fire in her oven. I wonder what they put on those trays that was flammable. So unlucky! She called the fire department. I felt so bad. I think we fed the kids hot dogs and oranges and yogurt (which they are totally happy with) or cereal and then Dave went to La Madeline for us and got Chicken Cordon Blue pasta for him and a salad and cold pasta for me. It was totally fine.

Monday I was kind of on my own in the morning since Dave went back to work. Of course we had forgotten to charge Calvin's tablet and the cereal Dave got for Calvin was still in Dave's car so we had a very rough morning and Calvin didn't get on the bus. I wasn't up to driving him in to school so he was home all day. Not ideal!

In the evening we had our FHE group here to go Christmas Caroling. Even though I couldn't host or go singing, I still had it here so that everyone would be able to take my kids. I told everyone that we'd just gather in the driveway before and after which worked out great. The weather was nice. We had cookies and hot chocolate after the singing. The kids played tag on the lawn and everyone had a nice time.

Mon night about 7:30 just as we were finishing FHE Bob and Kari arrived. I hadn't told the kids they were coming so that it would be a fun surprise. The kids were surprised to see them. Clare and Lexey were super excited. Jo was a little reluctant and Calvin was indifferent as always.

Bob and Kari hung out and chatted with everyone and they cleaned the kitchen, took out the trash, and folded my piles of laundry that I couldn't move around.

The next morning (tues) Jo and Lexey got up and we did Lexey's school work and piano while first thing while we waited for them to arrive. Since it's a two hour time change we weren't expecting them 'til 10 or 11.  The girls played in the leaves on our driveway while we waited.  They were soooo excited to see them.

Tues: They went out to breakfast at chick-fil-a (the girls picked) and then to Costco to choose their own Christmas present (lexey picked a stuffed Olaf for herself and Clare and Jo picked a frozen book. I think she regretted not getting an Olaf as well and keeps asking for Kari to go back and get her one!) and then home to pickup Clare from school. After school we hung out for a bit and then grandpa took Calvin out to get a Christmas present while Kari and I took Clare to dance.  For dinner we had Boston Market take out which the kids love and is quick and easy.

Wed: Bob and Kari came around 11. Lex had piano until 11:30 and then we went to check out Clare from school so she could have some grandparent time.  We all went to IHOP and then I took Jo home to nap and enjoy some quiet time myself. The girls and grandparents went shopping. Lexey found some super cute sperry shoes and clare was bummed that she didn't find anything fit her just right. She is very particular!  In the late afternoon we went up to the hotel to let the kids swim and then to a New York Deli called Kenny and Ziggy's for dinner. The kids did okay. We brought dinner home to dave who arrived just as we got home around 8. It makes for kind of a late night getting kids to bed after that because they are so wound up and excited but overall a very lovely day.

Jo eating a pickle at Kenny and Ziggy's. They set out a plate of pickles for the appetizer while you wait for your food. Not Dave's favorite!

I am feeling better each day. Today I'm finally hungry again and can eat without feeling weird. I can move around without too much pain but just need to be careful. My tummy is still sore. I'm still on 800mg advil but I won't need to take it during the night to sleep and I'll try to take less tomorrow and see if I still feel ok.

 I love these two girls! So happy. So fun. So easy.