December 25, 2008

Christmas Morning!

We actually weren't "jumped" by the kids until 7am this morning! We couldn't believe it! I woke up around 6:30, and heard the t.v. on in the loft...but was afraid to move for fear they would hear me! I scored an extra 30 minutes of sleep before Boston threw open our bedroom door saying "Santa already came and he got me a cool telescope!"

Phil and I were totally surprised! We even put up a gate so they wouldn't go downstairs! Boston said he "forgot" about why that was there. Sure. We were born yesterday. At our house Santa gives one gift and it's always left unwrapped in front of your gift pile. After talking to the girls...we found that he was the only one brave enough to sneak down and take a peek! Ha!



Phil and I snuck down first and made sure to take pictures of their piles...before the madness began. The kids naturally started creeping down after us and then Boston yelled, wow Seattle got a cool toy too! Phil and I were both confused. Apparently, he only had eyes for his own gifts and didn't pay attention to anything Santa brought for anyone else when he came down earlier! (When I was young, Tyler, Sarah, and I would take turns waking up the earliest every year and jam downstairs before my mom and dad woke up so we could see what Santa brought for everyone and then report back. It was a TEAM effort.) Boston was all about the ME! Phil and I were cracking up! If you knew Boston...this would be what you'd expect!!


My grandma started a tradition of making us stockings that looked like us, so we would always know which gifts were ours! My mom has kept up the tradition...except Madison and Seattle are still waiting for theirs. (No rush mom:) We let Madison use mine this year. I decided to try themes this year...it made shopping for each one easier! Madison's theme was Fancy Nancy.

Boston's theme was everything "space" related...hence the telescope!

Brooklyn is really into history and traveling, so her theme was all travel related.

Paris was basically anything "barbie" related.

She loved the phone that her uncle "B" got her!
Anything she could layer on...she did!


This was Seattle's gift from Nana...her and Madison both love it! The best is when they turn it to Spanish mode! They both don't even seem to notice!
Christmas was a success! Phil and I enjoyed our gifts from family too! Thanks a bunch!

December 24, 2008

Santa's Magic Sleep...(mixed with a little "magic" of our own!)



Every Christmas Eve, right before bedtime, we bake some cookies for Santa, drink our "Magic Cocoa" and it's off to bed for everyone! The kids were seriously excited this year! The older they get, the harder it is to outlast them! Phil and I were getting desperate...and we were soooo tired! Somehow we randomly started performing some horrible takes on Christmas carols out in the loft, while they all were having a "sleep over" in Boston's room. We knew they could hear us...and boy were we beyond bad!!! I was singing opera style, while Phil would chime in with a dry monotone version of a verse I had just sung! Yeah...it was pure torture! The kids all became very quiet and finally Boston asked us if we could stop. He said that I sang pretty good, which was a stretch at best, but dad was giving him a headache! We ignored him and just kept singing...within minutes they were all out! Poor things. We'll have to remember our act for next year!



Paris...thoroughly enjoying her cocoa!




Brooklyn looking a bit like an evil elf...and Boston pretending to already fall asleep...NICE TRY!

Madison with more cocoa on her face, hands, and outfit, then in her mouth...as usual!


Pretty excited for Santa tomorrow!




The "great" parts of Christmas Eve!

Blake arrived just in time for dinner...and surprised the kids by walking in the door with his "hoodie" on, picking up Boston, and throwing him on the couch for a full on "tickle time"! I was in the kitchen so I missed most of the action, but he laughed because the kids didn't even know it was him until he took his hood off! Yet they were still laughing and having a great time! Now we know, as long as you tickle and play with our kids...you can come into our house whenever you want! SCARY!

It's always been a tradition in our family, that on Christmas Eve, the kids get to open the presents from our grandparents and extended family...kind of a prelude to Christmas! When Gramma Debbie and Papa were here last, they left a bunch of presents for everyone, so the kids were getting pretty excited!

Phil get's so excited when Christmas or my birthday come around, that he usually ends up giving me presents early. In this case, I got 3 presents early! He gave me a sweater and a light jacket earlier in the month, because I'm always cold...and he knew I could use them. Isn't he sweet? This one, I am glad he made me open early though, because I always open gifts on Christmas morning in my PJ's!

It was a "Pajama Gram!" I've never gotten one of these before...but it was packaged so incredibly cute!!!



He even had my name embroidered on them! I'm kind of cheesy like that and am a collector of PJ's! (My name is there...because I know people who would steal them! J/K) So he did an EXCELLENT job!



Madison kept secretly opening presents throughout the month most of which happened to actually be hers...so she only had 1 left. (in case you didn't notice) Seattle is borrowing some of Paris' presents to strike a pose with.

Seattle has been taking steps for a little over a month now and loves to just stand places. So here's another one of her poses.

Paris hanging out with Blake, finally decided she'd open one of her presents. She is so silly. She only opened a few presents on Christmas Eve because she wanted "them to last longer"! That so is not from my side of the family! We would rip through all of them if we had a chance!


Boston humoring me with a picture, while begging to open some presents!
All the kids, ready to dig in!






December 19, 2008

"Don your gay apparel" A.K.A The Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

We've had quite a few Christmas Parties this month, but none with such a unique theme! I guess it was inspired from the song, "Deck the Halls". Anyway, we were all told to "Don our gay apparel", so Phil went out and found the sweetest vests ever! He went to the Goodwill first, but thankfully, decided to swap out the vest he bought me from there for the upgraded, (non grandma perfumed) Walmart versions!

Amy and Rob...she got their gear at Savers...if anyone's interested!

Bettijo and Heath...I believe she said all their gear was actually in her mom's closet! Yikes! I mean great wardrobe!

Deborah and Jeff...I forget where they got their Christmas garb...Savers???

Spencer decided to take it to a whole new level...and I was a little surprised that he was the only one!
Spencer...I think this was all in his closet! Notice the FUBU jersey!! Yeah, his legs are shaved...above the knee! Sandy was wise to stay out of this shot...and apparently avoided all further shots too! Sorry babe! As always it's just fun to hang out and eat!
These were all the shots I got...sorry Cynthia and Mike...I'm sure you're so sad you didn't make it into the Christmas Sweater Hall O' Shame!

December 3, 2008

Back on Track...

Okay, so it's been a while...almost a month to be exact since I've posted last! Shame on me. I have been taking the pictures...keeping mental notes of what to write down...then just slack on the execution! I'm going to apologize now for the million posts that are about to hit! I really have been trying to make this my "journal" so to speak...atleast by documenting some of our highlights throughout the year, so I'm going to get caught up! I finished all of my Christmas shopping officially on November 24th! Even the stocking stuffers! Crazy or what? Phil was so impressed! He walked into the spare bedroom and saw that we had what seemed like a million presents wrapped and sitting on the bed, and asked what's all this? I was so pleased to tell him that these....were all the presents ready to be placed under our tree this year! So since I'm all done shopping...I've been keeping myself busy with the usual mundane tasks that come with choosing 5 kids as your housemates, and lately that has meant staying away from the computer! I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was great! I will be posting a current post again soon!