Christmas: And So It Begins

We celebrated Christmas a bit early this year in order to share a bit of the holiday spirit with my brother Seth and sister-in-law Tennille. For the first time (ever!), Seth and Tennille will not be coming back to Whoville for Christmas. Instead, they have opted to celebrate the holidays in Africa. On a safari. With real-live animals! And if that wasn't fancy enough, they will stop off in Dubai to usher in the New Year. Yes, Dubai.

So, Christmas in Whoville with Seth and Tennille was Saturday, December 10th. My mom pulled out all the stops for a holiday celebration. There was a piñata for the boys to bash, christmas crackers to unwrap, and a chocolate fountain (oh my!). The christmas crackers were a huge hit, each layer revealed some treasure or prize for the boys to quickly put to good use. The crackers also ensured we all had a christmas crown to wear during our holiday dinner. (We rocked those christmas crowns. We also learned that we have all have abnormally large heads. It must be genetic.)

After all the presents were unwrapped and we gorged on a bit of chocolate fountain, we gathered at the dining room table to play a little Apples and Apples. Brennan revealed himself to be a bit of a ringer, stealing the game away from everyone, with a whole lot of laughter in between.

Away in a Manger

We have a playmobil manger scene that the boys set up every year in the living room next to the tree. Unfortunately, we lost the manger for the set, so Aidan had to build a manger out of legos for baby Jesus to rest his head. I was looking over the manger scene the other day and realized that baby Jesus was missing.

"Hey guys?" I ask the boys, "Where's baby Jesus?"

"Aidan won't let us put him out." Brennan replies.

"What? Why not?" I ask.

"Because baby Jesus isn't born until Christmas, Mom!" Aidan says as he comes in the room. "We have to have an accurate manger scene. And if baby Jesus is in the scene, it isn't accurate! We can put him out on Christmas."

"I don't want to wait until Christmas to put out baby Jesus. I want him to be in the manger the whole time!" I say.

Aidan shakes his head in disbelief.

"Hand over baby Jesus, Aidan."

"Mom!"

"Aidan!"

Aidan gave me baby Jesus, who had been stowed away behind a plastic bale of hay. I put him in his lego manger and considered the matter closed. A few days later, I am looking at the manger scene and realize baby Jesus is missing. I search for him and find him behind the stable and put him back in his manger. A day or so later, yes, baby Jesus is gone again and I replace him, yet again. It's never-ending.

Away in the Manger - the Battle over Baby Jesus.

Elves Magic Workshop

The boys love their school's Elves Magic Workshop. Brennan was so excited to buy his presents that I think he barely slept the night before his shopping spree.

When I picked the boys up at school, Brennan eagerly showed me his huge bag of wrapped presents purchased at the Elves Magic Workshop.

"And you are never going to guess what I bought you Momma! Never! It's so great. And I got the last one. The very last one!" He gushed, with a wide grin splitting his face.

Less than a minute later, Aidan walked out of the school to join us. As he walked towards us, Brennan yelled, "Aidan, you are never going to guess what I got mom. It's a surprise! I got her a necklace and it was the last one!"

"Brennan, I'm right here." I say, laughing.

"You didn't hear that, did you?" He asks, looking at me suspiciously.

At seeing the worry in his big brown eyes, I quickly stop laughing and assure him I didn't hear a thing. Nope. Not a thing.

Follow the Leader

The boys were all ready for their school drop off this morning, but Chris was still getting dressed. Instead of playing or watching a show, they chatted me up, all excited over our three inches of snow that fell overnight and their upcoming Elves Magic Workshop. They followed me from room to room, even after the conversations were done.

We were all in the laundry room. Three sets of eyes silently watched me load the washer and measure laundry soap as if it was the most fascinating exercise in the world. I finally turned to them all and, as sweetly as I could muster, said, "Why are you guys following me around this morning?"

They smiled and Brennan said, "Because we love you Momma."

Oh, okay then. Follow the leader sounds like a good plan.

The Birthday Weekend: Griffin

My baby turned five this weekend. If that isn't enough to make me dissolve into tears, I am not sure what else could.

To celebrate Griffin's fifth birthday, we invited family and a few friends over for the celebratory pizza and cake. Griffin requested not any ol' cake - but specifically wanted strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting. (God bless the internets and searchable recipes for finding me an easy to make strawberry cake by Paula Deen.)

After the party was over, Griffin also played host to our very first kid sleepover. His buddy Ryan was our inductee to pj parties and air mattresses. Chris and I took bets on the odds of him making it through the night, but after a half hour or so of whispered giggling between the boys, they remained fast asleep until morning.

We ushered in Griffin's birthday with Daddy's Diner - homemade belgian waffles and bacon. Lots and lots of bacon. The boys gathered to build legos in the family room while christmas music played on the stereo. At one point, all four of them started to sing along with the music. It was one of the sweetest moments. Four boys, all still in their pjs, sweetly singing along to Frosty the Snowman.

Yes, I cried.

Later that night, we were off to the annual children's christmas party at OPCC. It is, hands down, my favorite holiday event. Seeing the tables removed from the grill room in favor of a giant bounce house, craft stations and a North Pole village staffed by Santa and Mrs. Claus, overwhelms me each and every year. The kids feast on pizza logs and chicken fingers, escape to the ballroom for dancing to the dj, and help themselves to the cotton candy machine or ice cream sundae buffet. It is two hours of unbridled fun and crazy kid chaos. (This year, they added an open bar for the adults. Heh. Everything seems a little calmer with a glass of wine in hand.)

I told the boys that all I needed from them was one family picture with Santa and then they were free to race around the party to their hearts' content. We were the first in line for our pics. The boys complied, smiling sweetly for the camera, and approximately ten seconds after the picture was taken, they all had a cotton candy in hand.

The DJ did a special tribute to Griffin for his fifth birthday and had the ballroom sing happy birthday to him. Griffin, of course, had yet another cotton candy in his hand, with cotton candy smeared all over his face. After the DJ asked how old Griffin was and he responded five, the DJ quipped, "That's also the number of cotton candies you've probably had tonight." Yes, it probably was. Cotton candy is surely a crowd pleaser among my set.

We were all a little sad when the party was over and Griffin even sadder that his birthday was done, but with so many good things to celebrate and look forward to, it is difficult to remain sad for long.

Happy Birthday Griffin!

Happy Birthday Griffin. Today, you are five.

At five, you remain my independent spirit determined to conquer the world and keep up with anyone and everyone, including your big brothers. You wake up each day with an energetic exuberance that continues to mystify your mom and dad. You are our morning guy – singing and dancing from the moment your eyes pop open. You are full of energy - happy energy that makes it impossible for you not to dance your way through your day.

You aren’t five really, more like five going on ten years old. You have a vocabulary that rivals that of a third grader, are already reading books on your own, and have yet to lose a game of memory or tic tac toe to your mom. (And I tried to win. I really, really tried.) You have an easy confidence and like to be in charge. (I like to call you Large and In Charge. Like the time you convinced our new babysitter that she was supposed to sit on the floor by your bed until you fell asleep. And she believed you. Of course, she did. I would too.)

You are the big guy on campus at school. You know all the parents, all the kids and daddy often jokes that you are slapping high fives to anyone and everyone at drop off in the morning. Your teachers tell me often what a good heart you have and how kind you are to your classmates. I cried when your teacher told me about one of your friends, a boy, who had recently started dance classes. He was practicing in the hall, showing his tap dancing moves when the other boys started to make fun of him. You stood up for him and told the boys that you thought the dancing boy was doing a great job and looked cool. Your teacher told me she had never been prouder. I know I couldn’t be prouder of you and that loving heart of yours.

You are loud. Boy, are you loud. I think you fear that as the third boy there is a chance the world won’t hear you unless you shout, yell or scream at every opportunity. The world hears you. At full volume. And you are a talker. You never stop talking. You love to talk to anyone who wants to speak with you. You ask questions, you give answers, you love to keep the conversational ball rolling.

You are my sensitive soul. You take things to heart. You don't like shows or movies that depict people hurt or in danger. (You even refuse to watch Home Alone because it makes you cry.)

You love to sing and to dance. You make up routines that combine both to put on shows for your family. You are quite a performer and love to bust a move. I love the songs you make up that you sing either around the house or when I am putting you to bed.

You have the best giggle I have ever heard. I wish I could tape it and save the sound of your laughter forever. It is pure joy, wrapped up in a just little bit of mischief.

Your favorite foods continue to be fruit, veggies and yogurt. I have never known a child who shows more enthusiasm in the produce aisle than the candy aisle. You would choose a bag of carrots over a slice of pizza anyday. You even choose fruit as your end of the meal treat. (A choice that continues to baffle your brothers, even as your parents applaud you.)

Your favorite television shows are Arthur and Supah Ninjas. You will read anything and anything, but right now you can’t stop giggling over Santa Duck (Jingle Quack, Jingle Quack). You love to build forts with your brothers, snuggle with your mom and play tickle monster with your Dad.

You were the youngest swimmer on the swim team this summer, but still managed to get in your 25 yards of freestyle and backstroke (always stopping halfway down the pool to grin at your mom.) You also started soccer and spent more time chatting with the coaches than chasing the ball. You started tennis, but refused to do lessons when you figured out you could have your mom to yourself for an hour instead. You are excited to get back to your Sundays skiing with your Dad.

You are my tennis buddy. You love to come with me to my tennis matches and help me with the balls or watch me play. The odds are good that you are either going to be a professional tennis player or a professional ball boy someday because of all the hours you have spent on the tennis courts. I just have to get you to take those tennis lessons first.

You are a joy to our family. You love to give hugs and kisses. You are constantly telling me, your dad and your brothers that you love them. You are a happy, sensitive old soul that has made our family complete.

Happy Birthday to my baby. My last little boy. I love you more than words can say.

Decorating the Tree: 2011