Childhood Revisited

How old is this guy? I think that Mike has had about as much fun as the kids this Christmas. It's been great seeing him play the new wii with gusto and run around the house playing nerf guns with the kids.

We had a really great Christmas and I have now been promoted to awesome mom. Money may not be able to buy happiness but I guess it can buy a wii and some awesomeness.

Birthday Girl

Happy Birthday Reagan!

Reagan's birthday is today but we celebrated last night. Our schedule has become so hectic that it was really hard to find thirty minutes when the whole family could be together. Since I didn't have to teach seminary today we had settled on a Birthday Breakfast at 6 AM. I thought, "Nothing could possibly get scheduled at that time of the morning." I was wrong. Some of Mike's Genetics students requested an early morning tutoring session. (It pays $100/hr--we rescheduled the party) But we had a nice party from 5:45 to 6:20 last night and then Geoff and Rachael hurried off to a Treble Choir concert. The concert was excellent.
Here is Reagan in her new coat from Grandma Sharon and shovel from us. Reagan said her old coat that used to be Geoffrey's, "makes me sick." Well, it wasn't pink and she REFUSED to wear it. Reagan was pretty happy when it started to snow this morning. Just after 7 am Reagan insisted on going out with her new coat and shovel. She had a blast.
Here is Reagan with a monkey game from Grandpa Peterson. We enjoyed playing it this morning.

Christmas Activities

We've had quite the weekend. Full of unexpected but very welcome family and some fun Christmas activities. Bonnie and family joined us from New Hampshire for several days because their power was out thanks to the ice storm. Here are some of the great activities we have done this week.

Decorating Gingerbread houses

We decorating these great houses at my neighbor Cerradwyn's house. I think they all look great and the kids think they all taste great.

Geoffrey and Reagan's House

Cousin Karin and Jeremy's House


Rachael and Lilly's House

Now, three days later, all of the houses look more like this. Yummy!

Decorating the Christmas Tree

Reagan is quite intrigued with an old picture of Geoffrey pasted on a gingerbread body.

Lilly and an handmade ornament with a picture of Jesus.

Mike is doing push ups on the ceiling after putting the star on. Wow! He is so strong!

Here's the finished tree.

Visiting with Santa

Lilly thought Santa was great. Reagan was not thrilled to see him.

The Christmas Program

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Reagan was a Wise woMan for the Nursery Christmas Pageant

The girls and I sang Are My Ears on Straight? at the Christmas Party. Mike helped us out at the beginning by being the Doll Doctor. It was cute. Lilly, the ballerina doll kept magically moving every time Mike turned around, I was so floppy I couldn't sit up and Rachael seemed at first to be the perfect doll---until she kicked Mike in the butt.

Now I know why I am so tired. That was a lot of activities for one weekend. But we enjoyed them all and are looking forward to at least a few more Christmas Activities.

Budding Artist or Graffiti Vandal?

Lilly came home from school today with the top parts of her fingers covered in blue marker. Not just her nails, the whole top third of all ten of her fingers. Of course, that meant that she also had smeared it on her forehead and cheeks and had a slightly blue mustache from every time she had touched her face. She was pretty angry that I made her wash it off. Then later I looked at her jeans. She had colored orange squares all over her jeans. When asked why she did it she said, "What??! They're Washable markers, DUH." Let me tell you, they are not so washable. Then I asked her, "What were you supposed to be doing while you were coloring on your jeans." That was really the key question because, of course, she was supposed to be working. The child acts like she is allergic to work. We will be working to remedy that allergy through exposure. It may not be a good week for Lilly. Time to open her eyes to the joys of work.

Happy Birthday Geoffrey

Geoffrey turned 14 a few days before Thanksgiving. He had five boys over and they watched The Incredible Hulk, almost as large as life, projected on the dining room wall. They had pizza, chips, grapes, soda, popcorn, Whoppers, cake and ice cream. Wow can teenagers eat.

Scary-me Elmo

Would you want to sit on this giant Elmo's lap?
















Well, Reagan didn't either. The girl has some sense after all. He was certainly not the cuddliest Elmo I've ever seen.