Logan's class
We actually decorated for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. I was tired from working so much, and then hosting Thanksgiving, and instantly regretted it when Nick started pulling out boxes. But it felt good to get it up.
Nick loves decorating the tree. It means so much to him, and the boys helped him this year and seem to love it also.
I've never paid anyone to help decorate our tree (that sounds very extravagant typing it out, and it is!), but I am making my own money now and so I did this year! The majority of our decorations are sentimental, but I wanted to change up a few things and just didn't have time to do it myself. I met a lady who sells wreaths at The Gift Store, one of our jewelry retail locations, and whose twins are in kindergarten with Logan. She offered to come over and help me put some finishing touches around the house, and she was so reasonably priced. It felt like such a luxury, but also like a well deserved one as hard as I've been working. I love everything she did for us- the mantle, trimming the tree and a couple of wreaths in the kitchen!!
This is 18 mos old. He cries/throws tantrums quite a lot. This little rat has a temper!
MOPS Table (and some other girls) Christmas party. We did a cookie exchange, and I won!! I made Kimba's Oreo cake balls. A girl named Kristle hosted. I don't know her well, but I've gotten to know her some this year, and she's a really sweet person. Her house was INSANE. Like nothing I've ever been in before. FANCY!
The next morning was museum/music, and we ate at McKinley's. Naturally, the boys had dessert first. This was Beck's first time to sit in a booster seat, and I thought he looked SO big!
That afternoon after school I let Logan and Everett do a cookie taste test with the cookies I brought home from the party. Everett said, and I quote,
"Yours are thumbs down. They're just so regular. All of the other moms are way better cookers than you." Logan enjoyed the Oreo cake balls, however.
Sweetest big brother
MOPS couples' Christmas party with one of my very favorite people, Lesley. This was a surprisingly fun party-- you never know when it's couples and the guys don't know one another. The couple who hosted was young and knew how to throw a really fun party.
Debbee and Fred Heldoorn had us all over for a Christmas dinner. Debbee is always so generous and goes out of her way to throw an elaborate Christmas dinner.
Logan is really into building things and taking things apart right now. I know I'm his mother, but he's literally a mechanical whiz. He builds blades that spin with axels and battery packs and paper plates. He takes apart parts of toys and puts them on other toys, and they actually work. He is really, really, REALLY smart. And Everett is too! He has picked up on so many things from Logan, it's incredible. He has such a big vocabulary, and tonight we were playing a dumb trivia game at dinner, and Everett correctly answered, "The Pacific Ocean." WHAT??? Even Logan was stumped. (The question was, what is the name of the ocean near California?) It was bizarre, but he said it like it was nothing. He must have seen it on Wild Kratts or something?
Anyway, for a while Logan was waking up at like 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning and taking apart toys to see how they worked. You can imagine what a delight he was by 5:30 or 6:00 PM. One day I took him to Goodwill and let him pick out 4 or 5 things to take apart. We got a slew of things-- an alarm clock, and a disco ball, and I forget what else for less than $15.
Logan cracked the iPad screen being silly, and we purposely haven't given it back to them. It's amazing what they find to do when there are no electronics around. We did get it fixed, but I kind of don't want to give it back. The original plan was that Santa's elves were going to fix it and leave a note about taking care of their stuff, but now I kind of want to wait it out.
One night they got some twine and took turns tying it on each others' hands playing Santa Claus and a reindeer. Odd/Funny/Amusing/Endearing all at once. Logan said, "Okay Everett you be the Prancer, no actually be the Dasher, he's faster. I get to be the Santa because I have blonde hair." Beck just chased after them and screamed. I love watching them play!
Precious angel visiting "DADA!" at work. He, Everett and I made a stop one Friday when we were in Ft. Worth.
Everett was the lucky one who got to continue our Polar Express night tradition at church. I love this so much! Beck just isn't old enough to stay up late or sit still. And sadly, Logan just couldn't hang either. A full week of school + a birthday party after school (+ maybe waking up before dawn to disassemble things) had in him full melt down mode. It was one of those awful parenting moments where we knew we had to follow through on our threat to shape up or miss Polar Express, and take him home kicking and screaming after dinner. Bummer for everybody. Except Everett!
Ellie arrived one night very mortified to be wearing an Ugly Christmas sweater that Santa really wanted him to wear to a party. He wrote a note to the boys explaining the importance of doing things your parents want you to do, even when you don't want to. #moralelfie
Nick's work party at Colonial. It's sooooo weird that he's the boss!! I'm married to the boss! It's so fitting and he's perfect at it, but also so strange.
Last week Nick and I went to VEGAS!!!!! Again, a work thing for one of Nick's customers. Mostly, I was very reclusive, devouring Andy Cohen's biography and lots of sour gummy worms in our hotel bed while Nick did various work things. I emerged only when I had to be somewhere. It was AMAZING, and exactly what I've been needing. Quiet/Alone/No one needs me for anything time. A big thanks to Mimi and Grammy for holding down the fort!
We went to two nice dinners. It was strange because everyone we spent time with, including the guys who work work Nick and their wives, are so much older than us! It's just kind of a weird dynamic. Nick handles it easily and gracefully. I dissect every little interaction. Nick doesn't really care to join me in my analysis.
Nick booked a ONE HUNDRED minute massage for me! Now that's really living! Hot tea on a silver platter and my name on the locker! The Mirage is a pretty outdated hotel I thought, but the spa was 100%!
This preschool picture is one of my favorites every single year. It puts a knot in my stomach to think about next year being Everett's last year in preschool.
Elfie is mostly so boring and lame, jumping from ordinary place to ordinary place. But on this day he brought elf's favorite hot cocoa and warm slippers/pj's for the boys. Also worth noting, Logan stuck a sticky note on him that morning that said, "CAN I TUCH YOU?" I always think Logan is so grown up and mature, and then I get little glimpses like that of how young and innocent he actually is.
Everett and I baked gingerbread cookies, Logan took apart a toy fire truck.
One in shorts, one in a costume and cape, one dressed appropriately, bundled up in a hat & coat.
PJ day in kindergarten!!!
Dinner. Forgot why I took these pictures...
When you watch PJ Masks in costume. Love how Everett's all sprawled out! HAHA!
And then you nap in your polyester costume on your flannel sheets...
