Salt dough from Liz. Fran wanted to make ornaments and I wasn't really up to it so I told her she could do it. So she did everthing- rolled out the dough, pressed the designs with Adam and Natalie, turned on the oven, baked them. Tomorrow is painting. I love her independence in the kitchen.
Going to hear Dad's Portuguese band play in Chino. Worrying about all the cops and the helicopter flood-light that kept circling the venue. We rushed inside!
The kids riding down the stairs on the boogie board and slamming into the bean bags before they hit the wall.
Hearing the kids go crazy laughing at Home Alone and Home Alone 2.
Going to Alta Loma to see all of the amazing Christmas Lights on Thoroughbred. Buying the kids churros. Having Warehouse Pizza afterward.
Getting our Christmas tree. Jason puts the tree in the stand, I put the lights on, the kids did ALL the rest. I love just sitting and watching them enjoy!
Big dance parties here in the living room. Adam dances kind of chaotic and suddenly stops and looks over his shoulder with a Zoolander look. Where did he get THAT from?
Adam declaring that his favorite present was the toaster oven Grandma got him. He didn't like that our other toaster didn't count down and "ding" when it was done, so he requested a new toaster for xmas. He got one. He's very happy he can make proper toast again.
Adam then declared he knows what he wants for xmas next year. "What Grandpa has. One of those massager things." He's talking about the Shiatsu mechanical neck massager pillow I got for Dad. I guess he likes practical gifts. He's sort of an old soul.
Natalie and Adam spent many mornings this break huddled on Adam's bed watching either Frozen or LEGO movie together on the little DVD player.
Frannie got oodles of compliments on her hair. It's so looooong!
I decided we hadn't done anything "field-trippy" for this vacation so we went to the Griffith Observatory and Planetarium show in Los Angeles. Then we stopped by Uncle Don's and Aunt Lisa's house for a quick visit. Total trip time = 5 hours. Why does LA traffic have to ruin everything? (Overall it was fun though.)
The kids very favorite Christmas craft was making gingerbread houses. Well really it's just graham cracker houses, but we used the Halloween candy stash and they did a great job decorating!
For New Year's Eve we went to the Ortega's party. Fran got to play with her best friend A. I got to talk to one of my best friend's L!
Yesterday the kids got to visit with Grandma Remy and Auntie Rosie. I stayed home and did Frequent Buyer Cards. Jason also took the kids to Kohl's so they could get whatever they wanted with their gift cards. Adam got a pocketwatch. Natalie got a pony shirt and sparkly palm tree charm necklace, and Fran got colorful leggings and a very big blingy necklace and earrings that look like something a 55 year old woman would wear.
We're almost at Epiphany. Our Nativity is still out. Many other decorations are still out (although the tree is down). This has been a beautiful Christmas season this year. I feel how precious this time is with the kids at such a fun group of ages. The Christmas season fills me up and energizes for the new year. I feel both happy and sad. This is a time of year (after Christmas) when the school year really picks up and I notice a big change in the kids. It's like they really grow up and by February I have different kids than I did in September. In my heart I hug my precious children as they are right now, little Fran, Adam and Natalie, and make space for the big growing I can see they're about to do before my eyes.
