Christmas-y

We have had a wonderful Christmas season here in Hyde Park.  Jay and the kids have had a nice, long Christmas break and we've had loads of family time and activities.  Everyone was healthy again just in time for Christmas.

The kids went sledding in all the new snow we got. They watched movies and played games. We made cookies and drank hot chocolate. We even took a trip down to Salt Lake City to see the lights on Temple Square.

It was cold and a little breezy but we had fun seeing all the lights. 

Only a few more days of Christmas vacation.  Jay goes back to work on Jan 2nd and the kids go back to school on Jan 3rd.  William has started working on a project he is doing for his GATE class and Henry needs to work on a book report due next week.  Tessa is reading up a storm and preparing to take 5 or 6 AR tests once she gets back to school.

Me?  I'll be taking down Christmas decorations in the quiet that will be my home.  Anyone want to go to lunch?  I think I'll be a little lonely.

Proof That Jay Reads This Blog...

A desktop file entitled Tessa's Dance Recital magically appeared on my computer this morning after I came back from the grocery store. 

So, for your Christmas entertainment, I give you LaShar's Holiday Revue.  Sorry for the quality, but you can still get the gist of the performance.  If you listen closely, you might even hear Jay warning Henry to be quiet and behave or he won't get any Chick Fil A for dinner!

 

 

 

 

 

Frowny Face

William's newest catch-phrase is to say "Frowny Face" when something displeases him.  It's like he's texting from his body.

Anyway, our little family has been sick all week long and so I'm way behind on stuff.  No neighbor gifts have been delivered.  No Primary teacher/Scout leader gifts have been delivered.  I shouldn't feel bad - we'll get to it this week and hopefully tomorrow - but I do.  I'm usually really on top of these things.

I would also post video of Tessa's Holiday Dance Revue.  I'd like to see the video myself, actually.  It was this past Wednesday and I was in bed with the stomach flu.  Literally.  I don't think I moved from the bed for more than 15 minutes total all day.  Anyway, Jay came home, got Tessa ready and took her to the recital.  He took video with his phone. 

You see where I'm heading with this, right?  Jay often takes pictures and video from his phone that I never see.  Paris is the one exception and only because I stood over him while he transferred the pictures to a jump drive for me to have.  Like most of the things that he records on his phone, I have yet to see these videos.  And I want to.   But I don't want to nag because I hate doing that.

Maybe they didn't even go to the dance recital.  Maybe they just drove around Logan for a while and then came home to check and make sure I hadn't succumbed to the plague that had gripped me that day. 

Probably not.  But I may never know for sure.

No Words

Since this blog is very much a family journal, I was going to write a fun post about all our holiday preparations - the tree, the treats, the games.  But I'm too sad.  Every time I get on the computer to do something innocuous like check my email or google ideas for my Primary Sharing Time I see more horrific details about those poor children in Connecticut.  Every single one of them were in 1st grade.  They were Tessa's age.  And then I get teary and sad and have to turn the computer off again.

I don't know how you ever get over something like that.  I really don't.  I don't know how you even start. 

Today Jay took the kids to a movie and I wrapped presents and watched a stupid movie on TV to pass the time and I just kept thinking about those families.  It seemed like a long few hours until my family was home again and the house was noisy and happy and I was so grateful that all my kids walked in the door and started fighting about whose turn it was to play on the computer.

There really are no words.

...Since Sliced Bread

Gingerbread houses are not my favorite things.   Oh, my kids love them and we make one every year because Jay's mom is thoughtful and more fun than me and gives us a kit every Thanksgiving.  But I don't like them. 

It's not that I don't think it's cute or fun.  It's not too messy.  It's the building of the gingerbread house that gets me every single year.  Most kits have all the precut pieces but you still have to put the actual house together with the icing.  And I'm terrible at it.  The house is always crooked and lopsided and half falling down, even if I follow the directions and let it sit for hours before letting the kids attack decorate it with frosting and candy. 

Not this year.  Because this year, the gingerbread house came preassembled.  What a brilliant idea!  We just lifted the house out of the box, got all the decorations ready and  let the kids go for it.  The house didn't shift positions as Tessa was painstakingly applying her gumdrops.  It still took a long time - mainly because Tessa doesn't do anything quickly - but it was much less hassle and much more fun.

The tree did have to be put together so it is, of course, crooked.  but still.  Yay for pre-assembled gingerbread houses. 

1:03 pm

Today was William's 9th birthday.  He actually counted down most of the morning so that he could know the exact time that he turned 9 - officially.  We had just begun our sacrament meeting when I looked at the clock and motioned to him to check it out himself.  He got a big smile on his face, happy to have finally turned the corner.

Not that we refused to celebrate his birthday until after the time had passed.  Last night we went bowling and out to dinner - his choice.  I offer him the chance to have a birthday party each year and each year he refuses.  I can't say that I'm too upset - it's way easier for me if we just do a family celebration. 

This morning he opened his presents - a new Wii game (Madden 13) and a new Utah Jazz jersey.  He was very excited.  We had cake and ice cream after dinner.  His friend Calvin dropped off some yummy cookies as a treat.  He received some birthday money as well and he is carefully considering future purchases.  Tomorrow at school he gets to write with the special birthday pen.  All is well in William's world.

Happy Birthday, William!  We love you!

School Days

Tessa likes to play school.  Now that she can read well she reads all the time - to herself, to her dolls, to her stuffed animals.  After running a load of errands this morning, this is what I came home to:

In case you can't tell, she was reading to Berry Bear and Rainbow Bear.  Rainbow Bear was wearing Tessa's reading medal from last year.  She had brought stacks of books, stickers and other miscellaneous things and put them on my bed.  Apparently her class was moving and she was trying to get them all organized.  All I could do was laugh.  As much as the boys loved reading at this age, they never, ever read to their stuffed animals just for the fun of it.