Christmas Day 2022

So let's talk about Christmas Day.

First of all, we got the star on the tree.

While I was working on Christmas Eve dinner, Jr. and Nichole made breakfast sandwiches to put in the fridge so that Christmas morning, we'd have something quick to eat before church. Thanks, kids.

Christmas morning we got to come out to see what Santa brought and what was in our stockings. 

I carried Jet out still asleep but after a while he woke to see what Santa brought him then had fun opening the wrapped presents in his stocking- dino cars! He was excited with each car and started roaring (as he does) but as soon as Jeremy handed him a new wrapped present, he immediately handed back the dino car so he could unwrap the next one.

Then we didn't open any presents from around the tree but got dressed, ate our quick breakfast, and went to church where there was a beautiful musical program with special words from the bishop. Lucky got to sing with the Primary and I was able to sing with the choir.

It was what I needed and wanted that morning. I'll be honest that Christmas Eve was rough. I had a nice breakdown. Well, it wasn't so nice. There has definitely been some stress lately. But Christmas Day was just right.

 

At home we were able to Zoom with Jeremy's parents while opening presents (later that day, I called my parents and had a nice chat with them and two of my brothers).

One thing we found out about Jet is that he really likes unwrapping presents whether they belong to him or not. The kids helped bring out some presents Christmas Eve and one present had to be rewrapped. Then during our main present opening Christmas afternoon, we took turns opening presents and Jet was practically launching himself at the presents to try to tear the paper off them. In some ways that determined what present would be opened next when it was the recipient's turn. Three year olds are fast, man.

Nichole was sweet and made this for Jet for Christmas:

 

Christmas Day was nice.

Now we're dealing with the aftermath.

Christmas is Over

And just like that, Christmas is over. Well, not the real reason for the season. We all need to continue following Jesus Christ and trying to be more like Him, serving others, showing love. But the present unwrapping (and last minute wrapping) is over. 

It was interesting. After staying up so late Christmas Eve (I was exhausted with a sick child for a few days leading up to Christmas and ended up with a headache and taking a nap that evening while Jeremy and Jr. finished making dinner so we ate late, did our little Christmas Eve program, let the kids open their PJs from Grandma and Grandpa, and got pictures of them wearing their PJs before sending them to bed so Jeremy and I could finish wrapping presents, etc., while Jr. tried to get Jet to sleep), I finally got Jet to sleep so Jr. could go to bed himself and then went to sleep myself. Christmas morning another child woke up sick. When it was time to go to the living room for presents and to Zoom with Jeremy's parents, Jet didn't want to get up. I picked him up and made it as far as the door before he pulled me back to my bed and made me lie down. 

Eventually I convinced him to come out to the living room for presents but he protested again when I wouldn't let him take a toy with him from our room. I assured him there would be something else but he was upset until I brought him all the way out and set him down where he could see the dinosaurs that Santa had brought him. There were a bunch. He was very happy after that and went around saying, "Dinosaur. Rarr. Rarr."

This was the first year in a long time I didn't make handmade gifts for the kids (not even bookmarks). Nobody complained, though. Lucky made handmade gifts for us, though- a cute card, two ornaments with his picture on them, and a cute snowman ornament made out of an electric tea light with light up nose and earmuffs. Soooooo cute. 

Poor Lucky, though. We paused from time to time throughout the day because he had to go be sick in the bathroom.

We still had nice Zoom meetings with Jeremy's parents that morning and my parents and two of my brothers later in the afternoon. 

Jeremy and I were still so exhausted and ended up taking naps that afternoon. Then I couldn't believe how much more I slept that evening and even that night. I'm so grateful for my family looking out for each other because I went to rest just a little and it turned into a whole lot. I woke up well rested this morning but still ended up taking a nap this afternoon. I guess dealing with all the... everything... leading up to Christmas took a lot out of me. Preparations, sickness in the home, life. We'll have to see how this next week goes.

There's also the possibility that changes in the weather could have affected me, tired-wise. That sometimes happens to both Jeremy and me. We didn't have a white Christmas, but it was white when Nichole and I went to Sacrament Meeting while Jeremy watched from home with the boys. That option is a blessing since we've had so much sickness this school year. Blech.

Anyway, so obviously since I slept so much on Christmas, I didn't blog that day but I've blogged every other day this month so that's not too bad.

So I hope you had a Happy Christmas and are enjoying National Candy Cane Day on December 26.

Keeping finding reasons to celebrate.

A Nutella Weekend

It was a Nutella kind of weekend. Friday the 5th of February was World Nutella Day so we had Nutella sandwiches. 

It was also National Wear Red Day. I kept reminding the kids all morning and even the night before, "Wear red. Wear red," then I went and put on a grey shirt without thinking and never changed to a red shirt even when I did think about it. Sigh.

I did however read aloud to Jet for World Read Aloud Day on that same day. You should have seen me getting into Hand Hand Fingers Thumb and drumming on a big can. "Dum Ditty Dum Ditty Dum Dum Dum."

For after school snack that same day, we celebrated Bubble Gum Day with gumballs that came through Nichole's candy dispenser THAT SHE MADE! 

She made it in one of her classes last year. How cool is that?

Saturday the 6th of February was the anniversary of when Alan Shepard hit golf balls on the moon. We ate "astronaut sandwiches" made with tortillas and... you guessed it- Nutella.

I also tried out a new recipe for macaroni and cheese to celebrate National Cheddar Day on that day.

Sunday the 7th of February some family members ate more Nutella. I told you it was a Nutella weekend. Nichole took some time to play Swan Lake music on her recorder to celebrate Ballet Day.

Christmas

We celebrated Christmas.

I'll blog more later.

P.S. The pictures are of Christmas Eve dinner, the kids in their new pajamas from Grandma and Grandpa, treats for Santa- we didn't get around to making cookies and veggies are healthier anyway and the reindeer will thank us, rice warmers I made for the four older kids and Jet I made an orange "pillow" with batting in it that was shaped like the rice warmers but I didn't take a picture.

Puppet Show

 

One afternoon a couple of the kids were in the living room playing with Nichole's handmade puppets. Jet was sitting in the kitchen eating and I noticed he was really watching them. I don't know if the kids realized they had such a captive audience but it was fun to see. 

 

White Christmas

Last night it started snowing and it snowed... and it snowed... and it snowed... and it kept snowing.  Then this morning it snowed... and it snowed... and it snowed... etc. etc. etc.  I haven't seen this much snow in years.  At one point today I went out with a measuring tape and measured 10 inches.  Yep.  10 inches.  Wow.

Last Winter was very mild with not much snow so this is quite something this year.  We definitely had our white Christmas.
Speaking of Christmas... today was Christmas.  The kids were very happy with all their presents.  Jeremy and I were, too.

Unfortunately, some people didn't get enough sleep last night either from being so excited they kept waking up or they had to stay up anyway because other people stayed up too late. 

"I'll put you to sleep, kids." 

And... too much stocking candy was eaten instead of real food (although we did have salad and grilled ham and cheese sandwiches for dinner).  In general, we didn't do as well today with being nice to each other.  Sigh.  We need to do better.  We need to eat better and get better sleep.  And choose to handle things better.  Sigh.

In other news, I did handmade gifts for the kids again this year.
I made Lucky a penguin stuffed animal.

Jr. Jr. used to have some favorite pajamas.  Every time he had the choice he would wear those pajamas.  He wore them so much even though he got too big for them and wore through the feet.  He loved those pajamas.  They were monster pajamas.  I took those monster pajamas and made a monster out of them.  I sewed fleece to the feet to cover them.  I made a monster head to match one of the monsters on the pajamas and stuffed the monster.  Jr. Jr. was so happy when he unwrapped that.

I made Jr. a new scripture bag since the one I made for him before doesn't fit his new scriptures he got after his baptism and the other things he puts in his bag.

For Nichole I made a doll head with yarn hair to hold hair clips and hair ties.  I had one like that when I was young and wanted to make one for her.

The kids and I decorated a bowl for Jeremy.  We traced around the kids' hands and it says, "Love our Daddy!"

I'm glad I was able to make gifts for my family again.  I like doing it.

Handmade Christmas Gifts 2014

It's National Bird Day, January 5.  The date is fun today.  1-5-15.  Yeah, it's fun.
In other, more bird-related news, I thought it would be an appropriate time to show you the handmade gifts I did for the kids for Christmas.  I finally finished a counted cross-stitch picture for Jr. that I've been meaning to do since he was a baby... or before he was a baby... but I hadn't decided what I was going to put on the picture yet.  It turned out owls were the appropriate thing for him... and for National Bird Day today.  Forgive my piece of paper on the picture.  I stitched his name and birth date on the picture and don't care to share that on this public blog.  And I don't Photoshop so this is the best I could do to cover those up.

Anyway, on to other gifts.
I made Jr. Jr. his own scripture bag and Nichole her own scripture tote... to fit all the things she puts in her scripture bag.

I made Lucky an eye-spy... thing.  I don't know what it's called.  You have a bunch of doo-dads in with a bunch of beads and you can move it around to see what you can find.  Yeah.  You get the idea.

So that's what I did as handmade gifts for the kids Christmas 2014.  Hooray!

Peanut Butter is So Great!

January 24 is National Peanut Butter Day.  January 24 is also National Compliment Day.  We were giving each other lots of compliments today.  And peanut butter is so easy to use any day.  We had peanut butter on tortillas.  The kids had apples with peanut butter for after school snack.  We also had snacks of peanut butter on spoons.  For dinner, we had pancakes and several of us had peanut butter on our pancakes.  I'll compliment peanut butter by saying "Peanut butter is so great!"
We watched the movie, Matilda, and talked about how some of the characters didn't compliment others much, but Miss Honey did compliment others quite a bit.

And since I didn't get any pictures of peanut butter or complimenting, I'll tell you about the handmade gifts I did for Christmas this year.  Rice warmers.

Nichole and Jr. asked me to make rice warmers for them after I did for a friend a while back.  It only took me about 2 1/2 years to finally getting around to making them.  They were happy to get them for Christmas and I made one for Jr. Jr. and one for Jeremy as well.  The kids' all were shaped like the one I made for the friend, but Jeremy's was long with all four segments stretched out. 

It's so he can wrap it around his neck or shoulders on cold mornings.  He was happy with it, too.
I never got pictures of the kids' rice warmers laid out on a flat surface, so I got pictures of them being used they way they are used.  Here you go: