Halloween 2013

We had a good “holiday.”  Just good.  Definitely better than last year, but it wouldn’t really take much to beat last year.  Dh and ds2 were in Disney World at a Biomedical symposium but my brother and his wife and my nephew and his son came over and we enjoyed ourselves.

Here’s my front entrance.  The monster door was so simple but really turned out super cute.

On the menu:   Bones, Green-Eyed monster cookies, and punch served in googly eye cups.  I traditionally serve a vegetable-filled “Halloween Soup” in preparation for the candy gluttony, but my heart wasn’t in it this year and we ordered pizza.  With mushrooms, which is a vegetable, so there.

My nephew’s son (maybe we should call him ns here on the old blog) and ds4 playing with the inside decorations.  Those green alien things are balloons that have a blinking led light…they were super cool and are still blinking three days later!

Ds3 was “Steve” from Minecraft, ds4 was “toxic waste” and ns was a skeleton (and a total cutie pie and ham the whole night.)

This is from the end of the night when we came back home…ds1 stayed home and handed out candy dressed as a green guy…yeah, I don’t really get it either.  ;)

Christmas Around The World Part Two

Well, we weren’t going to take our holiday break until later this week, but the ickies have invaded and necessitate an early release.  Much to the boys’ chagrin lol.  Hopefully the coughing and excessive use of tissues will subside in time for Christmas.  Either way, we did visit a few more countries for our Christmas Around The World study.

Here we see the boys diligently working on a Noel banner for our door in honor of our “visit” to France.

Embellished with some festive scrapbook paper and a few bells and it turned out pretty good.

We made a tissue paper menorah to commemorate our study of the holidays in Israel.  We also “visited” Mexico, Sweden and Germany but didn’t make any crafty mementos for those trips.  Why you may ask?

A picture is worth a thousand words.  ;)

Christmas Around The World: Italy

Today the boys and I began a study of the way other countries celebrate the holidays.  We are using a unit I found on the internet of course, and I wish I could link to it but I’m not sure where I got it and don’t see any site or person to give credit to in the document itself other than “Holly.”  Sorry.

The first country we “visited” was Italy.  We learned how to say Santa Claus and Merry Christmas in Italian, how Christmas in Italy focuses a lot on the nativity and about the story of La Befana, the kind old woman who flies around on a broomstick and leaves candy and treats in the shoes of good children.

We found Italy on the world map and flagged it with the Italian version of “Merry Christmas.”

I made a really impromptu flannel board and the boys acted out the nativity story as I read it out loud.

Here is ds4 with our La Befana puppet.  Just when I think he is getting too old for these kinds of things he surprises me with how much fun he has.  :)

In fact, La Befana’s little helper left some treats in my shoes!  Too cute.  The little helper, not the shoes.  ;)

Christmas Day 2010: Part Two

My siblings and their families met up for Christmas celebrations at my parent’s home.  In fact, only one of my four brothers actually made it this year, but my nephew, who is a chef and usually has to work on holidays was able to come, so that more than made up for the lack of brothers.

Especially since he brought this!  What a sweet little girl his daughter is.  She is all girly and was wearing a little crown and got all kinds of girly gifts and even gave me a makeover!  I was in little girl heaven all morning.  The guy in purple is the one brother who made it and he was only making a brief appearance as he was working the E.R. that morning.

Here is ds2 and one of the twins.  Those guys were so much fun that morning!  They are usually a little shy and reserved, but they were in giggly moods and were cracking us all up.

All except my mom’s dog Maggie that is.  If looks could kill, kid.

The twins have developed a lip picking habit.  It was driving my niece crazy.  I think that’s why they were doing it.  ;)  They are identical and very hard to tell apart.  We thought it would be better now that they can talk and tell us who is who, but they have also discovered how fun it is to fib about their true identity.  Or they will make you work for it…if you ask one who he is he will answer, “I’m not (insert other twins name here.)”  Just to keep us on our toes.  ;)

That’s me on the floor, trying on the new boots my mom gave me.  They have heels!  Stay tuned for the twisted ankle post coming soon. 

Ds1 is washing up.  Why?

He is in training!  My dad was teaching him the ways of the force…I mean, how to carve the turkey.

My niece, mother of the twins.  Excited about getting a new mop for Christmas.  You have officially joined the ranks of motherhood my dear.

My little boys.  Ds3 would just like to say, “Go Gators!”  Notice how ds4 is looking up to ds3?  He is only putting his hand up because his brother is doing it.   Lately he won’t do or say or like anything unless his older brother is doing, saying or liking it too.  The boy won’t eat, sleep, wake up, do school (you get the picture) without looking to ds3 first.  I think it’s making him grow up and out of things too soon.  But what can I do?

More twin cuteness.  I held this guy the day he was born.  Or maybe it was his brother.

That’s the end of the Christmas posts this year.  Seems like it went by all too quickly.  I already miss hearing Christmas songs on the radio.  That’s okay, I still have my handy dandy Christmas Carol clock!

Until “somebody” takes out the batteries that is.  ;)

Christmas Day 2010

Santa came nice and early to our abode and we had a wonderful Christmas morning.

Our tree this year.  It had a blue theme.

It is tradition in our home that the year a boy turns ten, he gets an “official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle!” (name that movie) for Christmas.  This year was ds3’s turn.

I love this shot.  Ds4 is super excited over these legos.  Check out the tv screen (name that movie) lol.

Ah, teenagers.  Oh, sorry, the oldest there is almost two years removed from being a teen.  Still, I miss seeing them in their pj’s getting all excited about legos and toy rifles.

Ds2 did get excited about this gift, mainly as it was completely unexpected.  He and my brother saw Jim Gaffigan earlier this year and ds actually got his autograph (He signed it “Alex pocket.”  Those who know Gaffigan will understand lol.)  Anywho, the signed poster and ticket stub were just shoved into ds’s desk drawer so I snuck them out and had them custom framed.

Smokey did not understand what all the hubbub was about and just wanted some lap time with me.

Mimi was scoping out which box or bag to hide in.

Ds1 got dh and ds2 tickets to the Senior Bowl.

It was funny watching these two go at it.  They had a hard time deciding what to focus on…the gift they were opening or the one their brother was opening lol.  We had a very blessed Christmas morning at home this year.  Shortly after all this we headed over to my parent’s home to meet up with extended family.  Stay tuned for part two.  (Hint; there will be cute twins and a sweet little girl, you won’t want to miss it.)  ;)

Christmas Eve 2010

We spend Christmas Eve with dh’s family, indulging in a delicious lunch of my mil’s lasagna and gumbo and gathering around the tree for some “dirty Santa” fun.

Most of my pics from this day are grainy.  I had the camera set to no flash and could not get it to go back to auto!  Dh figured it out later in the day (note to self; always ask dh first) so not all the pics are bad.

My niece and her mother.  My niece graduates high school in May.  I used to change her diapers.

My nephews (well, some of them anyway) and my ds2.  I used to change their diapers.

Dh’s oldest sibling plays Santa every year.

There is always one dirty Santa gift that everyone fights over…this year it was this snuggie type blanket thing.

 

Ds4 comes in at one point and says, “Do you want to come see my sand castle?”  No, we weren’t at the beach lol.  Gotta love little boys.  :)

My bil had the cousins gathered around a cell phone, I think they were tracking Santa or something.

Ds3 and his gift.  It was a great day.  :)

We Take A Break From Cough Fest 2010

to bring you more holiday fun!  Well, as much fun as you can have when you are constantly coughing.  Ds4 is turning the corner we think, but ds3 picked up the bug and is having a hard time of it.  We have managed to squeeze in little activities between doctor visits and naps.  For Thursday we made paper snowflakes.  This was a treat for all, as I have never made any before myself.

What will it look like?

Almost there!

Ta da!

We added glitter to some of them.

And my little angel even helped clean up.  :)

On Friday I made up some Christmas themed granola bars (with red and green m&m’s of course) and the boys made hot chocolate popsicles.

Working on his pouring skills.

Enjoying the final product.  I have some more fun little holiday activities planned as soon as these guys get over the sickies!

UPDATE:  Ds4 woke up this morning and said, “Look what I got!” while showing me his leg.  Well, he “got” the strangest rash I’ve ever seen, bright red welts on both ankles and wrists.  We headed to the dr and she said it’s part of his virus, the third child with it she has seen so far.  He itches a little, but otherwise doesn’t seem to be bothered with it so we are just waiting for it to clear up…and for ds3 to come down with it of course.  ;)