A Lot of Christmas Stuff

Christmas is quickly approaching, the presents are mostly wrapped, teacher gifts are made, and after two days of total rain, it's snowing at the moment so maybe there's a teeny chance of a white Christmas. We saw a lot of Santas this week, thankfully he's not as scary as in 2012.

My car is still haunting me from my August incident w/ the pipe. The fan has been running weird since then and we finally brought it back. While it was gone, Hadley & I used the opportunity to clean carseats/boosters w/ a toothbrush - we found nearly a full bowl of Fruit Loops under her cushion.

Sister has stayed incredibly busy sorting and reorganizing the presents over and over and over. If your gift has a little extra tape, it's because the Elf (what she calls herself) had to fix a tear.

The kids were downstairs playing while Patrick worked in the backroom and I found this the next morning. Two thoughts before I angrily called him...why didn't you stop them? And why on Earth didn't you have them clean up? I was seriously not happy.

Finley participated in an after school club called Get Smart w/ the Arts, they met on Mondays for eight weeks and had fun working on language arts skills w/ university students. On the last day, they put on a Reader's Theater play for parents, he was excited to read his lines.

Cookie decorating to celebrate.

We were invited in to watch the Danz Krazers and I happened to have my real camera w/ me.

Finley's school hosted a holiday sing-a-long. Families bring blankets to sit on, there were art projects, cookies, and a visit from Santa!

Hadley's 4K class started a unit on Buildings - something our family knows a little about. I volunteered Grandpa to come and talk w/ her class.

He brought along a blue print of McDonalds - perfect, because they all know McD's.

Hadley was so, so, so excited for Grandpa to visit. She spent the morning w/ him too, and Grandpa said she asked every 10 minutes if it was time to go. She was very proud that HER Grandpa was at HER school. Thank you Dad! You totally made her day!

Flashback to Grandpa visiting Finley's class during the same unit.

Homemade tomato basil soup for a bedtime snack.

Nolan was in town and Finley really wanted to play w/ him. Our busy evenings don't allow for much playing, so we promised to bring Finley lunch at school. First we played on the playground.

Then we had lunch.

Apples don't fall far from the tree...Nolan acting like his mom, Hadley like hers ;)

Finley earned his way into the Soaring High Club two weeks in a row! This time he was nominated by the speech/language pathologist that has been helping us by sending home activities for articulation practice.

I introduced Finley to Erberts & Gerberts and he decided he likes Subway better.

Another visit to Santa, this time he was at M&J.

The kids & I attended Advent Happenings at our church, they made Advent crafts, ornaments, played BINGO, and had a treat. 

Finley's Boy Scout Pack sang Christmas carols to the residents of a nearby nursing home. It was fun to bring kid-energy to their hallways. A few of the Grandmas were very smitten w/ Hadley.

Patrick & I went to Green Bay to watch the Packers beat the Cowboys. It was a soggy-soggy tailgate standing in the bus...but I still managed to score a giant headache today.

Chippy was playing w/ Lincoln Logs...

...and Hadley accidently knocked him over!

Last year Hadley (being three years old and not knowing better) touched Chippy and Finley lost it. Not this year. He calmly went to the cupboard and found our leftover Magic Flying Dust (not sure why I'd hung onto it, but I'm glad I did). He sprinkled some on Chippy and all was well the next day. Last year's tears.

Monday night Finley was so tired. He was a crazy-inconsolable turd. Chippy & I both had enough. I'd never done this before, but felt it was needed. Chippy & Snowball sat on his electronic devices so they couldn't be touched for 24 hours.

More Chippy as the countdown begins to (a white?) Christmas!