Chippy is g-o-n-e! So is Snowball & Packer Ernie - the kids love them and I have a love/hate w/ them ;)
On the last day of school, Chippy and crew were wrapped like presents under the tree and so were their lunches. The kids came off the bus screaming (happily) about it! Of course Finley remembered when Chippy did this two years ago, but he didn't question it because Hadley wasn't in school then (my thought too).
And finally, the last night he set out their Santa Sacks and left a good-bye note...and also left them w/ mustaches. Hadley loved it and I had to draw another one after the first wore off.
Christmas Eve started w/ a Packer Tailgate party.
Finley & Hadley got dressed for church and we realized that Fran & Finley were twinning.
The kids sang w/ the children's choir during our candlelight service.
Back to Grandpa & Grandma's for Christmas Eve dinner...
...and festive cocktails.
Finley read The Christmas Story to everyone before dinner.
Carol joined us and gave each the next ornament in their collection.
We ran out of time and didn't even get to our Wii Bowling Tournament. We headed home and got ready for Santa!
Finley kills me in a "scary, that's totally me" way. He left a note for Santa telling him the apple was for the reindeer and the cookies were for Santa.
Santa came, phew!
Happy kids.
Hadley has wanted a desk for 365 days - for real, since last Christmas Day when Finley got a desk (and she received a make-up vanity w/ a bench). She was INCREDIBLY excited!
Stockings and bedhead.
Finley had a list a mile long, he was very easy to shop for and was excited about everything. He SO SO SO wanted Kylo Ren's Star Wars Shuttle and an XBOX w/ Minecraft, yes and yes.
I'm not sure what's up w/ Hadley's little ponytail, it makes me laugh.
Santa spoiled them and they were both excited to receive many things that were on their lists - the magic part :)
W/ a busy day ahead of us, we went straight into opening the gifts from/for each other.
This is the dance you do when you open a drone w/ a camera and you wanted one so.bad.
He dances, so she dances.
The craziness is fun!
I saw this meme and it fits our family perfectly.
The kids changed into new jammies and we were off to Grandma & Grandpa's.
We had a traditional Christmas lunch, this part is getting easier, we can all sit around the table and eat w/o getting up 84 times to fill sippy cups or wipe up spills.
We gave the boys a basketball rack and basketballs to use in their new Sport Court - we will be really jealous when they have a basketball court IN THEIR NEW HOUSE!
More spoiling and happy faces.
Grandpa usually attempts a nap...
...which isn't easy when this is happening around him.
Their final gift was given via a scavenger hunt...this sounds like a fun idea, but from Nolan's face in all three pictures, it obviously didn't go as happily as planned.
But everyone was smiling when they found their new kayaks! Grandpa might need a bigger boathouse.
A final Christmas picture. But behind the scenes, getting them in front of the tree w/ Packer glasses and smiles was asking way too much. They were mostly unhappy little Packers.
Winter break...
Finley likes to leave his boots and snowpants set up like a firefighter - he wants to be the first out to recess and I'm wondering if it's not in his blood - Patrick's side is full of Chicago firemen.
We painted pottery at a local studio.
Finley was proud of his alligator.
And Hadley learned how to silence a pottery studio, after she finished painting she dropped her ice cream cone and it shattered. After everyone gasped and went silent, there were major tears. Of course they didn't have another freaking ice cream cone, so she settled for a flower and painted again.
We turned our playroom into their personal art gallery w/ their masterpieces from the Cookies & Canvas classes.
A school break always means one Dunkin' Donuts breakfast, we brought friends.
The kids were excited to have a sleepover too. The boys squished on the floor...
...and Hadley got the bed to herself because no one wanted to sleep w/ her ;)
We checked out the new trampoline park!
Finley loved the dodgeball court and spent 99% of his time playing.
One bonus of Christmas falling early over winter break - new things to play with all week.
Digging for gemstones.
When we met, Tab was only five years old and not even in kindergarten yet...now she's a college graduate and registered nurse w/ her first job at a hospital in Minneapolis! I'm SO PROUD of how hard she's worked and I'm excited to watch her start the next chapter as a professional! We celebrated w/ a really good Mexican dinner.
...because Spencer played w/ his Mites team between periods! He even scored TWO GOALS!
And what happens when you're the MVP of a three-minute scrimmage? You get interviewed on the jumbotron! Spencer wasn't a man of many words, but it was SO fun to see him up there, maybe a glimpse into his future?! If so, I want a shout-out next time ;)
We arrived home about 9:30 and I was in bed by 10 - our earliest New Year in a long time!
There was celebrating this weekend - we hosted a Packer Party and watched them win (even if I didn't take a single picture). And WI had another winning team when the Badgers won the Cotton Bowl.
Grandma Dyanne taught Finley & Spencer how to knit - she's so sweet to them.
We also celebrated Grandma's birthday!
And I'll wrap up w/ me...
I got a job! It's only 40 minutes each week, pays in coffee, and my boss is adorable - I'm Elise's driver! Due to an unexpected change in daycare, Melissa needed help getting Elise to preschool Tues/Thurs mornings. The timing works out perfectly, I can drop my kids off to school, immediately pick Elise up, and get her to preschool on time. My work day is over about 9:05, it's a perfect fit ;)
The last two Saturdays I've ran a half-marathon preparing to run the Rock n Roll half-marathon on January 15. It's been cold, windy, snow-covered and I've done a little ice skating on the trail...but my view will be different when I'm running in Phoenix, AZ - I can't wait!
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