Christmas/USS Iowa Battleship

Christmas morning Connor was much more eager to go downstairs than last year (last year we had to talk him into checking out his loot).  This year he was the first one down stairs after me.  I thought I took pictures, but apparently not as this was the only one on my camera...oh well.  The kids fared pretty well.  Connor's stuff is on the left, then daddy's, mommy's and Chloe's is on the right.  The stockings that I didn't finish last year, I once again didn't finish this year.  I made sure I got the needlepoint part done for everyone and then couldn't figure out how to get the cuff on the stocking, so hence the names are all missing from them.  My mom told me she would help me this week, so next year they'll be ready :)

As for other gifts-Connor got a new Twenty Trucks shirt and the second DVD of Truck Tunes, Candyland, a cement mixer, a cherry picker truck, a memory game, books, apron, a dinosaur pillow pet, pajamas and a bucket of gears.  Chloe got an elephant ball popper, a vacuum, clothes, a shopping cart, pajamas, a frog and a doll.   Peter got some shirts, and a pajama shirt.  I got a foot massager and some jewelry.  Together we got a Roku, a gift card for dinner out and sonicare toothbrushes.

We did Christmas morning at our own house.  Then my parents, Josh and Bubba came over for breakfast and to see what we got.  We gave them their presents then as well.  After they left Chloe napped and the rest of us played with our goodies.  Later we went to Sean and Amy's house for dinner and present exchange with cousins.

On the 26th Abbie and Rafe came into town and we spent the day with them and E and P were also in town.  We had a great Christmas break!

Today we went to the USS Iowa Battleship in San Pedro.  David, Peter, Connor, Chloe and I enjoyed the battleship.  On the drive there Chloe puked in her car seat.  At one point Connor announces that it smells back there and then the fumes wafted up to the front seat....it was pretty bad.  We arrived and I changed Chloe while Peter cleaned out the seat.  Then we went in and enjoyed the battleship. 

Connor as Chief of Staff

We had a great time, Peter is already talking about going and seeing it again, he picked up several buy one get one free passes.  The weather held up pretty well for us.  It was a bit chilly, but it didn't rain while we were there, which was nice.  On our way home it rained pretty hard.  We stopped for lunch at Cafe Rio, one of Peter's favorite places (we still don't know why there are no locations near us).  Then we got back in the puke smelling car and drove home.  Once home I showered Chloe and then we took the car seat apart and threw it in the washing machine.  The shell needed to be hosed off, but since it was raining I put it out in the rain to get washed off.

Ugly Sweater/Graham Cracker Houses

Friday was my last day of work for two weeks.  That evening my work held their annual holiday work party and ornament exchange at Carvers.  This year they added in an ugly sweater contest and said there would be a prize for the ugliest sweater.  Many teachers set out to make an ugly sweater, some bought one, and some went with festive sweaters.  One of my co-workers suggested that I pin a bunch of my teddy bears to a sweater, and so I did.  While looking for the smallest bears in my collection, I realized most were Christmas bears, so I purposely pinned all of my small Christmas bears to one of my sweaters.  It was awesome!  I walked into Carvers and the people at the front all agreed mine was the best.  One guy walked us to our room and announced to everyone that the competition was over that I had won it.  Awhile later the same guy came back to pick the winner.  Each staff member had to stand and display their sweater.  If you wore a shirt and not a sweater, he disqualified you.  It came down to me and two others, one got disqualified because she took it off and didn't wear it the whole time.  Then it was down to me and the music teacher.  I liked his.  He found a Christmas vest at goodwill and glued silver tinsel around the edges and then spelled out Joy on the back in gold tinsel.  It was pretty awesome.  The guy wanted to call it a tie, but my boss said there was only one prize.....so then he decided that I was the favorite.  Woohoo!  I won bragging rights, a certificate and $50.

Saturday my mom and I went shopping.  I promptly spent my winnings and some more on Christmas gifts, but can say I pretty much started and nearly finished my shopping that day.  I ordered a few things online for the kids as well.  Saturday evening we had cousins over for our annual graham cracker house makings and a trip down Christmas Card Lane.  The festivities got underway a little late, we ate dinner, did Christmas Card Lane and then all the kids fell promptly to sleep.  We divided up the candy and everyone took home their houses undecorated. 

Today Connor and I decorated houses.  I decorated Chloe's and she had a great time eating it afterwards.  Connor decorated his own, let me take a picture and then plucked all the candies off and ate them.  Chloe basically ate the whole thing.

Tomorrow will likely consist of waiting for the garbage truck and making crafts.

School walk-a-thon/Beach day

The week before Thanksgiving week Connor participated in his school's walk-a-thon.  This year the theme was Trot for Turf.  We have tried countless times to grow grass on one of our playgrounds and it never lasts.  So we raised money for some artificial turf to go on one of our playgrounds as part of our soccer field.  Connor had a great time running his laps, and I snuck away from my class to watch him participate in his first walk-a-thon.  We had a great time. 

Every time he ran by me he had a giant grin on his face.  He was loving it!  

A couple days after the walk-a-thon, our school had our annual Thanksgiving Feast.  I was able to go to Connor's class and enjoy the feast next to him.  We had turkey, tater tots, apple sauce (made by Connor's class), carrots, cornbread muffins (made by the 4th and 5th graders) and a pumpkin bar dessert made by the 2nd and 3rd graders.  The feast was delicious and I loved getting to enjoy it with Connor.

Then we had a week off of school which we thoroughly enjoyed.  Connor loved waiting for the garbage truck on Tuesday and helped me clean the house for guests.  For Thanksgiving Peter cooked the bird and two pies.  He made pumpkin chiffon and apple cranberry pies.  He made an extra pumpkin chiffon and traded with Sean and Amy for a key lime pie.  We had dinner at my parents' house.  Abbie and Rafe were there and so were E and P.  Chloe showed off her walking skill/s to everyone.  She began taking steps unassisted about 2 weeks prior, but would often fall down and then resort to crawling.  This time she would fall and stand back up again.

On Friday my dad, Abbie, Rafe, Peter, Connor, Chloe and I headed to Del Mar Beach for some fun in the sun.  It's sad to say that we've taken Connor to the beach only a handful of times and live practically 20 minutes away.  Chloe had never been before and she loved the sand as much as Connor did, maybe more.

Who made this mess?  

Connor's reaction, "Chloe did it."

 She has chips in her mouth.

 Look at my new moves...I can walk now!

 Building castles together...or big muddy messes.

 Have no fear, she doesn't have black eyes...she's coated in sand .

Before getting into the car we stripped this little sand monster and gave her a new diaper.  Then after getting home everyone took a much needed shower.

Chloe has a knack for emptying out my purse...this time she found a brand new toothbrush.