Tuesday, December 24, 2013

The Week Leading Up to Christmas

Wow – this week was jam packed full of fun.  Going to have to break this one up in multiple posts!

We started the week by going to Tanglewood’s Festival of Lights on Monday night with our UMAR and church friends.  Instead of just driving through in cars or on the the church bus, we got to ride in a wagon!  It was a neat, new way to see the lights.  I’m not sure you saw the lights any better but it was fun.  It was chilly but I had proper clothes and blankets to keep us warm.  The kids crashed on our way home.  We were hardly out of the park before they were asleep. 

The other excitement that happened on Monday was that we found out head lice was in both the kids’ classes.  agagagag!  I was volunteering in Will’s class for media center and they came in and checked all the kids.  Thankfully they didn’t find any that day.  We have had tea tree oil in our shampoo since August so hopefully that helped.   Drew took other preemptive measures by putting their bags, coats and lunch boxes in the dryer every day after school.  We made it through the week sans lice, so hopefully everyone will clear up their problems over the break!

Tuesday morning Lindy had her annual kidney testing.  Drew took her to the appointments.  She started with a kidney ultrasound and then had an appointment with the nephrologist.  The radiologist hadn’t read the x-rays but the nephrologist said things looked about the same as the year before.  We know she has one small kidney.  He sent her for blood work and said he would call with the results.  He called a few days later and said everything looked good.  Tuesday night was basketball practice for Will.  Drew took both kids so I could get some stuff done around the house and start wrapping presents.  Lindy loves basketball practice as much as Will does!

Wednesday night Drew picked up the kids from school, ran a couple errands and then I met them at the mall.  We had not run into Santa anywhere else so we had to go to the mall to visit him.  We got there in time for him to go on his dinner break so we went and had dinner as well.  We got back in line at 5:35pm but we ended up waiting over an hour.  Thank goodness for smart phones.  The kids were great because they had phones to play with.  We finally got up to see him and I will say he was one of the nicest Santas I’ve ever seen.  We got a cute picture of the kids and we were on our way.  Except we stopped on the way out and for the first time ever we let the kids jump on the big jumping machines.   The one with the harness and the big cables.   I’ve always told them they were not big enough – ha!  I finally caved and let them do it.  They had a blast.  It took Lindy a little while to figure out to how to do it but she finally got it.  It didn’t last too long but they did have a blast.

Thursday was a special day in our house – Lindy’s special day – the day she came home from the hospital.  But I’ll write a separate post for that.   Will did have his class winter party on Thursday.  Only one parent could go to it so I went to this one.  They had five different activities to do there.  We played bingo, tic tac toe, decorated cookies, made bracelets and played a little game.  They sang some songs as well.  They started the party with his teacher talking about maps and what they were learning in social studies.  She had Will stand up and name the oceans.  The four major ones and then the Southern Ocean.  He had a fun party and enjoyed himself. 

Friday I took the family with me on a work trip to Mount Airy – but I knew they would have some fun on it.  I was checking out locations for a walk up there and one was a neat park I’d driven by a bunch of times.  I knew the kids would have fun playing at the park and it was an exceptionally warm December day.  It turned out to be an awesome park.  It was so safe and perfect for Lindy.  They had a ton of fun playing.  We grabbed dinner and on our way home we surprised the kids by stopping by A Pilot Mountain Christmas Extravaganza.   I think this was our 6th year going.  Each year it has gotten bigger and bigger.  The kids were kind of tired but still enjoyed it.  We got hot chocolate and walked through the lights.  We got home and we surprised the kids again by sleeping in front of the Christmas trees.  They always think that is so fun!  Normally the kids sleep on the air mattress and Drew and I sleep on the sofa bed.  We got a new couch this year so we had no sofa bed.  I slept on a twin air mattress and Drew slept on the couch.  We made it work!

Saturday Will had his second basketball game but it didn’t really go so well.  He started coming down with a cold on Thursday and I don’t think he felt great Saturday morning.  (Cute side note – Thursday morning he sounded like he was going to lose his voice.  He told me “I’m losing my speak!”  ha ha!)  We got to his game and he was okay to begin with.  He sat out the first quarter and played the second quarter.  His coach told him where to stand and he took her seriously.  He stayed in his spot most of the time.  He also was watching the clock like a hawk.  He does not like the buzzer that goes off at the end of the quarters.  He checks the clock the entire 6 minutes.  About 45 seconds before the quarter ends he puts his hands over his ears.  During the 3 minute half time he came over to us on the bench and he started crying about how he really didn’t like the buzzer.  He didn’t like the buzzer the week before but he didn’t cry about it.  I think this was part of him not feeling well.  We sent him back to the bench for the third quarter but towards the end of it he was back over to us crying and saying he felt like he was going to throw up.  He ended up leaving the game early.  We talked to him about the buzzer and how if he wants to play he has to learn to deal with it but I really think a lot of it was that he didn’t feel good.  We’ll keep talking about it all winter break and see if he can get over it.   

I had to finish up the Christmas shopping that morning after Will’s game.  I got home shortly after lunch and GrandBob was at our house.  We all headed out to go to our niece, Molly’s, play.  She played Imogene in the Best Christmas Pageant Ever.   She was awesome and did a great job.  Despite coughing and sneezing during the show, the kids really enjoyed it too.  All the family was there and we sat by my friend Wendy and her girls.  It was a nice afternoon.   We got home in time for Drew to get ready for a church service and head out to that.  My parents arrived soon after and we ate a quick dinner and then we made Christmas cookies.  I have done it by myself with the kids for years and it was awesome to have some help!  It was 1000 times easier!  Since they were sick we let them do a small cookie sheet and decorate them.  After we got them in bed my mom and I finished the rest of them.  They headed home and I finished wrapping and started some packing.

I think I’ll cut this off now and get to the pictures. 

On the wagon at Tanglewood, checking out the lights.DSC_5810DSC_5811DSC_5816Betsy, Drew, and WillDSC_5821DSC_5832Me, Martha and LindyDSC_5834DSC_5836DSC_5837He’s really not bad at all!  DSC_5838Lindy got a stuffed Tigger at her nephrology appointment this week. DSC_5840Will at his winter party Thursday.  DSC_5842DSC_5846DSC_5852DSC_5853Lindy singing at her party on Friday.  They sang the cutest snowman song!DSC_5886DSC_5887DSC_5890She did her show and tell –showing where her family lives on the map.DSC_5892Playing at the park in Mount Airy.DSC_5901DSC_5902DSC_5903DSC_5904DSC_5908DSC_5910Pilot Mountain Christmas Lights!DSC_5919DSC_5924DSC_5927DSC_5918DSC_5932DSC_5934DSC_5936Sweet girl in her cute Christmas outfit!DSC_5937Looking at Pluto – our elf- who was hidden in the tree.  DSC_5942Sleeping in front of the tree Friday night!DSC_5947”What state does this look like?  I chewed out Florida!”  I think it really looks like Florida!DSC_5948Will’s quarter of the ball game he played in.DSC_5958Hanging in his spot and covering his ears.DSC_5962Running down the court, covering his ears.  DSC_5964The bakers and tasters!DSC_5965DSC_5966DSC_5967Getting a little help from Papa.DSC_5969DSC_5970DSC_5971DSC_5973DSC_5974DSC_5978DSC_5981Cookie experts!DSC_5986DSC_5987DSC_5997She enjoyed!  Can you tell?!DSC_5999

No comments: