Friday, December 27, 2013

Monday 12/23/13–Christmas with GrandBob and Suzette

On Monday the kids and I left my parents and headed to Charlotte to GrandBob and Suzette’s house.  Drew met us there, as well as Aunt Anna, Ed, Jamie, and Molly.  Suzette’s mom was at their house visiting so we got to visit with her. I think she was entertained by the kids!  We had a yummy spaghetti lunch and then exchanged Christmas presents.  The kids got things they loved!  As did everyone else but isn’t it really about the kids these days?

Lindy and her Aunt Anna!DSC_6055She got the cutest pair of ear muffs.  She was obsessed with a pair Suzette got last year so Suzette found her a pair.  She LOVES them!DSC_6057DSC_6060DSC_6062DSC_6065She loves my Gap sweatshirt so she was excited to get her own!DSC_6066DSC_6070Will got a magic set that he is very excited about.  Watch out, we might take his show on the road!DSC_6076DSC_6077DSC_6081DSC_6084DSC_6089DSC_6094Lindy and her new get up!DSC_6095DSC_6096

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Sunday shaped up to be a super busy, but super fun day!

We started the day with church.  I had it planned for the kids to wear their Christmas outfits to church that day.  Strangely enough it was about 65F that morning and I had to dig out short sleeve shirts to wear under their Christmas outfits.  So strange!

After church we changed clothes and headed to Ed and Jamie’s for the extended Southern Family Christmas.  Lindy and Will had colds towards the end of the week so we hung out in the basement most of the time, trying not to get everyone there sick.  We had a new baby in the family this year.  I was sad I didn’t get to hold him but I didn’t want to get the baby sick.  We did manage to get a picture of all the second cousins on that side. 

The kids and I left Ed and Jamie’s and headed straight to Mooresville to my parents’ house because my sister and family were flying in.  We were so excited when they got there!  We ate dinner and then the girls (and Will) headed out on a Christmas light tour.  We headed to Zootastic to see 3.5 million Christmas lights.  It was a lot different than Tangelwood where the lights are all in displays.  This place just had tons and tons and tons of strings of lights all over the trees.  We drove through and ended up back at the main shop where you could get your picture taken with Santa.  And a Baby TIGER!!!  Of course we had to do that.  Who wouldn’t get their picture taken with a baby tiger! ha!  The kids all got up there and then they handed Santa a bottle and they plopped a real live, growling baby tiger up there.  Baby tiger really wasn’t too happy about being up there.  The bottle calmed him down enough for a picture.  They got to do a quick petting of the tiger and then they got the baby tiger down.  It was so cute!  After taking pictures with the baby tiger we headed outside to see the animals in the barn and to feed the 400 lb tigers.  We fed 400 lb tigers!  Through two fences with a long pole, but they got to feed them!  What a crazy evening! 

That’s a lot of excitement in one day!

Heading to church in Christmas outfits and short sleeves.DSC_6006DSC_6008DSC_6009DSC_6012DSC_6014DSC_6016DSC_6018Attacking Aunt Anna at the Extended Southern Family Christmas.DSC_6021DSC_6023DSC_6025DSC_6026The seven second cousins!DSC_6031My annual picture with Kelsey.  Just missing Abbey.DSC_6038At Zootastic with Santa and a baby tiger!Santa Cousins PicDSC_6041Feeding the big tigerDSC_6044Big Tiger!DSC_6045Second set feeding a different big tiger.DSC_6050

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Lindy’s Special Day

Thursday, December 19th was Lindy’s special day.  It’s the day she came home from the hospital – 6 years ago.   To this day it is still one of the best Christmas presents ever. 

Will had his day in November and she has been waiting for her day.  The day we celebrate just her – not Will. 

She woke up to a sign on her bed and a sign at her seat at the table.  She was excited but she quickly let me know that I forgot the balloons that I had blown up for Will’s day.  Oops!  She reminded me all day long!

She had a normal day at school – although I’m sure she told everyone.  Who knows if anyone knew what she was talking about!  Drew picked them up from school and took her for a special treat at a popcorn store.  She likes popcorn and she got to choose from 150 different flavors.  She chose banana popcorn.  If you know her – this will not shock you! 

It was a crazy week of Christmas activities but the stars aligned and we were actually able to celebrate on her actual special day.   She was given a few different options of activities to do and she chose bowling.  We met at the bowling alley and we bowled a game.  Every one should bowl like Lindy.  She would roll it down the alley and then leave.  She doesn’t care how many get knocked down!  She just has fun! 

I tried to get her to go out to eat but she wanted to go home and eat tacos.  We got home and the girl inhaled 2.5 chicken tacos.  She ate the same amount I did! 

I think she enjoyed her day!

Bowling!DSC_5858DSC_5859DSC_5860DSC_5861Tried making them roll the ball but neither liked it.DSC_5854DSC_5855DSC_5863DSC_5865Lindy put on a little singing performance at the alley.DSC_5869DSC_5870DSC_5872DSC_5874DSC_5878After getting a strike!DSC_5880DSC_5857

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