Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Clearly this post is a month overdue, but that's about how things go nowadays. So here's a snapshot of our holiday highlights

Clark's Preschool Christmas Program

Clark spotting me in the audience during his grand debut

 I have been unsuccessful in uploading videos to blogger, so I will post our Christmas videos to Google plus. Most of the time Clark looked more like a deer in the headlights than an engaged member of his preschool choir, but here is one of the rare bursts of feeling I witnessed that day:

Gingerbread Houses

Posing with the Gingerbread houses. Ours is the one in the middle. The Pratt's were nice enough to invite us over for an FHE decorating homemade gingerbread houses.

Christmas Eve

So, you know how a wedding is not a wedding unless something goes wrong. Perhaps the same can be said of Christmas. I managed to botch Christmas Eve this year. We were planning on having our big Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve and we purchased a nice, fresh prime rib for the occasion. Due to my lack of planning, getting a late start, and my realization right before the meat came out of the oven than I had left my camera at a friend's house who was leaving that night for Chicago. . . . well let's just saying the timing of the meal didn't turn out. The green beans were greasy, the mashed potatoes were nothing special, but worst of all, the treasured prime rib was cold. Looking back it may not seem like such a big deal, but at the moment, I was sure I had ruined Christmas. So, there was nothing left to do than to let the kids open up their pajamas, postpone our other traditions till the next day and send them off to bed. The great thing is, the kids were so excited for Christmas in general I don't think they even noticed.  

PJ'S!

 Christmas Morning

Despite only getting 3 or 4 hours of sleep, we managed to pull ourselves out of bed for the festivities

Can you say, "Santa is AWESOME!"

Clark's "Thhhonic" Remote Control Car

Sergito's present for Clark "You WILL give me a hug for buying you a present whether you want to or not!!!"                 (The kids worked around the house to earn enough money to buy each other presents)

Emma discovered the joy of homemade presents this year, here's hers for daddy

Planes!

We celebrated the rest of the day in pajamas, did our annual cereal treasure hunt, which mom enjoys more than anyone else, because it means I get to sleep in for the rest of the holidays while the little munchkins decorate the kitchen floor with their newly acquired "cereal de aire".
We also did our annual nativity reenactment with the cast as follows:

Donkey: Mommy

Mary: Emma

Joseph: Sergito

Angry Innkeepers: Clark (he was really good at slamming the door)

Shepherds: Clark

Angel: Sergito

Out of Tune Heavenly Hosts: Everyone

Three Kings: Clark

Cameraman/Audience: Daddy

 Happy New Years

We got to spend New Years with the Pendletons. Somehow Tyler got roped into helping Sergio put together Sergito's new basketball hoop.

It looks warm, but their fingers were like little icicles by the time they were done. Fortunately it was warm enough for the kids to shoot a few hoops before coming in.

Buddies: "You're my friend right?" They kept reassuring each other of the fact often throughout the day.

Joshua and Lily - I love those curls!

AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT: A couple of the troopers didn't make it. Clark gave up at about 9:30. Joshua and Brooklyn were close, but not close enough. The rest of the troopers attempted to chomp down 12 grapes at midnight, which I've decided is impossible unless you are doing it to the 12 dong's of the town's cathedral rather than the first 12 seconds of the New Year. But we did all end up with a delicious half chewed mouthful of crispy grapes which we followed by sampling several different flavors of sparkling juice drinks! I think the mango one was the favorite. SALU'!

Emma and Brooklyn the morning after

Sergito and Kenzie playing Mario Cart

It's too bad I didn't get any pictures of twister, it was a hit. When I asked the kids before they went back to school what their favorite part of the holidays was, they all agreed it was New Years.