Top Secret Mission!

Back in November we met up at Maudsley State Park in Newburyport to get a group shot of all the kids together for a nice picture for Grammy and Grampy for a Christmas present, since I mentioned in my last post was nearly impossible, especially with an acceptable background!  If only people didn't want to see their faces, the above one would have been great!  Except we were missing Casey.  I couldn't do this post before the present was given just in case there was any suspicion.  In the end none of were even paying attention when the picture got opened!  So much for the dramatic build up.  But they loved it anyway, we think!

This was the final cut!  Uncle Brian worked VERY hard, what got them to finally smile and look all mostly in the same direction, was him putting his shoe on his head!  Very funny.. I'll have to use that one in the future!  It was a freezing cold day, we stripped them of their jackets for the picture but then bundled them back up again to go for a nature walk through the park, it was a very long walk and at one point wondered if we'd ever make it out!  But the kids had lots of fun just being kids and spending the afternoon together.

Wait for me!! Cole was still busy collecting acorns when the others forged onward!

You have to hug the sign in order to read it :)

We put a stop to this game pretty quickly once we figured out what it was.. Monsters!  who would jump out at upcoming passersby!

Cam took charge and led the troops forward.

A perfect tree for climbing!

Rob stayed back with the stragglers. 

Just chillin' on the rock

At this time Caden was learning about the Pilgrims and Indians.  The kids collected sticks to kill the animals so that they could use the meat to eat, the skin to make clothes and the bones to make tools and arrow heads.. at least he was listening!  And the only reason I actually know this is because I volunteered in his classroom one of the days they were reading a story about it, since Caden does not share anything that they do at school with us!  Caden was piling it high on Gabrielle, I told him that was enough, soon she wouldn't be able to see, and Gabrielle replied that she could take more!  She's a worker!

Buddies

Holiday Rewind

A lot happened before Christmas, but we were so busy the blog was abandoned a bit.. so here we will catch up..

Christmas #1 - Chirco Christmas! Where we go to Grammy and Grampy's and have Christmas with the Chirco cousins.  It's not often we are able to get all of them in front of the camera with almost everyone looking!  Normally it is nap time for someone, or one won't sit still.. this was a close one!  Casey was on the move! 

 Another one?! This must be our lucky day!

Santa came!

Two were totally psyched!  and didn't leave Santa's side.

Two others were absolutely certain that they were fine as far away from Santa as humanly possible!

And one was in different..

Eventually Caden decided to be in a picture with Santa.. really you could see his little mind working very hard!  and he was quite curious about the whole situation.

Next day was Christmas #2a and #2b.  Morning with Grampy, Uncle Brian and Becky..

The love this girl has for her "babies" human and animal is astounding!

Then the Waterhouse Family Christmas in the afternoon.. Elizabeth loved her hat from us!

The boys got new trucks, every truck they get it is as if they had never had one before!  The excitement they have for trucks (especially those that make noise) is astounding!

Rob and I spent one evening assembling these lovely men for Cole's preschool holiday party, thankfully there are only 6 kids in his class!.. really the whole ordeal was a frustrating one, and to top it all off, when I put them in the clear bags their noses got knocked off... Grrr!  So I had to blow all the bags up, then lay them down on their backs so the bag hopefully wouldn't knock it off.

Last but not least!  We had totally given up on the gingerbread house this year.. but Cousin Amy and her family are Awesome! and gave everyone one for Christmas!  She saved Christmas!  and the kids got their Gingerbread house.. and a huge sugar rush. 

Someone mentioned silly faces.. and this is the first time Cora has actually participated! Of course everyone else had finished.. but it is cute just the same!

Our masterpiece!  I am in charge of the icing, the kids are in charge of sticking all the candy on.. not a bad job!

And then there was left over candy.. caught stealing before it could go in the trash! 

One last Christmas Party left...  so stay tuned for a bit more Christmas!



Christmas 2010

Santa came!

 This year Santa offered a little advice on how to score more presents next year!  Caden is very quick to remind Cole and Cora when they are not doing as Santa asked.. but when I ask him if he is working on what Santa told him he says "I forget what he said"  Sure you did!

Santa leaves an ornament on the kids doorknobs when he comes so they know he came and don't have to go downstairs to check!  He tries to get them an ornament which relates to them currently... Cora is big on her babies, hence the girl holding the baby doll (even though Cora can't exactly wear pigtails yet!).  Cole starts ski lessons with Caden next week, and Caden rides a bus this year to school!  They all loved their ornaments and could not wait to show us in the morning!  I was pleased when Christmas Eve night Caden sat up in bed and asked me if Santa would leave him a decoration.. although he followed it by "or is it the Easter Bunny who leaves it?" He's 5! you can't expect him to remember exactly!

Caden woke up at 5:45 to go to the bathroom, and I though it was all over when he saw the ornaments on the doors... but I told him to go back to bed because Cole and Cora were still sleeping, and he did!  Cole woke up around 6:30 and they played quietly in their room, finally Rob decided at 7 that we should wake up Cora because the boys were being so good they deserved Christmas!  I think really Rob was as anxious for presents as them!

  

I tried to capture the look on their faces as they entered the room... Caden was too fast, he's already at the base of the tree! plus I had forgotten to change to my wide angle lens for the morning.. oh well.. Cole's face if priceless!!

Santa tries to assemble something so the kids have an instant draw and don't want to tear into every present all at once!  And he probably remembers the pain Mom and Dad went through Caden's 1st Christmas when all the toys had to be assembled or unpackaged from armor while a very impatient 9 month old looked on!  Big lesson learned that year! and never forgotten!

Lots of fun with table Foosball!  Big hit!

 After tree investigation we hit the stockings first... Rob will be a Ninja while snowblowing what the blizzard leaves us!

This really was the best Christmas so far with the kids, they were so excited not only for their presents, but for everyone else's as well!  They loved every gift, even the clothes! I am sure it only gets better!

Some of us (more so Cole) don't like getting up in the morning.. perhaps a Lego alarm clock will get everyone up and at 'em!   By the way can you find your Christmas card in the background?!

Cora's Bitty Baby got a new outfit.. I was very tired of looking at her in PJ's all the time!  Since Baby had mini "Uggs"  Cora got some to to match!  Doesn't she look about 12 in her new outfit?!

Operation!  So different from when I was a kid! The noises that come out of it are offensive, but the kids find it hilarious when the guy passes gas!  By the way this is at about 6PM at night, Cole never changed out of his PJ's.. now that is what Christmas is all about!  Grammy and Grampy came over in the afternoon for Rob's fried turkey.. it is sad that I have never cooked a turkey and now Rob has cooked two!  And I must say fried turkey is the BEST!  so moist and delicious! and quick to cook too!

Cora and her baby in matching PJs!!  Grammy is awesome, since Caden is very particular about his jammies these days we had him, and the other two pick out their fabric and we co-opted Grammy to make their Christmas PJs, she surprised Cora with some for one of her babies! They were so cute!  Cora got a shopping cart, she pushed it around all day, although she had some competition from Cole who also really enjoys it!  He pushes it around and when Cora starts crying that he's not letting her play Cole tells me that he is playing with Cora.. hmm.. suspect! since he's the only one driving the cart!

A very Merry Christmas indeed!