Come to Order

I can honestly say we made the most of Zach's school break. Usually we get home from Utah and wish we had a whole other vacation to spend with just each other. This year we got just enough time together as a family, just enough time together as a couple. We were all sick a lot, too- and very grateful we didn't have to pack our coughing, runny-nosed, and runny-diapered kids anywhere. Is there anyone out there whose family didn't all get sick over the holidays? I don't know if it's just Facebook awareness, or if I've really been hearing about more sickness.

We made the most of our last vacation days by consolidating our kids.

They're all sleeping (very figurative term at this particular moment) in what used to be the twins' room. We moved Mia's bunk bed where Anya's crib used to be, and stuffed her dresser in there, too.

Then, we did what we've been dreaming of doing since we moved to our little house two years ago.

We moved all of the toys that have been camping out in our family/living/computer/exercise/dining/play room and put them in Mia's old room, which now serves as their play room! Now we have a very uncluttered and spacious family/living/computer/exercise/dining room and couldn't be happier. It's like we moved to a house with another 150 square feet!

The biggest plus is that their play seems more structured. Not only do they seem to understand better where everything needs to be put away when they're done playing, but when playtime ends. We leave the room, so clean-up time is way more obvious. It wasn't just the space that was cluttered, it was our schedule. It was as hard to differentiate play time and lunch time as it was to seperate the playing and eating areas. Impossible when the high chairs were between the toys and the play area.

Unfortunately, now we've subsituted day-time chaos for night. It seems I might have to make a habit of sitting in their room playing police-mom while they fall asleep. Off I go.

Christmas letter

I think if you double click it will come up in a bigger, more legible window... ;)

The stockings are hung!

The children were nestled all snug in their high chairs


and fell right asleep because we thought we'd skip their afternoon nap.
They usually stay up giggling every night until 10, so we figured...



Huh.


Well, anyway- Merry Christmas Eve! Thanks to Grandma for our Christmas pj's and SNUGGIES!! (Zach had- not an hour earlier- been lamenting the fact that he didn't get me a Snuggie for Christmas. Yeah, I'm one of THOooooose wives. Always messing with the thermostat. :)


We're so excited for our first Christmas at home! We'll miss everyone- but man it has been nice to not worry about packing up and shipping out.

Hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow!

Christmas all over the place

So it's been a while since the last one. Everything seems to hit at once, doesn't it? My busiest shooting weekend was followed by a week of the family flu.

Anya started, Bree and Mia followed, and then, after they had spent all week inside doing nothing, they got healthy enough to be bored out of their minds while Mom and Dad sat incapacitated on the couch (between trips to the bathroom.)

I still haven't been sick from morning sickness- just kind of mnyeh.

We visited the Santa at Alum Creek Fantasy of Lights. I wondered if we would meet any surprise fears of bearded dudes in red suits. The girls waited so patiently, and when they finally got to go into Santa's "house" they weren't scared at all. Mia jumped up onto his lap and Anya followed suit. Bree got stuck on the reindeer next to him, but seemed happy as anything. I figured we wouldn't try and do them individually this year- seeing how Mia is the only one who can ask for anything. She asked for a Dora mermaid whose hair she can "do," and makeup on her face. We had already gotten her toy from Santa, and so I had to return it and get the Dora with the hair. It was pretty much exactly as she described- only not a mermaid. It's just a bust of Dora for the tub. I hope she isn't disappointed there's no body...




Our preschool put on a nativity program for a senior home nearby. Mia was the shepherd on the right.


And then performed again for our preschool Christmas party last night. Mia asked if she could be Joseph this time. Nobody in the preschool group wanted to be the angel (Hey! I made that costume! Is it that bad? SOMEbody'd better wear it!) Anya was begging to dress up, so she got to do it. Enjoy!