Christmas 2013 Take 2

So on Christmas Eve we acted out the nativity. Since there are only 5 of us we have to improvise, which makes it even more fun. Andre was the narrator and photographer, John was all the shepherds and the 3 kings, I was the Angel and costume/prop person and director, and Ava & Kael got to be Mary and Joseph (per their request).

Joseph leading Mary to Bethlehem, aka our living room

Our manger

Putting baby Jesus in the manger (we have no baby so we made it work)

The shepherd with his sheep

The Kings bearing gifts

We have the same tradition that a lot of people I know also have and that is opening one present on Christmas Eve. Remarkably that one present always seems to follow along the same theme of pajamas although some years I get really creative and give John new underwear or socks.

Ava was lucky and actually got 2 sets of pj's. Kael was jealous.

John with his superman pajamas. Did I say John? I meant Clark Kent.

Christmas Eve night was extremely difficult. Kael & Ava both had been coughing off and on all day long and that night Kael came down with a really bad case of croup. He was barking like a seal and would cough so much he would throw up. He was shaking and breathing all raspy, it was no fun. We were up all night with him and I remember just putting my hand on his chest throughout the night to make sure he was still breathing. I contemplated taking him to the ER many times but I had a feeling we would just have to get through it. 

Kael has had multiple respiratory problems in the past and we actually have a nebulizer that we have to use once in a while with him so this is not the first time he's come down with something terrible. Even so it was so sad that all of this was happening Christmas Eve. Usually I can't resist waking everyone up insanely early because I am too excited but this year I figured it was best to let the kids sleep. Ava finally came in to our room around 7:30 and was beyond excited to go see what Santa brought her. Kael woke up but was very groggy. I thought he might perk up a little when we told him it was Christmas morning and Santa came. He just laid on our bed and asked if someone could carry him out there. It was the saddest thing to see Andre just carrying Kael out to the front room. Santa brought Kael a lacrosse set (2 sticks & a ball) and Kael got a big smile on his face. He grabbed the sticks and then just laid down with them on the couch and didn't move.

Before I make this seem too tragic everyone is fine now. He is still getting over it somewhat but is feeling better, and he did end up acting a little better that morning. At one point he was even jumping around in his new power ranger costume.

Christmas morning!

Santa brought Ava her own golf clubs!

And John got a GPS!

All winter long Ava has been singing that she wanted a hippopotamus for Christmas...so Santa delivered

Kael got marbles in his stocking! I have had so much fun teaching him how to play marbles.

Ava and her new golf shoes

It's the red ranger ("Mom, the red ranger is the leader ranger") is what I heard all morning.

This was hands down probably my favorite gift I opened. Ava has been working on this at school for weeks. She made the snowman all by herself in ceramics class and glazed & painted it. I especially love his little french hat.

The kids got a keyboard from their uncle John and G'ma & G'pa Shannon. They were elated; I think they were extremely spoiled this year!

Clark Kent showing off his new suspenders

Ava got some art supplies, a canvas board, easel, and some new paints

They all went to the park to use their new stuff and I got stay at home and sleep. Yeah right...I stayed home to make Christmas dinner.

The Hulk made an appearance to show off his musical talents. Don't ask why he has a strip of hair going down his forehead, I have no clue and we all thought it was very funny.

Anyway our Christmas morning and day was amazing. We were together and everyone was so happy. I love how our children got just as happy opening little things as they did big things. They were so pleased with anything they received and most of all we were all happiest to give gifts to each other and to be together. If I could have only added a few loved ones to our day it would have pretty much been perfect.

Christmas 2013

I think I'll divide this one up into two different posts so that it's not one insanely long post. On Christmas Eve we always go to Mayfaire and get hot chocolate and ride the polar express together. This year it has been about 65-70+ degrees the whole week leading up to Christmas and then on Christmas Eve it was about 50 degrees, which is not that bad but it was windy and the wind was chilly. Needless to say it was a drastic change riding the train that day.

Drinking hot chocolate. Except Andre who ordered a butterbeer.

The crowd

I have no idea what was up with Andre throwing up his gang signs all day

The Boys

Kael wanted to ride with John and they insisted on riding in the very back and Ava insisted on riding in the very front with Andre and me 

Me and Ava!

The three of us (with John and Kael way back there)

For some reason Ava thought it was funny to act dead the whole time

They were singing Christmas carols together!

Our camera started doing this really annoying thing where it puts the date on all of our pictures and I can't get it off. I've tried to change the settings on the camera and the date just keeps popping back on there. It drives me crazy! We had a really good time and this year was John's year to pick where we eat out on Christmas Eve so we went to the Harp (Irish food) and it was pretty good. I was really wanting lamb stew but they didn't have it. Kael ordered fish n chips and loved it! That boy always shocks me how much he can eat. John had to work from 3-7:30 so we did all of our stuff really early and then we came back to the house and watched Home Alone 2 and then when John got home we had our Christmas pageant and opened a gift and then went to bed!!

Preschool Christmas

Kael has his musical program at preschool, "A Candy Christmas." It was very cute and we ordered a DVD of it! Good thing because we could not have sat further away from where he was in the program. It was depressing because we walked in and they told us where to sit to get a good view of him and then he walked in and got up on the stage all the way to the other end of the room! But then we couldn't move because we would have been in the DVD they were recording so it really sucked. It was cute to watch and he got really in to it with his air guitar and everything, we just couldn't get a decent picture.

He was in a very goofy mood

Ms. Crystal, Kael, Ms. Annie, and Ms. Joanne

I'm not sure when we'll have another child in preschool and this is Kael's last year. It was very sad but fun to watch his goofy self.

Thanksgiving 2013

Thanksgiving this year was very hectic and awesome. Kurtis flew in from Las Vegas and the day he got here I had a huge stats test so Andre had to take the kids to Charlotte to go and pick him up. They didn't get here until almost 1 am that night and then Andre had to go in to work. This was on Tuesday night and then Wednesday we tried to do as many fun things with Kurtis as we could. We went to lunch at Temptations (a favorite of mine and Kurtis'), jungle rapids, and stopped by Dicks to get me new running shoes! A bday present from my bro. And then Wednesday night we had a party for Kurt's birthday since we won't be there on his actual birthday.

Then on Thanksgiving day the fellas went to play some football while I slaved away in the kitchen. Every year I threaten that we will go to Golden Corral and I swear one year we actually will! That way I might actually be able to watch the Macy's Day parade or play football with the homies. Dinner was amazing if I do say so myself. Then Andre and I stopped by the Wal Mart to pick up some black friday items, then we went to see Frozen. The movie was super cute! I loved the songs and it was really well done. Then Andre and Kurtis left at about 3:30am to take Kurtis back to the Charlotte airport.

He even came to swimming lessons with us!

The kids made pinecone turkeys or our centerpiece for dinner

The boys are obviously working oh so hard to help make dinner

Turkey time!

We officially have to fight over the leg at our house. Kurtis, John, me, and now Ava all want a leg! Maybe they'll create some sort of hybrid turkey that has 4 legs (to eat)!

Happy Thanksgiving! It is my dream one day that all my brothers and their families can come eat Thanksgiving dinner at my house.