Santa 2009

Saturday was our annual trip to see Santa. Every year the local Lion's club puts on a breakfast with Santa and it happens to be at Luke's school which makes it even more awesome for us to attend. I was a bit nervous on how the entire visit with would go for Addie. We don't make a huge deal out of Santa around here but Santa certainly brings some nice gifts so we better visit him. I am happy to report both kids made it a wonderfully memorable visit.

Luke was kind enough to remind me yet again this year that it really is not breakfast with Santa because you go through Santa's village and then into the cafeteria to have your breakfast. This year Luke said they should call it breakfast where Santa is. Hummm, almost catchy.

Lucas shared his list with Santa. It is quiet the list. Front and back. The front has our customary cut out pictures so we know EXACTLY what to buy and the back was written out additional items he could not find pictures of.



Here is the part I was nervous about.
The approach:

Addie Jo starts to talk to Santa. I think oh ok, this is going to be just fine. What I was not prepared for was Addie's ten minute speech to Santa. This is a plus to this trip, Santa will take his time with the kids. Addie did not stop talking the entire time. Addie summed up his entire wardrobe for him. She fell in love with Santa. She told him he had boots just like her mom did. She said his belt was really too big and he had his hat on inside. I suggested she go over his list with him. Maybe it would have been a shorter visit because then she went over the color of the dolls she wanted and not to forget boots like his.

And more talking. Honestly, I am not sure what she was on by this point in time.

Hey, Addie Jo can I take your picture? Can we get a picture of you with Santa. Oh sure she says, turns to get a picture. I think Santa did not pick her up because he was afraid he could not get her down.

She loved him, just loved him. This is her holding her list. She went over every item. As she was getting down Santa took her list. Nothing was said of it so we off to breakfast. All of a sudden we were eating pancakes and she remembered her list was gone. Total freak out. We had to go back and ask Santa for her list back. She said she still had to look at it he can't take it. This very nice lady from the Lion's club tried to explain Santa needed it to get her her things on the list. She told that very nice lady he can't take it. It is her list.


Breakfast:

The excitement!!

There are a couple of clowns there to keep everyone entertained as you wait to see Santa and then to get your breakfast. Luke and I don't really care for clowns. Actually truth be known clowns scare us. Addie on the other hand is far more out going and friendlier and found chatting with the clowns fun although she did not find them funny.

Here is Addie Jo trying to understand Santa is not going to bring her pancakes.

It was a very awesome morning!!

Christmas Decorations

The decorations are up. It is such a relief to be quiet honest. I was really stressed this year about figuring out when I was going to get them up. Once Jeremy came home with our new tree my anxiety turned into total excitement. I had planned this year on doing the tree in silver and white. Oh yeah, in case you don't know there are no family moments to share here of decorating the tree. The downstairs tree is done by well, me. I occasionally ask for help regarding if an item it centered or a side is too full but as far as asking for help with putting decorations on. Yeah, I am not sure in my entire life I have ever asked for help with that. I love a beautiful tree. That is not to say if your tree is full of colored lights and homemade children's ornaments it is not beautiful also. It is just not for me. Now don't think my kids are missing out here. They have their own trees. Oh yeah, and Jeremy does also.

Well you can't see here too well but these tress have tinsel. I despise tensile. Colored blinking lights and tons of kid ornaments. They also have multicolored blinking star on top of one of the trees. Lucas wanted that thing so bad when he was 4. I think I am going to make him take it to college with him. Here is the garland. This seems to be Addie's favorite this year. She loves when I turn the lights on every night. She has brought over all the neighbors to see the garland and to point out the decorations in her room. Looking at this picture reminds me I have to even out the swoops on this....ok I will be right back....

Oh thanks

So here is the tree. As you can see I just took this picture because there are presents under, which means I finished my marathon wrapping session.

The tree: The new tree is 12 ft tall. Yeah, that is tall. Taller then you might think. So tall actually it is most likely a good idea to go ahead a measure before you make such a purchase. I tell you think in case you are of making a 12ft tall tree purchase and know, just know your ceilings are taller then 12 ft. Jeremy asked me more then once if I measured, I simply looked at him as if he had four heads and shrugged him off. Measure, silly man clearly it is higher then 12 ft. When we attempted to buy the tree the first time, yeah, the tree came in two boxes and they only had one box left. I wanted a new skinny tree but not half a new skinny tree, Jeremy again asked if I wanted to measure. Ha, no no I don't. Friday morning Jeremy took the kids out in the madness of Sam's. He bought the tree for me and brought it home. I was so excited to see those boxes in the living room. I jumped right in to putting up the tree. I became a bit nervous around section 4 of 6 that maybe I should have measured. Jeremy asked me at section 5 if I thought I had 12ft ceilings. Silence followed. We went for section 6 and all of a sudden we had Clark Griswold's tree in our living room. It was bent over the ceiling and curving back down. I decided right then and there I was wrong. In the holiday spirit I fessed up immediately that maybe measuring was a good idea. I thought I would get an oh yeah from Jeremy but instead I just got a you did not just say that look. A debate insured regarding moving all the furniture to move the tree to the opposite side of the room or taking out a section. We were tired after getting it all put together so we decided that taking a section out by simply bending over the tree was the best idea. Well that just about killed us. 12ft of tree is not the lightest thing in the world. The tree is just over 9ft. now. For the record I would like to mention 9ft is the tree size that Jeremy wanted to buy in the first place.

Measure, measure, measure I tell ya

Next year, all 12ft will be up for the skinny tree and I will have more pictures to post. It does not matter to me that not all of it is up. I love every branch of it. I even like the white and red this year.

We are all in the Christmas spirit around here, just need a little snow and we will be good to go!!

Camera usage

A holiday weekend. Can you think of a better time to use your camera then a long holiday weekend? A weekend filled with multiple family get together's? Geez me either. I guess that is why I am still wondering no matter where I went this weekend I failed to bring my camera or if I did bring it failed to use it for even one picture.

Here is Thanksgiving weekend summed up.

It all started a week ago Saturday with Thanksgiving at the farm. Everyone was able to make it and it was a wonderful time for all. The kids played together wonderfully and the food was of coarse wonderful. The food was so wonderful that we decided for Christmas we would not try to out do ourselves so we will stick to pizza and soup.
Next up Wednesday night. The kids were with Grandma Ann so I decided to start unloading the Christmas decorations. I got the garland and trees upstairs completed as well as the kitchen and bathroom decorations up. The only thing left was the tree. I have no time, I mean no time these day people so I had to fudge a little on the "Respect the bird" rule around our place but decided to place it on the safe side and hold off on the tree. Better safe then sorry. I was a little afraid if I did not respect the bird and his day then I may not have anything to open under the tree!!
Thursday was great, good food, nice fire in the fireplace and then. Well then it pretty much came to an exciting end when Grandma Ann's garbage disposal blew out. Yeah, that is the best way I can describe it. We were in the kitchen cleaning up the last of the dishes when AHHHHH. Yeah, there was water and minced food all over the floor and I will spare you the description of what lay beneath the sink. Yuck.
Next up Friday. National Shopping day around here and we put up the tree!!
Saturday we headed out to Papa's house with Hunter and Aunt Carrie. Poor T was sick. Sick with a nasty cough and sinus infection. It was nice to see everyone and get to play some left, right, center. Somehow I never even came close to winning but Aunt Carrie won twice. Yeah, Jeremy was super excited about that one :). Then we headed back home after making sure Grandpa was going to be okay after his hernia surgery. Hang in there Grandpa, it has to get better!!
Sunday was hanging of the greens at church and pick up as much stuff around the house as you can and GET IT TO YOUR ROOM day.
Today, today was stay home from work day to wrap all your good buys from Friday. That only took me three and half hours to complete. Now back to shopping on the Internet....

Enchanted Evening

Last night Jeremy and I attended the Marallic Center Enchanted Evening. It was a wonderful event and is the main fundraiser for the Marallic Center. It was so nice to get dressed up for a good cause!!

Jeremy wanted to get our picture because he said we never have a picture of us together much less one where we look nice. We asked GG if she would take our picture. Poor thing, her back is still killing her and it was all she could do to hold the camera that is so heavy for her. We decided to call my mom and ask her if she would take our picture. She was nice enough to oblige. I said it was sort of like prom, except my mom did not give us any money to cover dinner and did not tell us we needed to come home at a time I thought was way to early and no one bought my dress, but other then that it was like prom.

Jeremy's birthday

Jeremy started back at Crystal Clean just in time for his birthday. This is the job he has wanted for a very, very long time. He is so energized about this job that he worked half the night of his birthday. It was also Superbowl weekend so we really did not have time to reschedule his birthday. It took us a while to get to the cake part. Don't worry the kids made sure we did the present part on his birthday. We got him an ice cream cake so the time finally came to get that thing out of the freezer! Actually, I think it was more on the fact the kids were bugging us to cut the cake. I am starting to think the kids thought we were just crazy for not getting this all done on the same night. Lucas is still a little bitter about missing fire on the table (the rest of the world knows this as G-Jo's Japanese Steak house)

We cut the cake when PaPa and Grandma Trish were in town, even though they were not here for a happy reason it was nice to have them here for the cake.

Can you just see the excitement in Addie Jo. She just loves to sing Happy Birthday. She also loved that cake. She ate a piece with Daddy every night until it was gone. I mean like lick the plate clean ate a piece of cake.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!

Playoffs and Superbowl

Football came to an end the first weekend of November. On Saturday 11-7 we had playoffs. We had to play the Belton Pirates team, the team that is all reality is to be our rivals. It was a wonderful game to watch. Apparently so wonderful I did not take one picture the entire time. We beat them 19-0. That put everyone in a wonderful mindset for the game of the year. We were playing our true rivals, the Gold Panters. This is the same team we played in the superbowl last year. The team we beat 13-7 in the last 3 seconds of the game. A wonderful victory that was!! The Gold Panters are the other 2nd grade team in Raymore. Lucas has several friends on this team and wanted to beat them so badly. You may recall this is the very team that beat us on Halloween.

There was nothing pretty about this game. Our team just did not have their heart in it. Everyone just sort or did what they were to do but without any passion. That means we lost and lost bad 13-0. It was not a game to remember but a game to learn from. Lucas decided at the end of the game that he was wrestling for sure this year. That he was going to get a first place trophy there. They were sad but as Jeremy reminded him. It was crazy to think they were going to play their entire football life without a loss.

At the end of the game they had their trophy presentation. It was all the boys could do to take it out of the box. Lucas still has not put his trophy up with the rest of his. I guess I better go ahead and stick it up there and take it our from under his bed.

Here is football coming to an end this year.


Stay tuned for wrestling.....

Happy Birthday Daddy!

A Friday birthday, what else could be better?? Oh I got it a Friday Birthday with a tired wife, two cranky kids and a job where you got stuck working late. That pretty much sums up Jeremy's birthday. He did not get home until after our dinner reservation at Go-Jo's so we threw that plan out the window. It was a beautiful night so Jeremy wanted to have a fire in the driveway so we ran up to the local Mexican restaurant so we could get a bite to eat. It was pretty awesome they sang in Spanish and Addie Jo sang in English, very loudly I might ad. They don't do a nice desert or a crazy candle they simple bring you a very nice sipping glass of tequila that Jeremy opted to shot. He said it was pretty good. When Addie went to give him a kiss she told him he stunk so I guess it must have tasted well but smelt bad. We ended our evening with some presents and the kids went to bed sad that Daddy did not want to eat his ice cream cake. I told them we would continue to celebrate all weekend. That means daddy and mommy will have a nice dinner alone tonight and then we can have ice cream cake Sunday.

It is a full weekend again. Lucas has at least one football play off game if not two today is opening duck season and then with victory today Lucas will have the Superbowl tomorrow.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!

Crazy house

I was cleaning the kitchen when all of a sudden I hear laughs and thumps coming from the living room. I peaked into find this:

Nothing like a good Sunday at home. I am happy to report that everyone is nicely resting on the couch now. I have hopes of early bedtimes for everyone!

Wonderful Sunday

What a beautiful start to November. It was in the 70's today so we headed out to enjoy the beautiful weather.


Lucas started off with some skateboarding

Addie had her heart set on playing chalk as she likes to call it. She found a coloring book that she chalked for a while but the wind was not her friend. She spent most of the rest of her outdoor time on her scooter and then she helped me pick up a few sticks around the yard.

It did not take long for Lucas to get a football team together to play two hand touch on the side yard. Lucas was not successful in getting Mr. Dickey to play on his team (Mr. Dickey is the chief of police for Grandview and the one unloading the trailer you can see in the picture, that he happily used as his excuse)

Jeremy was able to get the yard mowed and it looks so green and beautiful. It is hard to imagine it could be covered in snow in a few short weeks.

Halloween

Halloween 2009

How exciting to have Halloween on a Saturday. The rush of the day was gone and the weather was beyond beautiful. Our princess and Army man lucked out for trick or treating. We hit the neighborhood just after dark and made it around the corner to the haunted house. Everyone opted for the non scary "house" and left the older kids to scream in the scary house. Addie was happy to see Snow White at the end of the house to give her some pretzels. Everyone in the neighborhood was so excited to see the kids come to their door. It is really pretty awesome to have such nice neighbors.

A princess

Special Operations Army Man
A bossy princess

I really was happy to put on my Minnie Mouse ears. Maybe the day was longer then I thought.....



What a bunch of cuties

BIG GAME SATURDAY

Saturday marked the end of the regular season for football. It also meant we were going to have a re-match from last year's Superbowl. We were set to play McDaniel's Panthers at high noon. The boys were so excited, both teams were undefeated and for someone that was going to end. Oh what a game it turned out to be.

Coach Long over seeing the warm ups. Lining up for the coin toss. Here is Matt Harrison running the ball for a first down. Lucas is on the opposite side of the field.

It is so hard to get pictures on such an exciting game. I have none of Lucas blocking during the entire game. Goodness. My throat was even a little sore after the game.

Sadly, it ended in a loss for us. Lucas suffered his first sports injury. He cut his finger in a face mask where the nail bed meets the finger and his nail looked a little white today. I am thinking that is not a good sign but we will see. Play-offs start Saturday and the boys were upset and mad so we have our hopes up for a rematch with a different result. As coach said he would rather lose this round then in the playoffs!! Lucas has spent a lot of time today thinking about the game, he has been quiet and then suddenly will ask a football question or draw out a play to ask coach about this week. It sort of cracks me up when you consider they are a bunch of 2nd graders but then it makes me happy that want to play smart and hard!

Well here is to a better result in the playoffs. It was a good run, a game shy of three years undefeated. Off to start another run of victories!

Trunk or treat Option 2

Friday night was trunk or treat at Lucas school for the YMCA. Since it did not work out too well for us on Monday night it was all on the line for Friday night. The kids were so excited to put on their costumes again. Lucas is a special ops Army man. Part of his costume glows in the dark as well as the knife so he was super cool. Addie did not miss one piece of costume accessories when she was getting dressed.

Addie had a hard time going from car to car. She likes to stop and talk but there was another issues, everyone at the cars like to grab a handful of candy and load up their bags, Addie on the other hand likes to pick out one or two items and move along. She explains she no like too much candy. Don't worry after fifteen cars she did not give up her speech, the entire way along same story.

Making sure she got it in her bag. Ah, Ms. Linda the YMCA teacher at Lucas school. Lucas was so happy to see her.

It was fun for everyone and got us in the mood for an exciting Saturday Halloween.

Happy Halloween!

Dancing Start

This season of Dancing with the Stars seems to be a very big hit in our house. Addie Jo loves watching them dance. In the last couple of weeks she has been able to talk Lucas into dancing with her. She is still working on him to lift and flip her but has been successful in him twirling her around. I am not exactly sure what it is about this show that enthrals her so but she loves every second of it.

the twirl

the leg shake, sometimes they have to make up their own moves