Best Vacation Ever Part 1

So my parents, Hannah, and Noah came for Christmas.  And it was the best vacation ever.

The problem with normal vacations is that they include packing, traveling, unpacking and either still cooking or eat way too much fast food.  I laughed over the summer at a few Onion articles I read about Moms Does Dishes Near the Beach and such things.  Because moms don't get vacations.  We just take our work with us, and in fact, as mentioned, vacations are usually more work because you're breaking up a million fights in the hotel or stressing that whatever family member you're staying with is annoyed by your messy children.

But not when you bring the vacation to you.  And that's what I did.  Between Grandpa, Grandma, Hannah and Noah, I hardly saw my children and I didn't do a dish.  It was like a real vacation where I got to relax and enjoy being with the people I love most.  It was great.  And it once again convinced me that maybe polygamy isn't that bad of an idea--as long as I'm still wife #1 and wife #2 likes to clean.

Aside from making my family do all my chores, we once again went to Lazy 5.  Because despite what Greg says, there's only one Lazy 5 and it's hilarious to roll everyone's window down except mine.

We went to Fort Dobbs in Statesville.  It is a pre-Revolutionary War hole in the ground.

We went to House of Prayer, which is the Southern church you see in all the movies and it was really spiritual actually.  I had a really good time.  I felt uplifted and joyful in the gospel.  Because at the House of Prayer, they didn't just talk about Adam falling so that men might be, but the sang about it and danced about it and they were joyful about it.

We went bowling/lazer tagging one day.  I suck.

And then everyone went home and my house was so quiet and it took me three days to do the dishes because all the magic fairies left, which is also why I'm posting this like a month late.

Ringing in the New Year--at 8

We continued our now 3-year-old tradition of a New Year's countdown with minute to win it games.  Only this year, instead of ditching the kids with a sitter, we stayed and played with them.  And it was really fun.  I must admit though that the super mom in me was a little disappointed that I had to use my birthday banner to decorate.  New Year's Resolution: make New Year's Eve specific banners and decorations--to ease the transition from lots of holiday decorations to none.  

I tried out the New Year's Eve tree I saw on Pinterest...not my favorite to be honest.  I'm not sure I'll do that again.

I missed the first few games because I was picking up some of the Young Women, who were attending a party at the neighbor's behind us.

Sock head.

 Hannah got all wasted on...water.  Because we ate lunch at like 3, we didn't bother with dinner.

 Balloon volleyball.

 The cottonball game, of course.  Can't be a Robins party without the cotton ball game.

 Alice insisted on putting the vasaline on everyone's nose.

 Then we made party hats and took pictures with out most excited faces on.

Then we played Stack Attack.  Grandma played along and let Rex win.  

 Donuts on a string.

 Alice skipped the whole "no-hands rule."

 Then around 8:30 we made our way outside with pots and pans and any other noise maker we could find, counted down from ten and rang in the New Year.  Even the Wheatley's heard us.  I was surprised to learn through Instagram that many people allow their young children to say up until midnight.  Why would you do that?  8:30 is good for me.

We then came inside for a toast with the (non-alcoholic) bubbly in Dollar Tree plastic flutes and sent the kids to bed.  Rex did ask about staying up until midnight and I said that's not for five-year-olds.  Then I wished him a good night and said, "I'll see you next year."  He thought that was pretty clever and laughed himself to sleep.

 Then the adults played cards until midnight, when Greg and I took the Young Women home.  We were in bed by 2 am.  Would've been earlier, but those dang youth and their partying.

We didn't keep score but Grandma Pattie was president most of the game.  Well done woman who let Rex win at stack attack.

Christmas 2014

Christmas Eve, I sent my dad, Hannah and Noah on an adventure with Rex and Alice while Henry slept.  Meanwhile Mom and I worked.  I like to do one thing fancy a year, which usually ends up being Christmas Eve.  We ate at 5:30.  We had Manti turkey, broiled brussel sprouts, wild rice pilaf, and home made rolls.  Not sure why you care about that but I thought I'd tell you anyway.

Hannah insisted that we take a family picture so Greg got out the tripod and we took this.

 After dinner, we played Bingo (of course).  Hannah and Noah were a little disappointed that we only play one prize per person.   After some whining, they got over it.

 Greg got the best prize: Jesus candle.  Fitting.

 Then, my favorite part: the Nativity.  Henry was a sheep--not baby Jesus because he's too squirrelly for that nonsense.

 Rex was the angel and did better with his lines this year. (Yes, I make my kids memorize lines for my little play).

 Alice was Mary.  A very pensive Mary.

 And then it was bedtime--obviously.

 But Rex and Alice were happy and willing to take a picture together, after Henry went to bed.

 And then there was Christmas.  And Ralph the Night Hair Dresser did Alice's hair for her.

 And we broke out the tripod again.

 Alice got this dress from Aunt Sahar and wore it for several days.

 Henry got a bunch of re-gifted toys from Rex and Alice, because we don't need any more toys around here and he didn't know any better.

 We spent the rest of the day playing and being lazy and went to Chinese for dinner and regretted not doing chores the next day--well I didn't. But my mom did.  Good for Mom.

Advent 2014

Advent is one of my favorite Christmas traditions.  Forcing myself and my kids and sometimes my husband when he isn't working to all spend non-screen time together.  Golden.

But this year didn't work out like I planned.  I've gotten better over the years at picking activities that actually fit into our schedule without feeling rushed.

But this year, I have three kids and school (curse you kindergartner!  It's surprisingly difficult--more on that later...if I get around to it) and I'm drowning.  So we did an activity every but I didn't take a ton of pictures and I didn't blog about it every day.  Instead I folded laundry and washed dishes and folded more laundry and unloaded the dish washer and looked for Henry and took whatever he'd stuck in his mouth out and most importantly counted down the days to when my mother would arrive and do the chores and I would sleep/do all the other chores.  And now she's gone and it's a week and a half after the end of advent and I'm just now posting about it. But you take what you can get.

As per Greg tradition/request, we put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving.  Or more correctly, 2/3 of the tree--Honey badger don't care.  Honey badger do what he wants.

We painted ceramic figuriens one night.  The older kids loved it.  Rex was very careful with his and made sure to stay in the lines.  Alice was careful as first, then got a little carried away.

 Henry crawled around on the floor.

We made hot chocolate from scratch one night, watched the LDS church's new Christmas video and posted our #sharethegift on Instagram.

This next one took 3 days.  Day 1 we made the candy ornaments.  Day two we baked the cookies--all day long.  I think I made 7 dozen cookies that day.  Day 3 we delivered treat boxes to our neighbors and I think they turned out really cute and I'm mastering cookie making so the cookies even tasted good.  Pinterest win!

 Then, after Grandma got here, we did our favorite thing: Speedway lights!  Worth it every year.  We

 Henry didn't like the goat nibbling his toes.

 One night Greg got out his HAM radio and called Santa.  The kids got to make special requests over the radio--so cool (and super nerdy at the same time).  Did I mention Alice asked for something different than she had asked for when we got pictures taken with Santa the previous day.  KIDS!  Luckily she didn't really care when Christmas rolled around.

 And then this year, for the first year in...well ever, I bought matchy matchy Christmas Sunday clothes.  Ok, not matchy matchy, but coordinating.  I think they look so adorable.

 Until I tried to get a picture of all three.  And Hank was done.

 So Grandpa came to the rescue and I think this picture turned out quite well.

 We also made snowflakes, studied the Christmas story in-depth (or as in-depth as a 5 and 3 year-old can handle), bought a new Christmas book, made service stars to pass around our house (the services usually ended up being Rex making room in his bed for me so I could sit by him while he feel asleep...not sure if that counts), and a few other things that I can't remember right now.