Our Adventures with Noah and Kylie: Fun Christmas Events!

Well, the holiday season is officially among us! We have had so many fun events in the past few weeks. We are offically in the holiday spirit!

Going back to two Fridays ago, the kids and I loaded up in the morning and went to the mall for some playtime before meeting Waylon for lunch. Then we got settled in the car and took off to Maryland for the weekend. The first leg of the trip was great but then after about 2.5 hrs, Kylie threw up all over herself in the carseat!! We had to stop and get her cleaned up and changed, back on the road and then about 15 minutes later, it happened again. Fortunately, I was prepared and was able to catch it in a blanket (yes, a mother's love never fails). :-) We stopped again, cleaned up and back on the road again. It didn't happen again and she never seemed like she felt bad even the rest of the weekend so we thought maybe it was motion sickness - until we were leaving on Monday morning and my dad started throwing up!! Sorry Dad!

Anyway, we arrived around dinnertime on Friday and my aunt and my parents were there for a short time. Then they headed out to Leah's Trapeze show!! Many of you saw that I went to a class with her a while back. She's been taking classes regularly and had a show. I was really disappointed that I couldn't go but it was too late for the kids so we stayed home. Before they left, we got the kids in some new pajamas that Grammy got them (and Noah had to try on his reindeer horns which will make an appearance later in this post).

Saturday morning was some low key playtime and Kylie had to try on the horns, too! :-)

Around lunchtime, our annual Christmas Seafood Feast began! Each year, we get together with my dad's side of the family for some good food and good company! It's always a blast! Noah really had a great time this year also. My cousin, Jenni's kids were there and Noah was so into being one of the bigger kids. He was especially attached to Hope who is two years older than him. It was so cute to watch him follow her around. I think she enjoyed it, too. :-) This picture was very soon after they arrived. Hope was reading to Noah. I just loved how she had her legs crossed and he had his arm around her. :-)

More Hope snuggles but for me this time. :-)

Me, Leah and Jenni

Noah and Katelyn watching Jonathan play his video game.

The cooks in the kitchen

Marie, Dad and Eric

Kylie and Grammy

Is that Kylie or Santa??

Her teachers at school taught her to say Ho Ho Ho when asked what Santa says. She even holds her hands out in front of her like she's holding her belly. :-) She's really starting to say so many words now! Among them --

Dada

Papa

Mama

Nana

banana

Doggie

Daaaah (dog, cow, any animal)

Thank you - this one she says when asked, 'What do you say?!' :-) Too funny.

She'll say 'Quack quack' and 'Ruff Ruff' when asked what a duck or dog says.

I can't remember what else but they are starting to come so quick now.... so fun!

Anyway, back to the party... we do a funny gift exchange and this is what I got at first - it was stolen from me though! A hot commodity. :-)

During the party, my dad was showing the video of Leah doing her trapeze trick and Kylie kept wanting to see it over and over again. It was so cute!

Papa and Kylie - turns out she's a Papa's girl as well as a Daddy's girl. One night, I went to take her from him to put her to bed and she wouldn't even come to me!! So he put her to bed. :-)

The whole crew!

Sunday morning, we had another relaxing morning. Waylon left at lunchtime and took my mom's car back home. I decided to stay an extra day and my mom rode back with me on Monday to come stay with us for the week since Waylon was travelling again. She was a huge help once again!! More on that later though....

Daddy and Kylie playing on Sunday morning before he left.

I was trying to get everyone to take a walk but no one really wnated to. Good thing cause it was FREEZING outside! The kids and I played on the porch but we could only take it for about 15 minutes. :-)

Sunday afternoon, we were just playing around the house and got some cute photos...

We told her to give the reindeer a kiss. :-)

Noah practicing singing 'Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer'

Love this expression. :-)

Julie came to visit with the kids before we went to have dinner at Ali and Andrew's new house.

Leah and I showing off our new boots. :-)

While we were gone, my parents kept the kids. They turned on a show for them and they were snuggling. Apparently, Kylie kept putting her head on Noah's shoulder and saying, 'Awwww.'

I had a blast over at Ali's, catching up with her, Julie and Jessica. I should have gotten a picture of all of us but I didn't!

Monday morning, my mom and I packed up while my dad was starting his 24 hour sickness that we apparently gave him!! :-( Sorry, Dad. We took off around 9:30 and had a nice easy drive home. Noah didn't nap Saturday or Sunday (I didn't feel like fighting it), so he got caught up and slept for 3 hours on the ride home!

We had one night with Waylon and then he took off on Tuesday to go back to Houston for work again. My mom relaxed at our house on Tuesday while I was at work and the kids were at school but then on Wednesday and Thursday, she had a special one on one day with each of them. On Wednesday, she and Noah went to Marbles museum and stayed there all day. They had so much fun and Noah really loved it. Here is a shot of him 'gardening' at the museum.

I had a meeting for the new house on Wednesday and got to see the most recent progress - a foundation!! So exciting. We are starting to get really excited about the new house!!

On Thursday, Grammy and Kylie just close to home and played together. They both had a blast!

Grammy got a gingerbread kit and decided to put it together with Noah one night. He loved it - and so did Kylie!! She was obsessed with trying to get the candy. It's funny the things she gets away with - I never would have given Noah a handful of M&Ms when he was her age. :-) I finally had to put her in the bathtub to get her distracted enough so Grammy and Noah could finish.

The finished products

Friday was a fun day. We went to the mall in the morning to shop around a bit and relaxed during naptime. Soon after the kids got up, we got ready for their Christmas play!! Every year, their daycare puts on a 'play'. There is always a theme (this year it was The Night Before Christmas) and some of the older kids read the story and in between 'scenes', each class walks in and sings a song. It's always so adorable and this year Kylie got to 'participate', too. Always a fun kick-off to the holidays.

Before we left, I had to get a few shots of the kids all dressed up! I tried to choose just one picture to post but I couldn't so you get all three of these. :-)

And here's where the reindeer ears come into play. Noah's class sang Rudolf so they were asked to all wear reindeer ears. My mom ended up finding a bunch of them, so she got them for his whole class (that's why he was wearing them in MD). He was so excited and they even had red noses, too.

Here he is walking in - so excited!!

Singing!! :-)

His whole class - he's on the far right.

And here's Kylie getting ready to make her grand entrance! :-) That's Mason in there with her.

Proud parents. :-)

Kylie with one of her favorite teachers. :-)

Afterwards - Noah and Maddie being Noah and Maddie! :-)

(Notice Noah's punch face) :-)

Enjoying some refreshments.

I need to find all the pictures we have of them like this over the past few years and put them together. This year, we were missing Stella Dot. And I just realized as I was writing this that we might be missing next year. :-( If we switch daycares when we move, that might have been our last Christmas Play with that school. :-( How sad...

Noah and Liam - every day when I ask Noah who he played with, he always says, 'Liam and Tyler'. He even told Waylon one day that he asked Tyler to come over for a sleepover!! AHH are we really getting to that age!? :-)

Attempting a family photo.

We changed the kids into PJs before we left so it was an easy transition when we got home. Kylie fell asleep on the way home but I think Noah had had too many sweets!! :-) He was pretty exhausted, too though.

Saturday was another fun fun day! Grammy left first thing and then we got ready and took off to meet Nana, Grandaddy, Andrea, Sean and Savannah at Disney on Ice - Toy Story 3!!! Noah was so excited and so was I! After taking him last year and seeing how enthralled and happy he was there, I was super excited about it this year. He was very serious about it also. Savannah kept wanting to play and he was just ready for the show to start! :-) There was a curtain set up and he woudln't take his eyes of of it. At one point, I was leaning forward, and he said, 'Mommy, move back, I can't see the curtain!!' :-) Kylie really enjoyed it also. She was smiling and laughing and clapping - until she knocked out about a 1/2 hour before it was over. :-)

Waiting for the show to begin - notice how serious Noah is!? :-)