Videos of Talia

These are a series of videos of Talia opening Ma & Pa Vander Heyden's gift.  This is TOOOOOO CUTE!  I just LOVE this girl!

Christmas 2011

Ky had school through Dec 23rd.  What a bummer!  I would have loved to have had him home for the week prior to Christmas and done some crafts and fun Christmas things with him.  Since Ky had school through Friday the 23rd, and Rob had the day off, I decided to sub for a 2nd grade class that day--BIG MISTAKE!  WoW!  The kids were so wound up and hyped--it was a CRAZY day.  And many of the teachers said it had been like that the WHOLE week.  I really wish the school system had thought this vacation out a bit more.

After I subbed, I met the family at the local grocery store for our annual bell ringing.  Rob and I knew that it would be rough--but we had a plan.  But just like many parental plans--it failed.  By the time I got there Rob had rung for 30 minutes with all 3 kids and had done a great job.  (Those kids really bring in the money!)  The plan was then to take Ky over to the store next door to get his Christmas ornament (Ky had broken his annual Christmas ornament--minutes after I told him --"Ky that ornament is breakable--put it back."  and then he argued that it wasn't.  Well--let's just say, he was wrong and was sobbing as the many teeny tiny balls that were in that glass snowman ornament were rolling all over the floor.)  And so after many tears, Rob and I agreed to let him get another ornament--which yes-- he broke again playing with it when he once again thought it wasn't breakable.  This time before he broke it, we told him we were not going to buy him another one if he broke that one.  (This was a gingerbread ornament)  And THAT Ky is why you don't have an ornament from Christmas 2011.  Back to bell ringing...

So Rob went with Ky to give him a break while I rang with the girls.  This was a new location for us and a bit chillier spot.  Talia's coat had been forgotten so we stood beneath a heating vent and Alaina was overtired and crabby.  We had brought crayons and stuff to entertain, but Alaina kept walking in front of people.  UGH--Okay I should stop talking about this and just move on to Christmas.  Needless to say, it just didn't work out so well.  I left early with the girls and took them home while Rob and Ky rang for the remaining time.  Perhaps, next year will be a bit better.  Older kids, smarter parents...who knows...

Christmas Eve was nice.  Nana & G'ma Jan came over and we shared a nice lunch together and TONS of cookies.  With Christmas being so hectic this year--Rob and I still managed to make some YUMMY cookies.  We had a very nice time.  In fact at some point Rob and I dozed off on each other on the couch.  mmmm...a nap....I sure do miss those days! :)  On Christmas Eve, Talia actually crawled forward!  Up to this point, she was a master at crawling backwards--but she actually moved hands and knees forward!  Yeah T!  (Boo--growing up and losing my baby!)

That night we went to Christmas Eve service.  We left early to take in the local Christmas light display before church. This is one of our annual traditions, but we usually go after church.  This year we figured we had a better chance of getting the kids to bed on time if we went before.  Unfortunately, like many of our plans--that failed.  The line to the display was INSANELY long!  I have never seen it that long.  So instead we arrived to church early and decided to just do the lights afterwards like normal.  But once again--we as parents just can't seem get anything to go off without a hitch.  The line was still VERY long and Talia screamed for most of the time we waited.  (Something she doesn't do very often.)  We really should have just abandoned the lights and went home, but Ky & Laina were too hyped for the lights and we kept figuring that Talia would just fall asleep--and well she did eventually--on our return home! 

Of course then you are stuck trying to transfer the sleeping children from the van into bed--which NEVER works in our family.  Instead they all wake up instantly when the van turns off and begin crying together.  ARGH!  Maybe this isn't the best time for me to be blogging right now.  I feel like I am whining and complaining.  But really it is because I SO much want to catch up on my blog and yet I have been interrupted COUNTLESS times by these children!  Alaina right now wants me to watch her eat every bite of her yogurt because she is eating like a princess--which is a big accomplishment for her--since she eats like a pig normally and by the end of a meal the table is smothered in food along with her hands, face, booster seat and floor.  She has yet to outgrow "messy" eater phase.  Kylan on the other hand is trying to fight with Alaina from 2 rooms away--meaning he is yelling--by copying anything she says, knowing it will only annoy her and make her scream.  And Talia is in her high chair "eating" cheerios.  She yells every 2 minutes because all her Cheerio's are gone.  NOT because she has eaten them, but because she has knocked them all on the floor and in her lap attempting to eat them!  And yes, Rob is here--but we are outnumbered...yes we are...these children have taken over. AAAHHHH!!!

Okay I am taking a break now...princess eater has turned to smeary eater--and Talia's boogers are overtaking her highchair. 

I'm back.  It's night--they are in bed and currently Alaina is sleeping on the bathroom floor--long story--I will explain in another blog.  EEKS!  Do you see how hard it is to blog these days!!!!  Well, I am trying a new "schedule" out starting this week and hopefully it will allow me to blog once a week.  I am hopeful--as I miss doing this--and I really want to go back and share all of these memories with my kids...now where was I???  Oh yes, Christmas day...

Christmas morning was nice.  The kids had fun waking up and opening presents.  I was especially excited when the opened up the Lite Brite I bought them.  (Though I don't think they were as excited as I was.)  Afterwards we had some of our favorite fruit baked french toast and recounted the Christmas story.  From there we were off to Milwaukee for Christmas with Grandpa & Grandma Debi. 

Debi and Pops had a wonderful spread of food--and let me tell you--I ATE!  YUM!  Then the gift opening began.  I think at this point, I was just WORE out.  The week prior had been a very crazy week.  Rob's grandfather passed away--and I think the emotions and extra travel with that, put me over the top.  Once the gift opening was done, I was ready for bed.  We had a great time though. 

Woo--so there is Christmas in a nutshell.  BTW--just in case I am not on top of things with catching up with my blog--Talia started pulling up to standing on January 5th.  And to add to that, she moved her toy box (a plastic bin) over to the couch, crawled on top of it and was trying to get onto the couch.  This whole mobility thing is just going way too fast!  I worry about this one.  Now that Ky and Alaina both have toys with smaller accessories, I am really worried about keeping those things out of reach.  I guess this next week I will spend baby-proofing.