Merry Christmas

Christmas has come and gone. . . we had a FABULOUS time. . . the kids LOVED every minute of the season. . . we WORE ourselves out completely and have spent a few wonderful days HOLED up in our house enjoying all the new toys and having Nate home with us for some relaxing, LAZY days.

I hope everyone had a very, merry Christmas. Now it is off again for New Years!

Friends

A few days before Christmas we had Britt, Amber and their families up for dinner. Oh, how things have changed since those long ago, crazy, carefree college days! I couldn't believe all the kids we have between us all. It's so fun to see our kids playing together. I'm so grateful for friends. . . especially those OLD friends with whom there are so many memories.

The Jolly Old Elf

I think the picture really tells it all. . . Lola was none too thrilled to sit on Santa's lap. She has loved Santa all season but apparently not the real thing. She has somewhat recovered because she still walks around, toting this little picture saying, "nan-ta" and ho-ho-hoing.

Traditions. . .

When I think back on Christmases as I was growing up, I don't remember a ton, but I do have memories of the traditions our family had that signified Christmas. Heidi and Jamie inspired me to think about the traditions that mean Christmas in our little Stokes family. Here are a couple that Nate and I do with our kids:

• Last year I bought one of those gingerbread house kits from Costco. The boys loved it and I realized that it was not as impossible as I had once imagined. This year Jacks and Miles started asking about the gingerbread house making months ago.

• Every year on Christmas Eve day while we are busy with preparations, 'Santa's Elves' slip a wrapped Christmas book to each of our kids. Sometimes the gifts show up in the morning, at the foot of their beds, sometimes throughout the day the kids will notice them under the tree. It has given us quite a collection of Christmas books that stay packed in a box all year round until the day after Thanksgiving. The kids love picking one book to read each night throughout the season and it keeps all of us in the spirit of the holiday.
  

• We have a tiny manger for baby Jesus that we fill with straw throughout the month. Whenever anyone does a good deed, whether in secret or not, they add a piece of straw to the manger. Hopefully by Christmas Eve, the manger is full. The kids run to check it Christmas morning to see if the baby Jesus has come to lay in his manger.

• We do a sub-4-Santa every year. This year I think Jacks finally grasped the concept and he took it so seriously. It was so sweet to see him in search of the perfect gift at the store.
  

• Nate and I always open our gifts to each other Christmas Eve night after all the Santa jobs are done. I love having a moment alone with him, aside from the chaos that Christmas morning brings.

• We have a lot of little traditions like: Christmas jammies, Temple Square lights, my moms famous Gooey Buns for breakfast Christmas morning, Gingerbread cookies, Christmas Light drives and nothing but Christmas music from Thanksgiving day on!

I want to hear everyone else's Christmas traditions. So if you're reading this post, you must leave a comment with at least one tradition (even you blog readers that never leave me a lovely comment!).

The Woes of Being the Mom

Last night Jackson excitedly asked me if I had Young Womens. When I told him I did not, he was very distraught. I was a bit confused because normally my kids have an unnatural attachment to me. Then he told me that he likes it when I go to Young Womens because dad lets them do all kinds of things that I don't. I think his exact words were, "dad's more fun than you, mom."

Upon further investigation, I managed to find out that Jackson's real issue was that Nate had bought the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie and since I had already told Jacks he was not allowed to watch it until his 7th birthday, dad was sure to let him. Nate always does things like this - every night I'm gone they watch some sort of crazy, non-age appropriate movie! I should have realized it the day we had Jacks and Nate vowed that he was going to be the "cool" parent. Dang - we have arrived.

Family Pictures

So it took Nate's parents planning it for me to get up the courage for the dreaded family picture. I tend to stress beyond belief about everyone's clothing and then the day of, no one cooperates and I am so un-thrilled with the results. Nate and I end up hating each other before the event is over and usually have to stoop to bribing our children just to get a mediocre picture!

This year I even went so far as to make my Christmas card over 2 months ago because I was so sure I would NOT be up for family pictures. That's what I get for planning ahead - sometimes it is far better to procrastinate.

Anyway, so here are a few (ok maybe a few too many) pictures from our photo day. I am pleasantly surprised with the results. I love it when things go better than expected!

Thanksgiving

I can't believe Thanksgiving has come and gone. When I look at this picture of my boys I almost believe that those 2 actually love each other! Somedays, I am grateful for pictures like this to remind me that there really is a bond between them and that one day they will be glad they have one another! Really though, I am so grateful for all we have - especially those three little kiddos that can drive me the craziest and make me the happiest person in the universe all in the same moment!

Two days after Thanksgiving, Jackson woke up at some crazy early hour calling to me. I ran in his room to be greeted by the hugest, goofiest grin on his face. Then he said, "Mom, is today Christmas?" Ohhhh, how sad it was for me to crush that happy face and tell him that it was still over a month away! I don't know what he was thinking, but it was pretty funny. I think it might be a LONG wait for December 25th at our house!

Fall Leaves

Today has been the most beautiful, fall day. We have managed to spend most of the day outside since I know that this has to be one of the last nice days before the dreaded winter hits! We went over to the park and played in the leaves - Jackson and Miles had tons of fun and Lola was in awe of the crispy crunchy leaves. I really do LOVE this time of year. Now if only I could figure out how to get it to last. . .

Miles' Late Night Adventure

I promise this blog isn't going to be primarily about Miles and his crazy escapades, but, seeing as how that is a major part of my life at the moment, it might happen! The other night I heard little footsteps sneak out of bed and by the time I checked on him, there he was, sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor with the DVD I had banned him from opening in one hand and a potentially deadly corn cobber in the other. Although worried about his safety, I was first concerned with capturing the moment on my camera.

Actual stabbing motion

Ahhhh . . . success!

Although his busy ways overwhelm me, I am constantly entertained by my little man! He's definately good at keeping us laughing and for that, I am grateful!

I've Been Tagged

Jacque tagged me so here goes me trying to think of 7 interesting/random things about myself. This will probably take me all day to think of!

1. I really don't watch TV - I hate the feeling of getting sucked into a show and then feeling controlled by it because I have to watch it every week! But I do have one guilty pleasure and it's a bit embarrassing to admit. I love, love, LOVE the Hills on MTV. Nate got sucked into it when it just started and I first tried to pretend I was only watching it to spend time with him. Now I've decided to just embrace it - I love it!

2. I have one thing in common with a shark - I have an extra set of teeth in my mouth. I've had oral surgery twice to remove the little suckers before they erupt into my mouth and reek havoc on my straight teeth. Gross.

3. I'm a perfectionist to the point of it being a fault. Like how I love to scrapbook but am seriously thinking of giving it up because I'm such a freak about my pages. . . like how I HAVE to have my boys hair gelled even if we're staying in the house all the day long. . . like how if I write an address on an envelope and I don't like my writing I'll throw it away and start over. Just weird, quirky perfectionist things.

4. I hate winter. It's a hard thing for me to admit, being a skiier and all but I've come to terms with it. Since having kids I can't stand being cooped up inside and having to bundle all three kids up to go to the grocery store. I live for Spring!

5. I have a vast knowledge of tractors, pirates, construction sites, Transformers, dinosaurs and all things boy. One day that just might come in handy.

6. I am absolutely horrified of spiders. Almost nightly I dream that they are in my bed, some nights even going so far as jumping out of bed, turning the light on and screaming at Nate to help me smash them. Last night I dreamed it was a tarantula covered in little tiny baby spiders. I don't think that's very normal.

7. I am a bit obsessed with Bath and Body Works. I go in there and all the pretty sparkly things just scream at me to buy them! I love my house smelling good and collect their little scented oils for that purpose. My lovely husband refers to it as the 'petroleum products' store and gets very afraid when I go.

Okay, I think that is all. This kind of thing makes me feel like a very boring person! I am tagging BRITT and AMBER!

The Missing Shoes

A couple weeks ago, I splurged and bought Miles the cutest ever shoes from Gymboree. I think they were $28.50 or something. Although I love Gymboree, I make it a point to NEVER pay full price for anything since it almost always goes on sale and then I get bitter. But poor Miles usually just gets hand-me-downs from big brother so I got them. So today, I was getting Miles ready for preschool and could not find those dang shoes anywhere. Finally I asked him where they were and through a very roundabout process, (involving signs, gestures and one or two words thrown in there) found out that he had thrown them out the window yesterday while driving. Out the window??? These are the times I really wish I had some way of looking inside his little head in order to figure out just why he does 90% of the things that he does on a daily basis! Other than permanantly grounding him from having his window rolled down and demoting him to passed down ghetto shoes, I have no thoughts on how to properly punish a child who blatently throws quality merchandise out of a moving vehicle.

Joining the ranks. . .

So for quite a while now I've been trying to decide if I was capable of joining the ranks of 'those who have blogs.' Would I be electronically able to take on something such as this? Would I be as witty as some of the other bloggers I know (yes, you Jennie Lynn)? Would people just get too much Stokes family info? Would I have time to keep up with such a thing or even have anything worth talking about? All of these thoughts have crossed my mind but I have finally decided that it is time. I need some sort of outlet for all the thoughts in my head - seeing as how I spend most of my time surrounded by a five year old, an almost 3 year old (who doesn't talk back, by the way), and a 13 month old!

OK, there. . . I have written the daunting 'first post!'