Twas the Week Before Christmas

The kids were ready to get the week before Christmas started. We had a lot of things to remember to bring to school that morning. The kids had their gifts for their teachers, the red velvet sheet cake for Jackson’s school, the cookies and bowls for the twins’ school and stocking stuffers for the twins’ class. And then I ran outside for the first time in several weeks since I was finally feeling better and then went in to help in the twins’ and Lincoln’s classrooms for the last time this semester. There were four kids out in the twins’ class…so many people sick. I was able to get my wrapping finished up when I got home, which was nice. And I also got stuff ready to surprise the kids with our mini Polar Express that night. Andrew and I had some miscommunications about it that night though. Once I had everything ready to go…tickets put on pillows, hot chocolate and cookies in the car, music going and Andrew’s hat and hole punch ready, I sent Andrew a text telling him to tell the kids to go to bed and them come out to the garage. I waited for quite a while and no one showed up. Eventually Andrew came out confused and said the kids came down with the tickets and he sent them back to bed. We got it all figured out and when out for a little trip to look at some lights, ending with the one set to music.

The next morning our new shed was going to be installed. They had called the day before saying they would be at the house between 10 and noon. I got a call while taking the kids to school around 7:35 saying they would be at the house around 8. I called Andrew to see if he could be there in case I wasn’t. We both got home around the same time and the installers showed up soon after. They ended up with a pretty decent day for the middle of December. It was cloudy when they started, but the sun came out and it was in the low 50s when they were done. While they worked, I finished prepping stuff for Christmas Eve, finished getting stuff ready for Christmas parties the next day and got a bike ride in. The installers did pretty quick work and they had our shed done by 1:00. There was a mistake with the doors where we paid for an upgrade that included small windows that were supposed to be on top and they were just plain. They have since said they will make new ones and switch them out after the first of the year.

Ellie had math practice after school and then my mom picked her up and took her to get some stuff for Andrew and I’s Christmas present. She spend the next couple of days crafting something for us down in the basement. Andrew and the kids were all excited to check out the shed that afternoon and soon stuff that was taking over our garage was being moved out there, which was nice. Andrew is starting to plan out how he wants to organize all of it. That night I laid out some blankets and we ate dinner in the family room and watched A Christmas Story since the kids hadn’t really seen the whole thing. The twins and Lincoln weren’t too interested, but Jackson and Ellie found it funny. And it was nice to have a laid back evening.

I also took the opportunity to ready through the Christmas story from the Jesus Storybook Bible with the younger ones and discuss it some more. Then on Wednesday the twins and Lincoln got to have their Christmas parties. I got them all dropped off at school and then did my Wal-Mart shopping and got back to school in time to get everything set up for the twins’ party which started at 9. I set up three stations that included one where they made reindeer food out of oats and glitter and decorated the bags with stickers. Then there was a Christmas Bingo station with candy cane prizes and finally the decorate a tree station where a couple students in each group got to be dressed up like a tree using crepe paper for the tree, stick-on bows for the ornaments and I made star headbands to put on top. Then they also had a snack station. The kids had a lot of fun. I worked the tree station and they thought it was pretty funny. Although Bennett did pout because he didn’t get to be a tree. But he eventually recovered.

After their party was done, I went to Aldi and then back home to put everything away. I stocked up on stuff, so it was quite a bit. Thankfully, Andrew showed up soon after I did and helped me bring everything in. I feel like I just got all of it put away and then it was time to go to Lincoln’s party. It was an all-2^nd-grade party out in the commons. I helped set up some stuff and got to hang out with Lincoln a little bit. They had Polar Express playing and then had some different activities and a photo booth that they could do while the movie played. Then when they started serving hot chocolate during the movie, we got to start serving hot chocolate and cookies to the kids. I was in charge of filling up the hot chocolate cups and actually ended up with a side stitch from it 😊. Then I had to go make a second batch back in the kitchen. I decided my parents need some of their supplies. They had a big vat of hot water that I was able to scoop from to make the hot chocolate, so it went pretty quickly. Once all the kids had their treats, I headed out to get in line at Ellie’s school.

That evening, the 4-wheeler that Andrew got to replace his old one was delivered. The sun had gone down by the time he got it, but that didn’t keep him and the kids from riding it around the house. Then to entertain ourselves that night, we went through all the Elf Yourself videos with the kids’ pictures. The next day was an exciting day because it was the last day of school. We already sent all the gifts and the kids already had their parties so there wasn’t much to do. Lincoln got to wear pjs again and bring his blanket and pillow. Well, in the midst of trying to stuff his big blanket into his backpack, he forgot to get his lunchbox. And then I was the worst mom and forgot to get it for him and bring it to school. After I dropped the kids off, I went by to register the younger boys to play basketball, then went by the license office to title the ATV and then to Wal-Mart and by the time I got back, I forgot to get the lunchbox. I immediately went to work cleaning bathrooms and set up my Braava to mop the floors. It has a little bit of a learning curve, but I really enjoy it. I cleaned a few more things around the house before getting on the treadmill and then quickly getting ready and heading to Lincoln’s school to be a guest reader for their read-a-thon day. They were just finishing up lunch and that is when I remembered that I forgot his lunch box. He did get a cheese sandwich, some broccoli and a cookie of which he ate the bread and the cookie. I felt bad and at least he got something…they’ll send me a bill soon 😊. I read three Christmas books to his class and then I got to help Lincoln go get some milk for his class before heading back home to finish cleaning and laundry before picking up the kids from school. They sent out the Primary newsletter that afternoon and Miles and Lincoln were both on it for being voted Kirk’s Kids in their classes for December. And the twins brought home decorations for our tree and some sweet drawings. We also got our first presents under the tree.

As soon as we got home from school, the kids all emptied their backpacks and coats and I washed them along with their lunch boxes. Jackson and Ellie were excited to get home and ride the 4-wheeler. Thankfully, Andrew was home and was able to help them. When I emptied the twins backpacks, I found these wonderful drawings.

I got some spaghetti started for dinner that evening. Gage came into town for the small group sleepover, so he got to join us for dinner and tell us about how things were going in Liberty. They spent most of the evening at the Vincents. At home, we got out the leftover crepe paper and bows so they could dress up Bennett as a tree and then they all started into wrapping each other and themselves while I made some cookies. Our family room floor was covered with crepe paper.

Later that night, I took Jackson and his friends to the K-Life house for his small group sleepover. We loaded up a bunch of snacks and drinks to take over and it looked like there were at least nine boys there and it was just getting started. We gave Wade his Christmas gift and then I ran over to Laura’s apartment to give her her’s too. Jackson said they had a lot of fun and he didn’t sleep at all that night. Leah brought them all home at 9 the next morning and after he got ready, he went over to Zach’s house since Gage was still there. But when he got home later that afternoon, he was pretty tired. 

Friday as actually my birthday and Lincoln gave me his present (it was supposed to be my Christmas present) after I got done on the bike-hot chocolate mix in a cute jar with a cute tag he made. So sweet. And Andrew gave me a really sweet card and surprised me with a gift certificate for carpet cleaning. I spent most of the day baking-making sugar cookies and attempting to make buckeye balls. I think they were too dry and they fell apart when I tried to dip them in the chocolate. I ended up just giving up on them. The twins and Ellie finished up the sugar cookies for me by finishing the icing and sprinkles.  And Ellie finished decorating her room.

Then we went to my parents that evening for dinner. Lissy and Molly were there and Caroline, Jared and Emmie got there a little later and we had a yummy fried chicken dinner and delicious red velvet cake. And my parents gave me a house cleaning gift certificate. It was a great birthday.

Andrew took the kids out to the ranch for a little bit on Saturday while I picked up around the house, made a pumpkin pie for Andrew, did laundry and di a run on the treadmill. We went to my parents later that afternoon. You could tell my mom wasn’t feeling that great, so she snuck off to her bedroom and we played a few games…a few rounds of Uno and Catchphrase.  Lissy also got out some cookie decorating supplies so that Ellie could try her hand at watercolor icing sugar cookies.

That night, we went to El Vaquero for dinner and they ended up putting us in the back room/bar area. It ended up working out well because the kids just played around the area and at the end, one of the workers offered to turn on the mechanical bull for us. The twins, Ellie and Lincoln all rode on the bull. It ended up being a fun night.

We went back to our house afterwards since my mom wasn’t feeling well and I wanted her to have some quiet to rest. I decided to let the kids do their sibling gift exchange, which they were very excited about. All the younger boys got the Lego block tape and immediately went downstairs to try it out. The twins also got Cardinals t-shirts  and they put them on before going downstairs to play.

Andrew spent most of the afternoon/evening working on a work bench for his shed. Jackson helped him a little bit that night, but Andrew stuck it out on his own until after midnight. And he was nice enough to clean up his mess and move my car back in before the snow came. He did a great job with it.