What're your plans...

"Hey Jay Berry, ya got plans for the new year?"

"Oh, I don't know LeRoy.  Maybe just sit here and whittle a bit."

Steve bought the boys dowels this morning so they could carve new wands.  (I'm guessing it has something to do with watching Harry Potter 1-3 yesterday.)  They have been busy on the porch, carving and enjoying the December sun for hours.  This picture scares me.  That is a stinking sharp knife...plus I'm noticing how bad Carter needs his fingernails cut.  I'm not sure which is worse.

Out of this did come a conversation worth saving:

Carter:  Dad!  You need to come outside, I need supervision. I haven't had knife safety in scouts yet!

Steve:  Here's your supervision...go outside and don't cut yourself.

Classic Dixon parenting.

But no really- I just paid off an $800 ER bill from Colby breaking his arm, I don't need another visit due to a self inflicted knife wound.

In other news, Steve brought this bad boy home for me today.  I think he is giving me a hint. 

Either, he wants the house cleaner (he did give me a step by step on how to use the machine...oh brother), or he wants me to work on my triceps.  This thing is a beast.

I'm trying to be grateful.  

(I would have rather had new jeans.)

Anyway...long story short, have a relaxed, clean and emergency room free New Year. 

I hope mine is.

Post Christmas Blahs

To say I have Post Christmas Blues would be wrong.

I'm not unhappy at all.

I'm just overwhelmingly lazy.

December has been a whirlwind and there were honestly days that I didn't sit down from 5:45 am clear until 10 at night when I could collapse into my bed.   Between school parties, family and friend parties, shopping, cleaning and cooking; Christmas has been tiring.   But it has also been wonderful.

However, yesterday I gave up being productive.  I stayed in my pjs all day and didn't accomplish one worthwhile thing...except for reading a book- an entire book.

 This device is going to be the death of productivity for me.

Steve bought it for me without realizing why I gave up reading years ago.  I don't have the ability to stop mid-book, and the entire world around me can collapse but I don't care until I've finished the story.

I read the book Cold Sassy Tree in its entirety yesterday.

That's a lot of hours sitting on my couch while my children run amuck.   "Luckily" Carter ran a fever and had a mild case of the trots, so my kids had full permission to watch movies all day.  (He's still sick this morning so our plans will most likely be the same today. I'm grateful for small stomach bugs.)

Cold Sassy Tree is a book about small town life in Georgia in 1906.  The family grandmother passes away and her widower remarries three weeks later.  It's written from the perspective of the 14 year old grandson...and I've learned that 14 year old boys can have dirty minds.  I read this book the first time when I was in highschool.  I think most of it went over my head back then, thank goodness.

Anyway, the point of writing all this...is that I'm being lazy and I have no desire to change my behavior. I know that next week will come, school will be back in, music lessons will start up , scouts will be scheduled, the science fair is coming and my life will be insane once again.

I'm going to enjoy sitting in my house, looking at Christmas decorations that need to be taken down, eating leftovers...again, and ignoring the general mess that is my home and children at the moment.

Blah.

I don't want to accomplish much.

But for the record, here is what our Christmas table looked like before Steve's family came over for dinner.  It was the first time I have had Christmas dinner in my own home.  I loved it.  I think I will make it a tradition to stay home every Christmas and have people over instead. 

(I don't decorate or get fancy for the life of me, so this set-up was a big stretch. )

  

Couldn't find a tablecloth to fit my square table without spending $40 or more, so we didn't have one.

Please note the snowflakes made by my 11 year old.

The boys wanted candles at the kids table.  I obliged...however silly they might look.

And no, I didn't make the darling "Merry Christmas" banner over my stairs.  I don't sew.  My amazing sister JaNae did.  I swear she's bewitched her sewing machine she is that good.

Christmas Photos #2 Favorite Presents and/or Facial expressions

Images From the Official After Church Present Opening.

(Seriously, I have never seen three little boys run out the the chapel that fast in my life.)

We've changed, our church clothes are hung up, and we are ready to open presents!

The "first" Santa gift of Christmas.

"I've always wanted this Mom!"

Can't fake this expression.

Happiness is a new baby to love.

(Even though Santa made a huge mistake of getting one that inadvertently looks like Dora. Gag.)

Faking a smile because it isn't fun to grow up and get underwear, socks and pajamas for Christmas, no matter how much you need them.

Life is really good with three airplanes.

"For me?"

"Long warm socks...just what I needed."

Measuring how good his Christmas is going.

"So so"

(a new jacket is a step up from underwear...but not by much.)

"I've received tons of toys so a new jacket is great!"

Waiting oh so patiently for the scanner to tell who the present belongs to.

"It's ALL mine!"

Finally Finally something FUN!

"What?  I get underwear too?

Blast!"

"Thanks Santa!"

Why did Santa even bring toys?

"Hey...only open one at a time."

His favorite gift.

 

J-Crew pose.

Loves his hoodie so much he put it on to finish opening presents.

A kindle and new pajamas for us.

Oh...and earrings for me.

They are so big they are almost goddy.  

Love them.

The aftermath.

"What...that's it?"

Christmas Photos #1

Early Christmas Eve, we let the kids open one present before heading off to Grandma Dixon's house for dinner and festivities. 

They were less than thrilled with their new thermal underwear/pjs.  My children do not appreciate my attempt to save money and kill two birds with one stone.  The boys all needed thermals for skiing, but I think they would have liked to open something more fun Christmas Eve.  

 #1 child's smile is as fake as it gets.

He was under threats of a canceled Christmas. (A threat I personally love.)

After a delicious dinner at the Dixon's and the traditional watching of the LDS movie "The Gift", we came home and promptly put the kiddos in bed.  I was surprised how quickly they brushed their teeth, jumped in bed and fell asleep.

I however could not sleep and got up in the middle of the night and noticed Santa had indeed come. 

I snooped around in surprise that my ratty children (love them) were spoiled to this extent by the Man in Red.

But I think he is trying to punish me...he brought two pillow pets.

He did however, leave a very interesting note. 

I appreciate Santa's efforts in getting us to church.

I do not appreciate Santa's stocking gift of pop-guns.  A constant stream of "pop!" "pop!" "pop!" could be heard from downstairs starting at 6am until 7:30 am. 

 (Please note the change in pjs...Carter and Andrew preferred the new pjs from Grandma over the thermals that I bought them.  Grandma's rule.)

We did let the kids open the presents from each other before church.  

Is that a knife my 11 year old is holding?

Yep.

Carter received a model airplane kit and three bottles of paint to finish his birdhouse that he and Steve constructed a few days ago.  Too bad my color blind son couldn't see the difference between the three earthy shades of brown, green and red. (Steve couldn't either!)

Colby got tools and and accessories for his tool box.

Who gave a two year old a candy cane at 8 am?  

Oh...that would be me.

Christmas Lights and Gluten Cheaters

Last night we ventured up to the south hills to see the lights.

It was AMAZING!  The amount of work and money this family puts into this Christmas display is phenomenal.  I think we will have to start going every year.  The kids would have been in heaven except for the cold.  Our car thermometer read 19 degrees as we stepped out.

It was a short but beautiful trip.

 Here we are underneath the underwear tree.

Fitting for us I think.

********

This morning a few Dixon culprits went to Jim Bob's and brought delicious fried and glazed gluten into our home.

Not cool.

I had cottage cheese for breakfast.  Boo.

 Culprit #1

 Culprit #2

 Culprit #3

 Culprit #4

 Culprit #5

But I showed them.  I made them clean.

Here they are slaving away getting our house ready for Christmas.

Culprit #2 was downstairs operating the vacuum.

I'm not nice when it comes to donuts.

a weeks worth of doing

With only 3...count them 3...days left until Christmas, we have obviously been busy.

There hasn't been a lot of time to sit down and write.

So I'm going to wrap up quickly with pictures.

Last Friday was Colby's kindergarten Christmas program.

(Obviously I didn't have him dress up.   I'm calling this the "third child and I'm too tired to care" syndrome.  That and I told him his shirt really had snowflakes on it.)

Colby was adorable and apparently has a flair for rhythm and performing.  It was hilarious to say the least.  His facial expressions had a life of their own and could have owned the stage by themselves.

Saylor tagged along as always. She got a cookie for being good during the entire performance.  I'm grateful it was short.

Also last week, we had (drum roll please) can lights installed in our front room and master bedroom.  I cannot believe the difference eight little lights make in the feel of our home.  

"Let There Be Light!"

Along with the light, came a little snow in the form of falling insulation as well as a thick layer of dust from drilling out holes in the ceiling.  It made a good excuse to deep clean my house.  The cleanliness lasted all of two days.

Colby wanted to master the head stand, mostly because he wants to be able to do an upside down push up.  I find this a lofty goal for a five year old with the upper body strength of grasshopper.  

Saylor tried her best...it wasn't enough.

Now on to the push up.

Last night we had our annual Walker family Christmas party.  After dinner, we settled down with a grandchild nativity pageant. 

Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus (baby Bentley), the angel and the star.

A shepard, a sheep (that is one crazy sheep) and you've got it...Mickey Mouse.

I never knew Mickey was part of the nativity.  But when a three year old is concerned, I guess it really happened.

A cow and a chewing camel.

(the cow is hidings his face...the humanity of having to share the stable with a camel.)

I loved this shot.  

Joseph loves that baby.

After the nativity, the kids gathered around for presents from Grandma Walker.

They were pj's of course!

Most of the kids had matching with cousins.  These two are the only ones who would hold still long enough for me to take a picture.

After presents and the annual white elephant gift exchange (no pictures to protect the innocent), we Walker kids gave our parents their memory book for 2011.

It was lots of work, but I don't sew so I have to contribute to the family somehow.

Wrapping up...

The halls are decked...

The Christmas cards are hung,

(We love getting cards from friends all over the country. Moving almost every year has its perks.)

And we are ready for Christmas!

What's left?

Make cookies for Santa

Clean house (again)

Party with a friends Friday night

Party with family Saturday night

Enjoy only one hour of Church on Sunday

Enjoy being together on Christmas day

(...try not to lose any Lego pieces.  hint hint)