Thursday-Saturday: Christmas

We had our last Christmas celebration of the year as Nathan and his family joined us for a few days.  Thursday was also Isaac's 10th birthday!  10!  How can he be so old?

We were going to go out for dessert but neglected to remember that it was a holiday weekend.  Pat found out they were booked before we went though.  I had started some mint brownies, so I finished those up and we used them instead.  We put candles on, but didn't actually have Isaac blow them out.

Everyone slept in the same room.  There was so much running and excitement through the whole day it took them a bit to wind down, but eventually they did.  (So much running.  But throughout the entire weekend only one set of tears which was resolved quickly.)

Friday morning we went to the woodshop to make a triangle peg jumping game.  It really didn't take all that long, but it was a lovely activity and way to get out of the house.  The kids also loved running up and down the hallway at Hope, so whenever they were waiting for their turn they did some running.  The game was also played with a bit more than I expected.

After a coffee break for the women, we went to get Isaac's dessert for lunch.

After that it was time for more presents!  The kids were playing well so we just kept pushing the time back a little bit.  But finally everyone was done with a small real lunch and the kids realized it was time for presents.

The boys got a cat backpack.  Tornado likes to escape outside, so we thought this might be a fun alternative.  Now we're trying to train him that when he goes in it he goes for a walk.

After some delicious pizza some of the kids painted their triangles.

Today, after some morning TV and some Catan they left. :(  It was sad, but we had a wonderful time!  The kids played so well together and it was wonderful to talk to everyone and get caught up again.

We spent the rest of the day enjoying Christmas presents and relaxing.  Tornado enjoyed several walks too...it might be a good way to get us out of the house just a tad bit more.  Silly, but fun.

Wednesday: snow

 We finally got a bit of snow!  It was rather warm, so the snow was nice and sticky.  Isaac played outside for a good two hours.

Tornado escaped at one point.  He wasn't really sure what to do with the snow and tried to dig a hole.

He also enjoyed his inside snow.

Isaac was using the screen to help make assorted shapes and the cats were having a really good time too.  Every once in a while a big chunk would fall and they'd lunge after it.

Tuesday: adventures

This morning started with grocery adventures.  There were a surprising amount of "limit X" signs around.  It makes me wonder a bit if people are hording or if it's a supply chain issue.

 
I woke up after my nap to find the boys in a competition to jump through the most hoops.  They both ended up around 412.

Besides that, I did a lot of housework today.  Our housecleaners are in quarantine, and it is an especially bad week for that.  (No weeks are all that good, but some don't matter as much as things can be skipped or I have a bit more time.)

Monday: Joshua

I was brushing Joshua's teeth in the office last night and he said, "oh, I like the curtains."  I told him they were just the blackout portion and we'll cover them with something prettier.  "oh.  I like these.  I don't like windows.  I never make windows in my Minecraft houses."  I didn't realize he had such strong opinions on windows.

Then as I was brushing his teeth this evening I noticed his bangs.  Hmm...something looked off.  I asked, "Did you cut your hair?"  "Yes." "Why?"  "I felt they were too long."  This is the first time it's happened and I suppose it could be worse.  I told him I either need to teach him how to do it properly or he can just ask me next time.  We're going to fix it tomorrow.

Sunday: day after Christmas

 In the morning Joshua made a Glitch.  It's the animal(?) that goes with one of his presents.

We also put up the kitty-sil.  I like how both sets of brothers look in this picture.

Saturday2: Merry Christmas

In the afternoon we went over to Ben's parent's house for Christmas celebrations.

Saturday: light

I woke up this morning with the thought: today we celebrate a light coming into the world.  It might be a tiny pin-prick of a baby today, but the light will grow and overcome the darkness.

Also, the animals also finally found baby Jesus.  We notice that all are welcome to find Him, including animals of the wrong scale, present-smashers, and Christmas destroyers.  It's been an interesting advent.