Christmas

Blake and Michael putting together Caleb's train table on Christmas Eve.  Blake has fond memories putting together his younger siblings toys with his dad on Christmas Eve so this year he asked Nathan and Michael to join him.  Michael loved it!  Nathan stayed upstairs and read a book.

 Lots of presents (probably too many, but it was fun!)

We have a tradition that they all get stuffed animals waiting for them at the table.  We don't open presents until after everyone eats (since we have a few that'll puke if they don't eat right away).  So they each get to open one gift at the table and it's always a stuffed animal.  My kids LOVE stuffed animals (thanks to their mom!) and actually play with them so I don't mind getting them a new one every year.  This year they got Pillow Pets. 

I didn't think Nathan and Michael would want Pillow Pets so Michael got a giant shark with big teeth. Nathan doesn't play with stuffed animals anymore, but I still wanted to include him.  I tried to find something really outrageous.  I ended up finding a Sing-a-majig for him.  Apparently they're the big rage this year.  When I first saw them, I thought there's no way I would ever buy one.  Well, I did.  lol.  Nathan's favorite color is green and the Sing-a-majig that sings bass is green.  Nathan sings bass and loves music so this was perfect for him!  He loved it.  Although I later learned he was disappointed that he didn't get a Pillow Pet.  I think Michael was too.  They wanted them for reading.  Oops.  I may have to buy 2 more Pillow Pets.

All the kids waiting at the top of the stairs:

Reaction to the presents:

Checking out their animals:

Riding Pillow Pets while they wait for breakfast:

Fuzzy, but I wanted to put this on to show Nathan's Sing-a-majig:

The kids each give gifts to all their siblings.  (Yes, that's 7 kids times 8 gifts, I know.  But they have so much fun picking out gifts for each other and they really enjoy giving which I think is important.)

Nathan helping Caleb open a Leapster game:

Elizabeth gave Lydia Littlest Pet Shop:

Lydia gave Anna some pjs from Build-A-Bear:

I promise I won't post all of them giving all their gifts, but I had to share these.  Anna, Lydia, and Elizabeth found these little figures that they were playing with at The Children's Place while I was exchanging some clothes.  The lines were horrendously long and they amused themselves playing with the little guys.  They were really good.  When I was done, they begged me to buy them for them.  I said no and they all had a fit.  Anna later went back and bought the guys for Lydia and Elizabeth.  They were SO excited... but not as excited as Anna was to give them. Check out Lydia's face in the first picture and Elizabeth's in the second.

 Michael gave Lydia a whoopie cushion.

I tried to talk him out of it, but he insisted she would love it.  He was right - I think that was one of her favorite gifts.  You have to understand our family and their love of fart humor.  This video is hillarious!

 Elizabeth giving a Jack Skellington shirt to Daddy:

 Nathan gave Caleb a fire truck and that was the end of Caleb.  He really didn't need any more gifts after that.  We just piled his up and he opened them later.  He was too busy with the fire truck.

 Some more random pics:

Michael started a tradition where he gives Anna a nutcracker every year.  She loved the one he gave her this year!  I love Lydia's face watching Anna be so excited.

I got Blake a weight set (his mom and dad and my mom went in on it with me).  He's wanted it forever and I was so excited to surprise him.  I hid it in the garage because there was no way I could move it into the house.  He thought we were out here for Michael's present (which I couldn't lift either) and Michael thought we were out here for Dad's present.  It was the perfect plan!  Hehe!

I wish I would've gotten a picture of Michael's reaction.  He was so busy watching Blake that he didn't notice the package that said "To Michael".  He got a trampoline!

Blake and the kids were so thoughtful with the gifts they got me.   Michael did extra jobs for weeks to earn money to buy me a gift card to Build-A-Bear since he knows how much I love that store.  It was so sweet.  And Blake got me Photoshop Elements and is also taking me on a clothes shopping spree complete with lunch at The Cheesecake Factory (Nathan gave me a gift card to Cheesecake Factory.  He's my cheesecake buddy).  I felt really loved and spoiled.


Later (after the fire truck excitement wore off) we took Caleb down stairs to find his train table.

We all had a wonderful Christmas!!!  As Blake says, "better than we deserve."  After all this, I took my traditional Christmas Nap!

12 Drummers Drumming

12 Drummers Drumming didn't go as planned and since it was Christmas Eve, I had to improvise.  I wanted to give them gifts since it was Christmas Eve.  I found the perfect gift - books with necklaces.  Elizabeth got one from Blake's sister last year and she loves it so I knew the girls would love them.  I planned on putting 4 drum picks with each gift.  But when I opened up the drums, I learned I only had 6.  Apparently they don't come in sets of a dozen.  So I improvised (thanks to my sister) and put 2 drums on each package and 10 drum stickers to equal 12 drums.  It worked out ok since they didn't know my original plan, but I was still sad.  I was happy about the gifts though.  They left a nice note on their door saying thank you for making their Christmas special this year.  We really had a lot of fun doing the 12 Days of Christmas!

11 Pipers Piping

11 Pipers Piping = 11 flutes.  My kids got the extras and about drove me crazy playing them as loud as they could all day.  I guess it was kinda mean to give our family eleven of them.  But my kids sure love them, so I'm sure their kids will!

10 Lords a-Leaping

10 jumping reindeer.  Reindeer leap, right?  OK, so this is a stretch - I know.  But I thought they were so cute!  

We had an interesting experience tonight.  I usually park down the street while the kids hide and then go pick them up.  Today I decided I'd mix things up so we don't get caught and I parked in someone's driveway.  The kids didn't get caught, but I got caught.  Someone came out of the house on her cell phone and said, "Are you in my driveway?" Right after that someone pulled up in a silver van (same color as mine), so I guess she was waiting for a visitor and thought I was the visitor.  But I didn't know that at the time so I rolled down the window to explain.  I could tell she was freaked out/confused.  I said, "Don't freak out, we're delivering a package to your neighbors and we're trying to do it sneakily so I'm hiding here.  I'll leave in just a minute."  Once she realized what was going on, she was smiling and friendly and happy.  But wow, that was awkward.  lol.

So here ya go...10 Lords a-Leaping:

9 Ladies Dancing

9 Ladies Dancing = bendable toy ballerinas.  Caleb and Elizabeth loved playing with the bucket.  Maybe I should have got them each a bucket for Christmas... they would have been just as happy and buckets are much cheaper. 

8 Maids a-Milking

Bottles of chocolate and strawberry milk.  I should have bought extra because my kids were really sad they didn't get any.  And a side note - we almost got caught tonight.  I think they're onto us.

7 Swans a-Swimming

So today is Seven Swans a-Swimming (or ducks if you can't find swans).  I don't know why, but I was really excited for Seven Swans a-Swimming.  I think it's because this one took me the longest to come up with an idea for.  I couldn't find swans anywhere, so we used ducks which my kids were happy about because they got the extras.  They have some of these ducks in a Halloween theme and they LOVE playing with them.  So they were thrilled to have Christmas ducks.  I couldn't figure out what to do for the "swimming" part.  I thought of making a cake with blue frosting and let them swim in that, but that sounded boring.  Then it hit me...blue jelly beans!  A brilliant idea, but a side note: jelly beans are expensive!