Christmas Break 2011

I love having my kids home on breaks from school.  I love it.  So yes, part of it is that I love not having to get up so early in the morning but mostly because I feel like half of their life is away from me when they’re at school and I love these times when I get them back to myself.

Here’s a problem.  Laila goes to preschool at the public elementary school here in town and Emma & Jackson go to the Christian school.  They had two different time frames of time off.  That sort of stinks.  We were going to try to go visit our friends in Minnesota but Laila went to school a few days after Emma & Jackson and then Emma & Jackson went back a few days before Laila and that mixed with two holidays just wasn’t going to work.  We’re still trying to decide what we’ll do with Laila for school when she reaches Kindergarten age.  Pray about that please!

We filled our time up with other fun things and spending days at home.  This year for Christmas we asked each of our parents to get the kids memberships to museums because we really don’t need any more toys and they just needed a few clothes.  My parents got us a membership to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and Jack’s got one to the Museum of Science and Industry.  We’re so excited to be able to do these fun things with the kids all year long and it was very nice this year not to have to try to find somewhere for more toys!!

Here’s the kiddos on Christmas Eve getting ready for bed. 

 

Christmas morning we always read the real Christmas story before we do any presents

This is one of my favorites.  Jackson went around the how and put things in gift bags for all of us so we’d have presents from just him.  This was in mine.  We love the book “Love You Forever” and this was him trying write out the line that says “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my mommy you’ll be”  :)

We wrapped up the kids passport applications and told them they’re coming with us when we go to bring their brother home :)  You can check out updates about that here

This was Laila’s FAVORITE present.  PS – look at those chubbers! :)

This was probably Laila’s least favorite present but it sure has helped us with potty to give her something to hold onto in front of her while sitting on her potty.  She’s getting used to it again already.  She better because we’re hoping to go back to CLC in April!

Another tradition is that Christmas is the only day of the year that we eat cake for breakfast :)

One of the days over break Grandma Kathy took us all out to see the movie “We Bought A Zoo.”  We picked up Cole & Kirstyn and headed to McDonald’s play place for lunch first.

The Friday before New Year’s we road the train and headed to the aquarium with Grandma Kathy & Papa Roger.  It was INSANE there!  Hopefully next time we go it won’t be so busy and hopefully we can get grandma and grandpa to brave Chicago again sometime…….

My kiddos playing in the water at the aquarium.  Yes, Laila is standing be herself :)

So Emma & Jackson are back to school already and Laila goes back on Monday.  Back to our normal routine and excited to see what the kids will learn this year.  One of my favorite memories from Christmas this year was that Jackson praying before we opened presents.  “Dear Lord, it’s not about presents, it’s not about trees, it’s not about ornaments, it’s not about lights, it’s not about food ( and on and on), it’s only about you.  Amen.”  I love that kid and since this was Emma’s first year with the true knowledge about S-A-N-T-A and us not being sure what to do about Jackson since Emma was very surprised we would lie to her and questioned us on some other very important things, I desperately needed to hear that prayer from my little man.