Christmas Eve 2015

Christmas Eve this year was a pretty fun day. We had snow! The kids played out in the snow for a good chunk of the afternoon. We delivered Christmas treats to some of our neighbors. Then we got ready for our Christmas Eve service. Our service was at 5:30 so we got dinner in the oven and then headed over.
The service went really well. It's always such a fun service, with all the twinkly lights and candles and familiar Christmas hymns. Awesomeness!

After the service, we closed up shop and headed home for dinner. This year we had beef stew, mashed potatoes, and rice pudding. Mmm.

An inadvertently blurry picture of our Christmas tree.  I don't know why but I like it.

The obligatory family picture in front of the tree.

Reading the Christmas story.

Gift from church friends.

This year we had the kids exchange gifts with each other. Addilyn and Albert exchanged and then Elias and Asher exchanged.

Ooo, a dinosaur!

Daddy, this box won't let go of my dinosaur!

Rip!

Asher looks excited about Albert's next gift.

He ripped it open in a flash!

Elias got Asher a Captain America figure. Mom & Dad didn't want Captain America to be lonely so we made sure Elias got some appropriate companions.

She seems a little perplexed at first. "What is it?!"

Asher made Daddy a gift at school.

After we opened gifts, Daddy and Albert worked on his new Buddy (from Dinosaur Train) puzzle.

Addilyn quickly got the hang of her new Snap Circuits. It was certainly entertaining to watch her progress through the experiment booklet.

Asher got Elias some Legos and a Dusty (from Disney Planes) figure. Elias had to put the Lego together immediately.

Mom & Dad got Asher a Lego watch. Asher then learned to read a clock in about two minutes. Well done!!

After completing one experiment, her circuit played a song. This is her super-silly dancing face.

Hey look, Dinosaur Train!!

Advent 2015: Peanut Butter Blossoms and Sleeping Under the Tree

Unwrapping a whole bunch of Kisses. She had an audience.

Gluten free peanut butter cookie dough.

All balled up and in the oven.

Pushing the Kisses into the warm cookies.

As our final Advent activity, the kids got to sleep under the Christmas tree. This year was Albert's first time to participate. He was pretty excited!! They may not have actually gotten a lot of sleep (they finally fell asleep after 10:30 and woke up on Christmas morning before 6:00) but this tradition is too fun to let that stop us!

Albert's Birthday Interview

In case you were wondering, Albert was pretty excited about turning 3.

He was checking out his "3" shirt.

Cheese!

!!

 !!!

Cutie!

Albert: Age 3

What is your favorite color? blue
Who is your best friend? Mary
What is your favorite TV show/movie? Dinosaur Train/Megamind
What is your favorite thing to do outdoors? play
What is your favorite thing to do indoors? play my train
What is your favorite game? to go to the library
What is your favorite thing to wear? 3 shirt!
Where would you want to go on vacation? a playground
What do you like most about your siblings? Addilyn - we get out of beds and go to Addilyn's room and come back to our beds
Asher - talk in our beds
Elias - to go to preschool
Now that you're three, what would you like to learn/know? be at the library
What do you want to be when you grow up? be big like Daddy; be a train driver
What is your favorite toy? the train
What do you sleep with at night? cars, blankie, blue blankies
What is your favorite thing to do as a family? stay at our house...and eat sandwiches all gone & cookies all gone & then go to bed

What is your favorite art project? make you a big, big girl
What do you like to learn about? being 3
What is your favorite cereal? birthday cereal (Cinnamon Toast Crunch)
What is your favorite lunch? Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
What is your favorite dinner? orange soup (tomato soup)
What is your favorite snack? a cookie
What is your favorite dessert? cookies
What is your favorite drink? water
What is your favorite animal? Monkey
What is your favorite song? Hark the Herald; Cool Kids (video here)
What is your favorite book? Dump Truck

What is your favorite holiday? my birthday

I forgot about how interesting the birthday interview is with a three-year-old.

I asked him to put his 3 by his face (instead of in front of it).

 Much better.

 Frowny face.

So happy!!

Birthday Video

Albert's Birthday!

Yesterday was Albert's 3rd birthday!! He started the day with opening one gift.

It was a train. Yay!
After opening his gift, he had his special birthday cereal (this year was Cinnamon Toast Crunch).

After the big kids all headed off to their respective schools, Albert got out his train and played.

Happy kid!

Talking to Grandma J.

Super smiley!

"Choo, choo!"
Since it was Friday, we went to story hour at the library and Albert insisted that the train go with him. After that, he had his current normal lunch of a peanut butter and nutella sandwich and then headed upstairs for rest time.

He got to go pick up the big kids at school and enjoyed playing with them for a few hours before dinner. Dinner was everyone favorite: tacos!! Daddy even let the kids use the special Star Wars glasses as part of the celebration.

Albert insisted on a "blue cake". We took that to mean a chocolate cake with blue frosting (like Addilyn had) and he didn't complain. Phew! 

Mmm...chocolate cake and peppermint ice cream!!

After dessert was more presents!! He got a pretty special Batman card.

What is it?! What is it?!

Oooo, look...a big box!

A tractor!! This kid really enjoyed his birthday! He told everyone he saw that it was his birthday and that he is 3! He smiled almost the whole day through. Yay for 3 years with our smart, sweet, lovable boy!!