A Christmas in Review

My mother-in-law's Christmas decor leaves me inspired every year!

We have returned to good old Arizona after a wonderful visit in the winter wonderland of Utah. Christmas and all of its accompanying events and activities kept us delightfully busy with still offering some rest and relaxation. Magical holiday, that.
Christmas to us is about being with family, and this year, that was what we did best. SO much family!

My monkeys with the favorites: Uncle Jared and Baby Bradley. (I hope he outgrows the Baby title, or he may dislike family get-togethers in a few years)

 Aunt Natalie gained new found favorite status this visit, and I hope she liked it. (I can't quite tell from this face...)

 May-May (the eternal favorite) and again with the Bradley face. (I could just eat him up!)

 More favorites came. Uncle Tyler and Aunt Amanda.

The Doctor's extended family got together for dinner and catching up. I was in charge of the photo. Thankfully it turned out OK. (Whew!) 

Grandpa took my big monkeys sledding. They lasted for hours, and loved every minute of it.

My Arizona kids have been winter deprived for so long that every clump of snow or ice (if only one inch in size) was fascinating and magnetically compelling. More photos and Christmas to come!

It's beginning to look like Christmas

 

We're thinking Christmas thoughts at our house. Music is blaring and lights are shining.

 

 

 

And minty Grinch cookies are being gobbled...

 

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Christmas Shopping?

We usually spend too much time at that Target place.

It's a fact.

 

But this time of year it gets complicated. How do you shop for kids, WITH kids?

I'm learning the virtue of online shopping, but I do so with trepidation. Am I the only person who is a hold out? Does no one else see the value of man-handling the merchandise? How can a girl know if she loves it if she can't feel it up? (dangerously scandalous!)

What can you tell me? Do I leap over my fear-ish gap into the unknown or do I stubbornly cling to convention for convention's sake? And whichever I do, HOW do I get it done before Christmas?!

*Also, what am I going to do when my monkeys and I travel to Utah for Christmas and experience temperatures below 70?? My blood is officially Arizona thin and I'm afraid! I think I need to buy myself some socks and dig out my actual shoes....hm... wish us luck!

Rise all loyal Cougars!

The Doctor is the most very difficult person to shop for. Case in point: He has just recently spent his birthday money from his last two birthdays to take us on a family trip over Thanksgiving weekend. What do you buy for a guy who saves birthday money for TWO years, and then finally spends it on a trip for the whole family? Yeah.

So we took a family trip to New Mexico, to watch the good old BYU cougars play some football.

 

We stayed at a hotel that had a swimming pool.

We tail-gated and ate hot dogs.

There was some football watching.

And dancing.

And Cosmo hunting.

And third quartering. (I don't care for the third quarter on principle.)

And a third quarter solution.

We had lots of space around us in the seats.

And we got to run around on the field at the end of the game.

We had a great time and for that I am truly thankful!

More giggles at stake conference

Remember this post? about Giggles at Stake Conference
Here we are, a few years later, for the next recipe in the series.

Recipe for the Giggles in Stake Conference

You will need:
one newly turned 3-year-old
honey-nut cheerios (we prefer the generic variety)

Place three-year-old on your lap, facing you. Give him a small handful of cheerios and then divert your attention to the speakers.
Look back at the three-year-old a few moments later to notice three or four cheerios stuck to his cheek and an expression of loving contentment on his face. Wait for the following: "They stick us, Mom. They stick us, and they love us. *sigh"

Enjoy.


photos we recreated when we got home (just for you, our loyal and beloved fans)

Post Halloween blues

 

Subtle, no?

 This is my monkeys, camped out in the kitchen, staring longingly at the Halloween candy. It is a dwindling amount, with only weird gum and strange, generic 'flavored' tootsie rolls left, but they don't seem to care.

We're getting over sick kids here. Hacking cough, slight fever, CRANKY kids. The usual.

Pencil was very upset when I suggested some medicine to help him feel better.

Until, he tasted it.  He hugged me tight and exclaimed, "It tastes like owange! Mom, you a geniuths!"

Welcome November

As we begin this month of giving thanks, I want to start by saying I'm thankful for my everydays.
I'm the mom in a house of crazy monkeys, and it keeps me busy and crazy and most of the time I wouldn't have it any other way.*

Monkey in the fridge. Like, IN it.

 Impromptu naps. I love naps.

 Batman and cape, riding a rocking horse. Of course.

 Soccer. *Sigh, soccer.

 Community Helpers parade at school, and a monkey who wore the working stethoscope and yelled into his own ears through the sensitive end. He's not deaf yet. Whew!

Who stole Dad's phone and played "Bad Piggies" until the battery died, again? Not me!

 

 

*On the right day, in the right moment, I might take you up on a offer to run away and join the circus 

OR a delightful book-reading, food tasting, traveling troupe of adult sized people.

But the day and moment is rare, so you're probably better off not offering.

An Incredible Halloween

 Happy Halloween!

I got ambitious this year and made our family a group costume.

It was a learning experience for sure, but I'm glad we did it.

It was a blast to go to the church Trunk-or-Treat, and then

wander our neighborhood as a team of crime fighters.

Not very in-focus, but Our Trunk-or-treaters with Grapes' friend M, as Dorothy. 

One of us wanted to stop and eat each piece of candy as it was given.

 He also was depressingly good at asking for (and GETTING) a second piece at every stop. 

Sugar-aholics anonymous will be getting a new visitor soon, I'm sure. 

Post-neighborhood haul. And left-over pizza.  

AND- My very favorite part of the costumes. When a logo, and some outer-underwear were removed, monkeys were already in PJ's and ready for bed. I am a brilliant mom, if I do say so myself. Brilliant!

Halloween fun

Tonight we carved our pumpkin

 

Well, Dad carved it, mostly. With helpful feedback/approval from a few monkeys. 

Of course we roasted the seeds too. Usually I put Worcestershire sauce and seasoned salt on them, then roast in a hot oven (400-ish) for 15-20 mins, stirring in the middle.

 

This time, however, we were out of both Worcestershire sauce AND seasoned salt. So, I tried olive oil and garlic salt with a smidgen of pepper. It turned out alright, but not as good as usual.

 

Even sub-par pumpkin seeds couldn't kill our awesome night. Kids are so much fun!

 Here's hoping the actual Halloween night turns out to be just as much fun!