It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!!!

Well, for the first time this winter, it actually looks like winter outside. We got snow today and boy, did the kids have a ball! Tanner stayed outside longer than anyone else, and screamed in protest when he was brought in. His little cheeks and hands were bright red, even though he had thick gloves on. When the snow first started falling this morning, we went outside and he loved making footprints in it. It was funny to see him walk and watch behind himself to see his tracks.







They had snowballs fights, made snow angels,and Luke and Tanner played follow the leader, with Tanner trying to step in all the tracks that Luke made. And where was poor Parker when all the fun was going on? He had a fever today, and was glued to my hip. I was able to cut him off for a few seconds to try and take a picture of how pathetic he looked. But by the time I could get him to sit still for a few seconds and take the picture, the tylenol had kicked in and he was feeling a little better.



Speaking of Christmas, can I just say that I love Christmas songs? We have a radio station here that plays Christmas songs all day, and has since the day after Thanksgiving, and will play them until Christmas day. It's great!! Now just ask me in another week or so if I still think it's great when all I've heard for three weeks is Christmas songs!! => We got our tree up and the kids did all the decorating. Dad put it up and Mom put on the lights. They had a blast reminiscing about all of the ornaments they put up. Josh seemed to remember making them all, although most of the ones he was taking about I remember purchasing at a store. But I couldn't burst his bubble and let him think what he wanted. Tanner has been good and doesn't touch the tree unless he sees his older brothers do it. Parker tried to pull himself up on it once, and the needles are very poky and sharp, so he hasn't tried it again. (I wish all of my kids learned that fast. =>)


We also had a ward Christmas party and Santa came. I thought Parker would be the one to freak out about sitting with Santa, but Tanner outdid him this year. (The little girl you see in Josh and Luke's picture is one of the little girls that likes to be in the middle of whatever fun is happening. She wouldn't go away, even with all the moms around asking her to leave. I'm sure she is in most of the Santa pictures. We finally had to physically pull her away and she didn't go easily.)







It has been nice now that Santa has put in an appearance to pull out the good 'ol "Santa's watching you. You don't want to be on the bad list, do you?" card. Just the other night I made something new for dinner, along with a good old favorite - french fries. I told the kids that if they ate 5 bites of the new dish, they could have more french fries. I was feeding Parker and not really paying attention, when suddenly Josh asked for more fries. Kaitlin, mother number 2 at our house, told him he had to eat his other stuff first. He then said, "But this is my second helping." I looked up and laughed. You know us Moms, we can sense a lie a mile away. I said, "You didn't just lie to your Mom, did you? You'll be on Santa's bad list for sure." I laughed, hoping that he understood I was teasing, but he need to eat. Well, after dinner he came up quietly and said, "Mom, do you really think I'm on the bad list?" He looked so sad. I had quite a time reassuring him that one little lie wasn't going to doom him to coal. Note to self - Josh takes teasing very literally some days. Be careful.