The Santa Clause Book

This is my all time favorite Christmas book ever! It is a thick hardcover book with great illustrations and fabulous stories! Our family had this book when I was growing up- it was always the book all the kids wanted to read. We would laugh so hard at some of the stories, like the elves never taking baths and wearing dirty underwear. It shows how to tell the difference between a fake Santa and the real one. Last year I asked my mom if I could have it- but one of the other kids already took it. Laura had bought one online- and so she bought me one off e-bay for Christmas. Thanks Laura! It was out of print- so the cheapest one was $40!! Most of them were around $80 for a used book. I think it might be back in print because it seems like you can get the book around $20 now.
The author is Jay Parry and wrote the book under the pseudonym Alden Perkes. He and has written a bunch of LDS books. It really is so clever and well done. If you want a great present that will last for years get this book for Christmas next year. You won't regret it!

Stockings

34 years ago my Grandma Freda made this stocking for me. This year I decided I would make stockings for my kids. They are all made out of felt. It only took me about 2,000 hours, but they are done. We missed a good many dinners cause I was working on stockings. Darren said they are nice but he can't eat stockings.

Mine

Pauls- He wanted a dinosaur stocking. I said no way. So we decided on a Christmas tree with presents underneath- one of the presents has a dinosaur in it.

Ellies- she wanted an elf stocking because we call her "Elf" sometimes.

Kyle wanted a candy stocking, cause he loves sugar and candy. I figured a gingerbread house would be perfect for him!

Darren's is Santa cause, well that's a secret.

I made his before we had kids. He thinks his isn't as good as the kids and wants me to add to his. Maybe I will next year. But for this year I am done working on stockings. I know if there is a flood or fire they will be one of the first things to grad. Hopefully they will last for years and my kids will still have them when they are 34.

Christmas Shoes

Ok- I have to add a couple more Christmas post's before I wrap it up for the season. First, My cousin Circe put this on her blog. Her blog- http://dopppartyofseven.blogspot.com/ is creative and hilarious and I love reading it. So she posted the following:

"Christmas Shoes

I just crashed my car into a fire hydrant right outside my house. The Christmas Cheer Meter is on empty. The snow that was supposed to add a delightful patina to the holiday season made me slide all the way down my street and crash. I never crash! I'm an excellent snow driver. So I'm mad. I'm so mad that I even hate the Christmas song that's stuck in my head about the kid who buys his mom a pair of shoes. (You know...Sir I want to buy these shoes...for my mama please...in case Mama meets Jesus tonight) I'm pretty sure the kid was either a scam artist or really stupid. First of all, what is a kid doing in a shoe store on Christmas Eve, especially if his mom has hours to live? I think his mom was fine and his dad was waiting in the car around the corner while the kid worked his sob story on innocent people in several stores, telling them that his mom needed shoes (or a new coat, an XBox, whatever) in case she died that night. Right.

I might send Freestone to the auto body shop with his piggy bank and tell them that his mom is about to take her last breath and what would make her really happy is getting her front bumper replaced before she croaks. If it works, I'll write a country song about it and end up so rich that I'll be able to buy my own shoes. So my kid won't have to panhandle in a department store when I'm on my deathbed. Oh, and Freestone, just so you know, people don't take their shoes with them when they die."

Circe.

I got such a good laugh from this posts- and most of her posts for that matter. Anyways, it made me think of this story that I have to tell.
A couple of years ago that song came on the radio and Darren was in the car. I don't like that song so I turned it. Darren said, "What are you doing, I love that song!?" I laughed, "I hate that song! It's so lame!" Darren replied, "What are you cold hearted?!! That song is so sweet! I love it, it makes me think of you and how much I love you!" He held my hand and looked lovingly into my eyes. Well, then I didn't hate that song so much. Regardless of the story, if it makes my husband like me and dot on me more- well it can't be that bad. I tried to like the song, but still couldn't really stand it. I started to think of him every time I heard the song, liked it a little more each time I heard it- but there was a part of me that still despised it.

So the next year Darren brought home a little present on Christmas Eve. It is our little family's tradition to watch The Nativity Story on Christmas Eve every year. It brings a great spirit in the house and really makes you think about Mary and Joseph and how brave they were. They had so much faith. Anyways, so Darren brings home the MOVIE- The Christmas Shoes to watch on Christmas Eve! I was like, seriously? Please no!! But he was so excited and hugged me and insisted that we would all love it so much- plus he insisted, "this is our special song!" So we started the movie, halfway through the kids and I were all bawling- the kids wanted to turn it off- but Darren insisted we watch it. Well, in the end the kids won. At the end of the movie- right before the mom dies the kids freaked out and Ellie ran up and turned off the DVD player. They were all sobbing, and clinging to me. Darren was laughing. I was sobbing and pretty mad to watch such a depressing move Christmas Eve. We walked up stairs, all the kids clinging to me, tears streaming down their cheeks, "I don't want you to die mom!" They were all giving Darren a piece of their minds for making us watch such a lame movie on Christmas Eve. I was pretty mad. It was a little hard to feel the Christmas Spirit after that. This year we watched the Nativity Story.

Merry Christmas!

What a wonderful Christmas we had. We had our little family Christmas Eve party with our family and Erica. We had lots of delicious food; crab legs, shrimp, steak, apple pie, eggnog, soda hot chocolate. We opened presents all the presents under the tree- mostly ones from grandparents, and a new pair of pajamas for each of the kids. Then we played dictionary, and watched the Nativity Story. I love that movie so much. We put the kids to bed about 10. I cleaned up and finished sewing Paul's stocking. By about 3 in the morning Santa had come and our house looked like this.
Paul woke up about 12:30 am. I sent him back to bed. A while later I heard something on the stairs and there he was sitting in the dark not able to sleep. He was sooo excited. It is funny how even though Paul knows about Santa he was every bit as excited as the other kids. I let him come hang out with me. About 1:30 am I heard more kids coming downstairs- I jumped up- Ellie and Kyle were coming downstairs! I said,"go back to bed! It's still night time- Santa hasn't come- it's not very late" It worked and they went back to bed. Finally about 3 am Paul and I went to bed.

Their stockings all ready!

The kids were pretty much up every 2 hours all night long. I think they got up at 5:30 for good. When Darren and I dragged ourselves out of bed at 7:30 Paul was all ready for church (what a good kid) . The rule is that they can get into their stockings, but can't do anything else till Darren and I are awake. We had church at 9, so we opened about 1/2 the presents then went to church.

The "Before" picture

Paul dividing the presents into piles.

Ellie with her favorite present. A $9.00 webkinz kitty.

So here Paul is after church opening the 2nd half of the presents.

Opening presents.

Kyle with one of his favorite presents- a remote control car.

I love our family!

The house "After"

Another "After" picture.

Christmas Vacation Part 2

Here we are at Barefoot Beach watching the sunrise- (Just kidding, yea right) the sunset. Each day the weather was beautiful. I have been working on making my kids Christmas stockings out of felt, so each time we went to the beach I brought a stocking to work on. They took me forever and I only got Paul and Ellie's done.

The beach is so interesting. One thing I have learned about living here is that each beach can be so different! 100 feet down one beach can be different, and it can be different the next day!
For example we went to Fort Myers beach a couple of weeks ago-it had hundreds of dead horseshoe crabs washed up on shore, living sand dollars everywhere, and starfish- we went to the same beach a couple of days ago and didn't see any of those things! Also, about a month ago we went to Clam Pass and there were thousands of Fighting Conch Shells climbing all over the place. We went to Clam Pass this morning and didn't see a one. Sometimes you will see dolphins all over in the water, and sometimes you don't see one. Sometimes there are no waves, and sometimes the waves are 3 feet tall. Sometimes the water is clear, sometimes is not. It's pretty cool to be learning about the beach and how different it can be!

Paul watching the sunset.

Ellie, Paul and Kyle digging under this cool palm tree on the beach.

Here is Manatee Park. There is a power plant that spills warm water out into a river and all the Manatee's come there for the winter cause they like the warmer water. We saw a couple manatee's even though the river was pretty muddy. It was pretty cool.

Ellie, Kyle, Paul and Erica

Darren and me. Sorry Darren, but I have a new boyfriend.

Ellie, Kyle and me

This was actually a fake gator. It's hard to tell the difference. Not a mistake I would want to ever make.

Cute kids. It was pretty hot that day (what's new, it's hot every day) and the kids weren't to crazy about the park. I thought it was worth going to.

Christmas Vacation Part 1

Darren's sister Erica came for Christmas- so we have done fun stuff everyday. We have had a busy schedule of fun activities! It all seems like a blur now. We have gone to the beach 4 times, Alligator Alley, Manatee Park, shopping, a water park, out to lunch on the dock, and Darren's favorite- a citrus store with fresh oranges and all the fresh squeezed orange juice samples you want. That place was packed! It was tons of fun! Tomorrow we are off to Clam Pass Beach and then to take Erica to the airport and she heads home.

Darren and Erica took the kids to Alligator Alley one day. I stayed home and got ready for Christmas. I also stayed home the day they went to the water park.

Kyle and Ellie

Paul, Ellie and Kyle

That's a big one!

Erica

Erica, Ellie and Kyle

Paul loved this place- of course!

Ellie said it was boring and she would have rather stayed home with me. Kyle said it was "totally awesome!"

Another big one- all the alligators sit so still it's hard to believe they are real! Sometimes I think, "that thing has got to be a statue! There is no way they let people walk along this path with these huge wild alligators. It's all a big hoax and those gators are fake. " But then you see one move and it's pretty darn freaky!

Kyle being so cute!- With his new cool Spiderman helmet he got for his birthday. He also just barely learned how to ride a bike so was really fun for him. Oh, and BTW I am the one who finished teaching him how to ride a bike- Darren tried, but got sick of it. So I was out on our sidewalk the last couple of weeks, with this huge belly chasing Kyle behind his bike. Finally I told him I would buy him a Willy Wonka Chocolate bar if he learned. Suddenly it all came together and he was riding all by himself!

Ellie and Kyle at the end of the ride- They rode about 6 miles! Good job kids!

Ellie just being cute.

You know, it takes a lot of effort to do stuff with kids. In order to do this trip Darren had to take all of our bikes down (they are hanging in the garage because we have no room for them) put the bike rack on the van, put the bikes on the rack- they all wouldn't fit so he took the seats out of the van, put 1/2 the bikes in the van and 1/2 on the rack. Pack a lunch, get kids helmets, sunscreen, water bottles, bike pump, camera, gps, pass for the park, etc. I thought of how it would just be easier to sit home and let the kids play electronics. But I want my kids to grow up doing all sorts of different adventures. No matter how much work Darren has to do.

Today is my Birthday- and I stayed home with Ellie while Erica, Darren and the boys went to the beach. I was tired and just wanted to stay home and sew! I think I ended up spending the whole time talking to family and friends on the phone and taking a nap. Tonight we went out to pizza and then came home and played games. Darren told the kids they could stay up as late as they wanted. Preparation for New Years I guess. Oh well. It is so strange to have it be so warm- even hot outside on Christmas. I'm not sure if I'll get used to it the 3 Christmas's we will be here.

Christmas Wish Lists and other fun

Here are my kids Christmas lists- So cute- I couldn't find Ellie's so it is just Kyle and Pauls.


I want like a scooter and a I Spy Fun House DVD. I have been very good all year. But that is all my presents. Love, Kyle E.
Here is Kyle's other list- "Scooter, I Spy Fun House. And in my stocking I would like a not spicy candy cane and a DS and a webkinz and a Hot Wheels. From Kyle

Having younger kids is so nice as I have heard as they become older they get to be more expensive and ask for bigger things. For now I can handle their cute lists.

Here is Pauls list, you will see he likes to use parenthesis- a lot! "Paul's (Gift List) Hex bug (any kind will do) Smithsonian Crystal digging kit (not growing) DS (blue) Drawing game/Professor Layton game."
"(Stocking list) Webkinz pet (1 or 2) Candy Cane (non spicy) anything else.




Here are some fun picts of us at the Ward Christmas Party a few weeks back.

The kids wanted baby Gabe to sit on Santa's lap. - Sorry Santa- I'll try to take it easy on you!

Kyle was soooo cute with Santa. It is so fun to have believers in the house.

Ellie with Santa. The other day she said to me,"Why don't some people believe in Santa?" I said, "I don't know Ellie" and she said, "they just don't see the magic" Oh Ellie- please don't ever grow up.

After all the kids sat on Santa's lap, Santa got up and ran out of the gym- and my kids followed him!- I tried to stop them, but I can't run very fast in my current state. They were disgusted when he got into a car to drive away. Well, that definitely wasn't the real Santa.