This week twas the week before Christmas and we did our best to get ready for the big day while also enjoying the season while we had it...
On Monday, it was my coworker Jen's birthday, so I surprised her with our office @sses from Big @ss Fans decked out in their party hats.
That evening, we were surprised by our first Christmas package of the season. The boys excitedly opened it to find a box full of edible goodies from Eric's uncle Karl. We had everything from astronaut ice cream to homemade beef jerky to caramels to Trenary Toast to Jelly Belly Belly Flops and Jelly Belly Bean Boozeled beans and more. Eric and the boys had a good time testing their luck with the disgusting Bean Boozed candies, but I refused to try them and simply watched them (completely grossed out).
Video: Bean Boozeled Beans
On Tuesday and Wednesday the boys received two more packages containing gifts of books from Eric's Uncle Clint and Aunt Kathy, making for two very happy and excited little boys. In the meantime, I worked on finishing up the grandparent Christmas gifts for the year along with our gift to Christina, our daycare provider.
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| I found this cup on Pinterest and decided I needed to make some myself for gifts this year to Christina and some other close moms in my life. For Christina, we filled it up with gift cards and hot cocoa and combined it with her annual container of caramel corn for her family to enjoy. |
On Thursday, it was the last day of daycare for the boys before Christmas break. They were very happy when I showed up 20 minutes early to pick them up because it meant that they could finally open up their Christmas presents from Christina. Avery got Hungry Hungry Hippo and Asher got the Pie Face game. They were both very excited, but I have to say that sometimes Eric and I wonder if she picks out her gifts to the boys to give us some payback! :p
(2) Videos: Pie Face
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| Wrestler Asher before bedtime. |
On Thursday night my parents came down to spend some time with us. Eric had to work on Friday but since daycare was closed the boys and I were going to be home. So, they came and spent the day with us. On Friday morning we all headed to Cracker Barrel for a tasty breakfast together (which was good but Asher was HANGRY the entire time we waited which was much too long because they were packed but only had two cooks in the kitchen). After breakfast, we picked up a few groceries at Meijer and then headed back home for nap time. With only 2 days till Christmas, I promised Asher we would make sure to finish up his and Avery's Christmas letters to Santa (about time!) and get them in the mail.
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| Taping the pictures of what he wants to his letter. |
When we were finished with the letters, Asher ran outside to put them in the mailbox. Around the same time, we noticed that there were four police cars in front of our home. Earlier there had been just one and I assumed it was someone just doing his paperwork. Now though, there were four parked cars and four officers huddled together on the driveway directly across from ours. I looked to see what they were all looking at and saw a large, bright red blood stain at their feet in the driveway! They were photographing it and taking samples of it, and shortly after an "Accident Investigation" squad vehicle arrived on scene. We kept an eye on them for about an hour and my dad asked one of them if there was anything we should be concerned about, but to this day we still have no idea what happened. Online, the police report simply states the number of vehicles on scene and the fact that it was "Suspicious Activity". We have lived on our street for almost ten years now, and it has been pretty quiet the entire time, but this month has been full of "excitement". Earlier in the month, I came home from work to find that someone had somehow rear-ended the corner of our neighbor's house doing significant structural damage to the home and breaking the gas line on the home located just 10 feet from our own home. The accident was a hit and run and the cops are still looking for whoever was involved. Thankfully, no one was in our home or our neighbors' home at the time and our postal work found the gas leak in time and called the fire department so no one was injured and both of our houses are still standing. Click here for the story from TMJ4. Click here for the story in the newspaper.
On Friday evening, my parents stayed with us another night and watched the boys for us while Eric and I were able to enjoy a wonderful date together. We left the house at about 5:00 to go see the Rogue One and afterwards we continued our fun together by doing a little Christmas shopping at Best Buy and Meijer and having a fun dinner together of sandwiches and milkshakes at Pot Belly. It was a very nice evening with hours of laughs and conversation. Best night we've had together in a very long time and I can't wait until the next time (although it probably won't be for several months at a minimum).
On Saturday it was Christmas Eve and despite all of my planning I still had a ton of things to do to get ready for the next day. I ran around all day getting things done and headed out to Kohl's during nap time to pick up some last-minute things. When I arrived back at home, the boys were awake and both in meltdown mode. They were tired and grumpy and I knew then what they needed: Mommy Time. I pushed aside the day's agenda to Be Present and snuggled up with my boys on the couch to watch Alvin and the Chipmunks. Sitting there cuddling my two little loves was easily the best part of my day.
As early evening approached we turned off the movie and got dressed up for the Christmas Eve service at church. It was our first time ever enjoying a Christmas Eve just the four of us.
The service at IBC was very nice and thanks to the cups full of cereal and the small bags of M&Ms that I brought for the boys, both of them were very well behaved for almost the entire time (Avery did need to go into the hall for a few minutes when he got loud). Asher was very excited for the candles as he remembered them from last year and kept asking me when they would light them. When the time came, he held his own candle very still like a big boy while Eric and Avery shared one and Avery continually tried to blow it out.
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| Avery attempting to blow out the candle. |
When church was over, we headed over to Dominoes to pick up some pizza for dinner and then enjoyed a picnic on the living room floor as we finished off our movie from earlier.
When the movie was over, it was time for bed and the boys excitedly opened up their first Christmas presents; the annual Christmas jammies and bedtime books. This year, the books they received were Usborne Shine a Light books that I'd purchased so they also got a flashlight in the present to reveal the hidden pictures in the books.
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| Avery's new flashlight: A "ebra" |
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| The boys showing off their new jammies and new flashlights... |
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| ...and pretending that the flashlights are actually light sabers. |
Finally, it was time for the boys to put out Santa's snacks and the reindeer food and go to bed and then time for Eric and I to finish up everything for Christmas morning. We put the boys in bed and then I headed down to "Santa's Workshop" (aka the basement workshop) to finish wrapping presents. Then, once Asher was asleep (which took quite a while due to the excitement of Christmas and his anxiety that Santa would not come because Eric and I had not yet gone to bed), Santa placed all of the presents under the tree, filled the stockings, ate the cookies, drank the milk and fed the carrots to the reindeer (who once again made a mess in our yard while they waited for Santa).
"He spoke not a word, but when straight to his work,
and filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"
-Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore
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