Christmas

Merry Christmas!! We had a great Christmas with no real surpises.......except what Santa Clause brought of course!  Here is Abby with her new Pogo Stick.  I wasn't sure it was anyone was ever going to be able to really use it (you know, those things are kind of hard and some of them don't actually do what they are supposed to) but as soon as what little snow we had dried up Abby was out there bouncing away.  I think her goal to date is 400 bounces without stopping!  Yikes! What a little kangaroo!

Brooklyn has been begging for a new bike ever since she climbed up on her old one after not using it for a few months and discovered she no longer fit on it!!  She was thrilled that Santa knew just what to get her.  And the handlebar streamers make it all that much better:)

Jace had a whole list of things that would have been "totally awesome".  This train may or may not have been on his list, but nevertheless it has been a big hit.  The fact that you can make your track however you want is a big bonus (unless you are the mom that is called on to come engineer it so that every last piece is being used and the ends meet just right after its already built.  Then it's kind of a bummer:)

And here's our little Colby.  He LOVED his dump truck.  Not really.  I'm not sure he's even played with it.  But give him the wrapping paper and empty boxes and he'll have the time of his life.  Good thing we didn't overexert ourselves on his presents this year:)

Here's everyone with their piles of presents.  All in all it was a great Christmas.  The kids had fun.  We had fun.  Everyone had fun!

Abby's turns 8!

 Abby's birthday dawned bright and early with both my girls throwing up.  Boo. We knew Brooklyn wasn't feeling well because she started around 2am with the stomach flu and we were up with her several times after that. It was pretty funny (once I think back to it that is - nothing  funny about being up to your elbows in throw up at 2 am) to hear Brooklyn talk herself through her sickness.  After she had thrown up she asked me  "Mom, do I have the pukey bug?  'Cuz I don't want the pukey bug, (voice pitch getting higher and crazier) do you think I have the pukey bug, I can't have the pukey bug, I don't want the pukey bug. (On the verge of a meltdown) Ohhhh myyyy goshhhhh.  I HAVE THE PUKEY BUG!"  My poor girl.

In fact, Abby came in and slept with me while Darren went in and slept with Brooklyn because Abby was convinced she would get Brookie's germs and she wanted none of it.  I didn't blame her.  I guess it was too little too late because at 6:00 am Abby started in with it.  Uck.
Luckily for Abby, she had a rough morning but was feeling much better by afternoon and by the end of the day she was more than ready to celebrate.  We actually only opened presents.  There was no cake.We saved that for a few days later.

Brooklyn looks pretty good in this picture.  In real life, she wasn't looking so good.  She didn't move from the couch all day and was feeling the after effects for days.

Because of all the sickness we had to postpone Abby's baptism.  We were planning on having it the night of her birthday but since that didn't work out we had it a day later.  Darren's Mom, Dad, and brother were here to help make it extra special!

Two days after Abby's bday.  Chocolate cake and chocolate frosting.  Abby also did not care for her bday cake (remember Brooklyn?) .  Seems to be a pattern here.

Some things about Abby at age 8 -

-loves to play, hates to work

-has a horse club at school with her friends.  Her horse is named Lily.

-always seems to have a loose tooth (and it's always DRAMA to get it out)

-it is becoming very apparent that we will need to have LOTS of orthodontic work done

-is very good at being "in charge" - of everything:)

-has a really great memory and is above levels in school

-likes to play the piano, especially Christmas music

Happy Birthday Abby!!

Brooklyn turns 6

And the November birthdays continue!!  Brooklyn turned 6 on the 26th and she is loving being a whole year older.  I, on the other hand, am wondering where the time is going?!!

Brooklyn with her presents.  She usually gets Christmas wrapping paper for her birthday.  She doesn't mind. 

Abby somehow always ends up with at least one present on Brookie's birthday and this year was no exception.  Grandma Lu figures if Abby is getting the same present as Brooklyn  on her birthday (2 1/2 weeks later) than why not just wrap it up and give it to her now.  Abby totally agrees.

Brooklyn's cake.  She doesn't like cake.  But she requested this cake. So I made it.  And she didn't eat it. It tasted different than she thought.  Oh well.  We'll try again next year. 

Abby was helpful by videoing the singing part of Brooklyn's birthday.  So she wasn't involved in helping blowing out the candles like Jace was.  I'm not really sure if Jace cleared it with Brooklyn, but I am pretty sure that Jace blew out half of those candles! 

Things about Brooklyn at age 6 -

-she loves the monkey bars at school
-she is completely shy around lots of strangers (she got a stomache by just going to a bday party alone for a friend in her class - we're hoping she outgrows some of it!)
-loves to entertain Colby (yay!)
-has recently discovered the "side part" and thinks it makes her look like she has bangs
-Captain Crunch is her favorite cereal
-arguably the best hugger in the house
-hates waking up in the morning and is slooooow to get out the door for school
-brushes, and brushes and brushes her teeth before school and before bed - if you hurry her up she has a melt down and insists her teeth are not clean

Happy Birthday Brooklyn!!