Christmas

What a Christmas we had this year!  It was full of fun, laughter, visitors, gifts, and some sickness.  But it was another great Christmas in the McNeely house!  Christmas Eve started with the children's church service.  The 35 minute service is just the right amount of time for us.  Then its home to eat a yummy Christmas Eve dinner that Daddy made (this year it was lasagna).  After dinner it was time to put the cookies out for Santa.  Jake and Julianna had some set backs...Grace kept eating the cookies.

Once the plate was full (and I mean full!) they checked on Santa to make sure he was in route.  Yes, you can see where he is on some website Brian found.  Then it was off to bed so Mommy get wrapping!  The kids woke up early, around 6:30 and were super disappointed to hear they had to wait for Grace to wake up.  Finally around 7:00 she was ready to go!

Santa brought Jake a new basketball hoop, basketball and lots of stocking stuffers. Julianna got an art desk for her room with all the supplies.  Grace got a Minnie Mouse big wheel.  No, her feet don't reach the pedals but she grows like a weed so maybe by the spring she can ride it.  AND the whole family got a WiiU, which required a new TV.  So we are all set for some fun games!

We had lots of fun opening presents.  Each kid gets to pick a toy for their brother/sister.  It's funny how they talk about it.  Julianna was very specific and told Jake to buy her the Brave bow and arrow (which of course he did).  Grace gave her a Sophia the First amulet.  Julianna gave Grace a drum and Jake got Grace a Minnie Mouse doll.  Julianna picked out the Hulk smashing fists for Jake and decided Grace would give him the mask.  Turns out Grace was really more into being the Hulk.

We spent most of Christmas day putting toys together and setting up the Wii.  Brian was in bed sick so I figured it out.  The basketball hoop took a few days but that is up as well.  A few days after Christmas Jake came down with pneumonia.  But that didn't slow him down, he just got to rest and watch some TV in the afternoon.

Friday Brian's side of the family came for a visit.  The cousins all had a great time playing together and opening presents.  Saturday night the adults went to dinner.  Yeah, I found a babysitter for 7 kids...yikes!

After the McNeely's left, Grandma and Poppy came for a couple days.  They brought even more presents to open.  Grace got a Minnie Mouse apron and was put to work the very first day.  Grandma always makes cookies with us!  Although Poppy was sick, I think everyone managed to have a fun time.  We rang in the New Year together (sans Poppy and Grace who were sleeping).

Now I am trying to get back to normal after a very eventful Christmas vacation.  Wouldn't you know they cancel school the first day back because its cold.  What's one more day of fun, right?  I hope everyone had a great Holiday season and 2014 brings you lots of wonderful memories!

Julianna's 1st Ballet Recital

Julianna's very first dance recital was last Friday.  She has been going to class for months and the recital was finally here!  She got her costume weeks ago under strict instructions for it to hang in Mommy's closet.  Can't imagine why?  Finally on Thursday she got to wear it for dress rehearsal.

I had no idea how much goes into these things!  I was never a dancer (my sister was but I didn't pay that much attention).  When the teacher said they need to have their hair in a tight bun my stomach dropped.  What?  Have you seen Julianna's hair?  Wet hair and a LOT of hairspray worked like a charm.  She wouldn't take her hair down.

Friday night I think she was a little nervous but our neighbor was also in the recital so that helped.  She was excited to see Ella's costume.  Ella was very sweet and held Julianna's hand backstage.

The performance went well.  She smiled and did most of the right stuff.  They each had a partner that they danced around.  Julianna's was pretty clueless so Julianna kept telling her she was not doing it right.  But it was all as cute as you can imagine.  At some point they give out a video of the entire recital.  Parents are not allowed to take pictures or video.  It's awesome!  You can just focus on your kid and not getting the perfect picture.  However, I did take a video of the rehearsal.  It's a little crazy and the lighting on Julianna is not great.  I loaded it on my YouTube site.  She is in the back row first dancer on the left.  The one who keeps checking to see if she is on her green sticker.  We are very proud of our little ballerina and I am sure we have many, many, many more ballet recitals in our future

Thanksgiving

First I don't think I can talk about our Thanksgiving week with out saying WAR EAGLE! 

Around here the kids get out of school for the entire Thanksgiving week.  So I try to do fun stuff.  They always, always, always pick Chuck E Cheese.  We also went to a trampoline place called Champion Kids.  Grace was sliding down into a foam pit.  I can't believe what a little daredevil she is!

Finally on Wednesday Aunt Lyndsay came to visit.  She was up bright and early to run the Atlanta half marathon.  Of course that morning was the coldest day we have seen in a while!  25 degrees is not normal for us!  But Jake and I braved the cold to cheer Aunt Lyndsay to her finish.  We were very proud of her!

For Thanksgiving dinner we decided to split the meal with our neighbors.  It was so nice to pop down the street and only make half the meal!  And the kids played and had a great time.  Grace ate 3 helpings of corn, some turkey and kept coming back for a bite of roll.  She is just too cute! 

Finally to wrap up the weekend we went in search of the perfect tree.  3 Christmas tree lots later we found it.  Jake was so excited.  He loves to get the christmas tree!

Yesterday we decorated the tree.  Brian was a little late so I thought it would be a good time for a photo shoot.  Sometimes they just all smile at the same time and I catch it.  I love a cute pajama picture!

Jake's Thanksgiving Play

On more proud parent moment was added to the very long list on Thursday morning.  Jake's kindergarten class had their Thanksgiving play.  A couple weeks prior Jake came home with a note from his teacher saying she had selected Jake to be the narrator of the play and could we please practice with him.  We were very proud of him for being such an excellent reader.  Inside I was thinking lots of pressure!  This play was 5 pages long and he had most of the words!  Turkeys just had to say "gobble, gobble, gobble!"

Of course, we practiced at home and they practiced at school.  And on the day of the play he was awesome!  He read every word and didn't stumble over words or get flustered...as I would have!  It was lots of fun to watch all the kids do their part.  Jake's best bud, JP, was a pilgrim.  He was so cute saying "Land Ho!"

After the play they served refreshments.  The teacher made sure they knew to serve their parents first.  Jake picked up a donut and asked if I wanted it.  Then we went off to the school book fair so he could pick out some books for us to read.  Great day with Jake!

Santa!

Tuesday was our annual visit to see Santa.  Yes, it isn't even Thanksgiving yet but its never too early to get into the Christmas spirit.  After all, Julianna has been picking out all kinds of things to put on her Christmas list since the summer.  I hear "Mommy, can you please tell Santa I want this?" pretty much every time we go to a store.  Luckily she doesn't have Jake's razor sharp memory.

So off to Phipps Plaza we went.  Jake spent hours on his list for Santa.  I told him he could only ask for a couple things so he had to figure out what he wanted most.  So he wrote just 3 things on his list when we got there.  I don't even know what one of them was (Santa might have tough time with it).  But he is playing basketball so he asked for a hoop.  Julianna said "I just want a dollhouse."  Easy!  However when we were leaving the Santa area she found the dollhouse of her dreams.  If you look closely you will see it is the display window at Tiffany's.  She was oohing and ahhing over the dollhouse and even called Jake over to see it.  Funny I just see big fat gorgeous diamonds but she sees the most beautiful dollhouse.

When we were waiting in line I could kind of see the writing on the wall with Grace.  We got closer and her little arms got tighter and tighter around my neck.  I tried to pull her off to get a picture (Yes! I would have been totally fine with a crying picture) but it was NOT happening.  She is a strong little thing!  So...I made my mom, who constantly nags me about being in the pictures, a happy camper.

Then Grace and I made a quick exit and Jake and Julianna went over their lists with Santa.  I asked Jake what they talked about.  "Well, my list of course."  So I asked what Santa said about his list.  "Santa said okay...so that means he is going to make me everything right?"  Good grief!