Just catching up...

Wow- I am impressed with how many of you knew the 12 days of Christmas! I am planning to draw a name tomorrow to pick the winner of the book. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for entering the contest!

And thank you , thank you, thank you to all who have prayed or are praying for Aunt Kay!!!

We were not home the other night and missed doing the Jesse tree devotional that night. The next morning Audrey ran to me saying, "MOM! We forgot to do the Judy tree last night!!!" Er- "Jew"dy tree maybe? Not sure how she came up with that one but it was cute. In other kid news (to satisfy the granny and auntie that are reading), let me tell you what a BRAVE girl Alaina is! She had her first piano recital last Friday night. Now if you know Alaina, you know that she is very shy and reserved until she really knows someone and then, well, look out. :o) I knew getting up on the stage and performing would be a little nerve-racking for her, but thought that the earlier we start the easier it will be as she grows up to speak/perform/etc. in front of people. Alaina mentioned being "a little nervous" before the recital and we noticed she was a bit edgy in the days preceding the recital but really she was handling it much better than I thought she might for the first time. She played beautifully! We were so happy for her. But it was surprising to me to later learn what her perception of a piano recital had been before we arrived there. The actual piano recital was at a cozy little church. Sixteen students performed and there were maybe about 45-50 people in the audience. It was short and sweet. Well, Alaina told me the next morning that she had thought she would be in a huge auditorium, on a big stage, with the bright lights pointed only on her. She thought this because her only prior experience with a "recital" was her dance recital when she was three and Audrey's dance recitals for the past several years. So, knowing Alaina's demeanor and now knowing what she thought she was headed for, I am amazed that she was not totally freaking out before hand and that she willingly went to the recital. Amazing!

OK, let's see...the cute, the brave, and I can't leave out the stinker. Ryan informed me the other night, "Mommy, Alaina is not obeying me." Too funny. But the stinker part was how he acted at school today. Evidently he wanted whatever any of his friends had and would just take it. After his teachers filled me in on the events of the day and after Ryan kept trying to change the subject and get me to look at a bus, we walked to the car. I noticed that Ryan had two leaves in his hands that he had found outside so I told him,"Ryan, I'm sorry, but since you were not nice to your friends today you may not bring home those leaves". Bless his little heart; he loves his leaves. Oh, the crocodile tears that ensued! You know the kind where they cry for a while and then get those gaspy hiccups because of crying so much? So we cuddled, we talked, and we came up with a plan for Thursday. The incentive for Thursday's school day is that if he is nice to his friends, shares, etc., he gets to bring home five, yes FIVE, leaves. Whatever works!!! (ahem...hopefully)

This evening we went to see Santa! The line was not too long and overall we had a really good time.
Alaina's letter to Santa was edited at the last minute to change "I have been a little bit good" to "I have been good". On the other side of the paper was her rough draft which read, "I have tried to be good, but I have been a little bit good". She has been good but her little sister was giving her a hard time about being bossy right before they wrote the letters. Alaina's letter was filled with "may I please". So sweet.

Audrey changed her "good" to "very good" at the last minute and slipped a "4" in front of "Webkinz".

As we waited in line, Audrey made friends with the Nutcracker and entertained us with a fine impersonation of her new friend. She is so funny.

Mrs. Claus was very sweet. She read to the kids as they waited.

This video is of Ryan telling me what he hopes "Mr. Santa Claus" will bring him. Hopefully he will learn to share at school before then so Santa will not bring him coal. (kidding, Granny!)

Tune in tomorrow for the winner of the giveaway...and tune in Thursday to see if there is a picture of a victorious Ryan holding FIVE leaves.