White Elephant Gift

I received a lovely Regifted (White Elephant) mug at our New Year's Eve Party. Instead of keeping it all year long to pass along to someone else, it ended up in the garbage. Misha saw it. "Why are you throwing this out?" My response was because it was ugly. Misha's response, "Well, you should at least break it first."

My Little Eye

Kristen started a rousing game of I Spy with My Little Eye yesterday at lunch.

Kristen: "I spy with my little eye...something that is shaped like a star."
Me: "Is it the star on the wall?"
Kristen: "YES!"

Kristen's next turn: "I spy with my little eye...something that is black." I began to look around for the obvious black item and she gave a little hint, "Look at your pants."
Me: "Is it my pants?"
Kristen: "YES!"

He Went to Jared...

Some of you might not have heard of this jewelry store advertising campaign, but it is pretty effective. A week before Christmas, Chris and I were on a date and had a little time to spare before our movie started. He suggested we go to Jared. Now, he is not normally the one to make suggestions such as this. I usually have to carefully craft my suggestions so that he sees them as a good idea. But this time, it was all him, and I, of course, was game to go along.

We started talking with one of the sales ladies about rings and diamonds. Knowing that a bigger diamond is a few years away (hint, hint), I still had to try on some rings and check out diamonds. I love the sparkle. His Christmas gift to me was to give my current ring a facelift. It needed to be sized down, rhodium plated, have a prong straightened, and cleaned. He picked up the ring on Christmas Eve and said, "You are going to love it."

When I opened the box, Christmas morning, I was amazed. I think the ring looked better than when we bought it. Because it is white gold, the gold was beginning to take on a yellow tone. The rhodium plating made everything a beautiful silver. I love it. Thanks sweetheart.

Christmas Day

Christmas morning dawned bright and early, earlier for some of us than others. Amy was just so excited, she was up around 5 am. That's pretty early for her since she usually likes to sleep in until 8 am. The girls have to stay in their rooms until 7 am and are generally pretty good about not peeking before that. I think Kristen would have slept longer except for her sisters making lots of noise. Chris guided the girls with their eyes closed downstairs where I took picture and video of them experiencing Christmas morning. Amy and Misha got Band Hero from Santa and Kristen received a portable keyboard. Perfect. They then opened the gifts in their stockings, tried to eat breakfast, and were ready and raring to go.







Kristen is usually my "no nap" girl, but she was pretty pooped Christmas afternoon. I made each of the girls lap blankets for cold days in the van, but they've each carried the blankets around all weekend long.



Kristen got a magnetic dress-up Barbie and has sat playing at the piano every day.



Chris and the girls spent hours playing Band Hero Christmas Day. It was fun to hear them play, though, sad to say, my girls are not vocally talented.

Christmas Eve

My girls look forward to the Christmas season with much anticipation--almost as much as me! It is the one holiday of the year that I go all out for. Our Christmas Eve celebration is still apt to change from year to year, this year the weather caused us to make a few changes. We normally go out to dinner on Christmas Eve but because of the snow and icy roads, we went for Christmas lunch instead to On the Border. After we returned home, I let the girls bring up ALL the wrapped presents from the basement. I always realize I have gone a little overboard when everything is piled under the tree and is spilling out onto the carpet. But it is always fun. Before the girls went to bed and had set out oatmeal for the reindeer, we talked with them about the true meaning of Christmas. We talk about gifts we want to give to the Savior and each of us writes down one character trait we will work to improve during the next year.

Our tradition is to open one present on Christmas Eve with it usually being slippers or pajamas. Chris and I sometimes have to get creative with each other, because let's face it, we aren't really growing out of our pajamas! (Though I will say I needed new pajamas because I have gotten smaller! Yaaah me!) Chris received a gift certificate for a one hour massage--that's better than dumb old pajamas any day.



The anticipation is overwhelming.

Roaming Santa

One of the really cool things about living in a rural area is the hometown, friendly atmosphere we enjoy. Every year, the fire department and Santa walk through all of the neighborhoods over three or four nights. It is a lot of ground to cover. We usually remember that it is our neighborhood's turn when we see the flash of lights in our front window and hear the sirens blaring as they "call out" to all of the neighborhood kids. There is a flurry of activity as kids run out the door with or without jackets and shoes (and mom runs back in the house to retrieve them), but it always a magical experience.



Granted, some of us DO look a little goofy.

Donuts

Last year for Christmas, Grandma Ball gave our family a donut-maker (not the deep fried kind) and my girls love them. Kristen's donuts had been stuck together, but by the time I had retrieved the camera, they were no longer attached. Kristen kindly recreated her pose for me though.

And then Amy found a donut with horns.

Always an Adventure

Flying with Christopher is always an adventure. On our return trip from Portland two weeks ago, I saw him talking to the flight attendant and then walking toward our seat with the snack basket? "What are you doing?" Check out the rest of the story on his blog....

Misha

The other day Misha asked, "Mom, is there a class you take to be a parent?"

Hmmmmm.

Conversations with Kristen

Last night as I encouraged Kristen to get her pajamas on, she began stalling. "Mommy what do you want for Christmas?" I responded, "I would like an obedient daughter." She replied, "Ummmmm, I don't think that's a thing." Most parents would agree that it is. She then said to me as she ran upstairs to get pajamas on after a little threatening, "What I want is a 'bedient mommy and daddy." When you think you're the princess of the manor, of course you do.

Earlier in the day as she sat eating her lunch she said to me, "You have one more thing to be--a grandmother. I have two more things to be: a mommy and a grandma. Then you die. Mommy, you're going to die."

Thanks.

Surprise Weekend

Warning: Long post ahead!

If you recall, we had planned a surprise weekend for our girls. They didn't know when it was happening or where we were going. This is my earlier post:

Chris and I have planned a surprise for our girls in December. Amy reads my blog, so you'll have to wait until after it has happened to find out what the surprise is. They, of course, are anxious to know what we have planned. So a couple weeks ago, Chris said they could each ask one question every Saturday until it happens. I think they just might figure it out. At first they started asking silly questions that weren't getting them anywhere, but then they began to put a little more thought into their questions. Such as: Is it skiing? No. Does it have to do with winter? No. Will we enjoy it? Yes. Is it a vacation? Yes.

I think they would have figured the surprise out with another round of questions; they were getting close and had narrowed it down to a trip, around Amy's birthday, and visiting someone.

Last Thursday morning, I bundled the kids up and sent them off to school with Chris in the minus degree temperatures. As soon as they were gone, I headed to the basement to retrieve the suitcases. I had laundry to wash, clothes to pack, and cleaning to do and all before 2 pm. Chris and I were both excited with the prospect of surprising our girls. I worked on the laundry and packing throughout the morning and then headed over to the school to pick up Kristen from Preschool and drop off her Kindergarten registration.

It took Kristen a couple of minutes after wandering in to Misha's room and seeing a suitcase before she began to ask questions. I told her today was the day of the surprise, but I didn't tell her where we were going. She automatically assumed she was going to Utah to visit her cousin Lissy and see Lissy's new house which was at that moment being specially prepared for her visit. Sorry, nope.

At 2:00 pm, Chris loaded the suitcases into the van and we headed over to the school to pick up the girls and sign them out of school. Misha was at recess so it took her a lot longer to come to the front desk, but when Amy did, I sent her out to the van. "Where are we going?" I just told her to go talk to her dad. She wasn't thinking surprise in a good way at all. Her first question to him was, "Are we getting shots?" (We have been known to spring visits to the doctor's office on them when we are going for flu shots. They don't really like flu shots.) She sat in the back of the van and stewed and waited. Misha took a long time. Then she had to get her back pack. Then she forgot her Santa hat (which she never did find). She was quizzing the secretary the whole time as they were coming in from the playground. Her first two questions to me were, "Where are we going?" and "Is this our surprise?" She caught on quickly.

As we started to drive away, Chris told them we were going to the dentist. Misha's not fooled, "Then why are these books here?" She turned to Kristen, "Do you know where we are going?" Kristen replied, "It's a secret. I'm not going to tell you which airplane we are going on." Chris and I laughed. So much for keeping a secret. Misha turned to Amy, "Look behind the seat." "Suitcases! It is our surprise." All the way to the airport, "This doesn't look like the way to the dentist's office." The excitement was building, but they still did't know where we were going. And Kristen still thought we were going to Utah.



I figured they would try to sneak a peak while we were checking our luggage, but they were too busy being excited. Since our flight was delayed an hour, we had extra time to fill. Chris took us the long way around to security. There they figured it out. Vancouver, WA to visit Grandma Ball. Woohoo. Much joy and merriment. Chris and I had a lot of fun planning the visit and surprising our girls. It felt like Christmas morning for us.



After a lovely McD's meal at the airport, we were finally able to board and had a stop in SLC before finally reaching the Portland Airport. It was a rather long time traveling (but infinitely better than driving). Because of all of Chris' travels, we only paid for his ticket. He had three free tickets for the girls, and I have a companion pass that lets me fly free when he does. Plus, our rental car was free too!

We finally arrived at Grandma and Grandpa's house around 9:30 their time (one hour behind ours), but you can imagine the girls weren't too tired. Kristen had only been to Grandma's house once before when she was about 15 months, so she had no memory of ever visiting before. After getting reacquainted with the house, we packed the girls off to bed.

Friday morning they were up early (7:30 our time) playing the Wii. Grandma was kind enough to watch the girls in the morning while Chris and I went to the Portland temple. We were married there, and I have a fondness for this temple.



We came home to find Kristen dressed as Mrs. Claus. Grandpa dresses up as Santa most every year, and Grandma goes along as Mrs. Claus. The girls helped to comb out Grandpa's wig while we were gone to the temple and Kristen wanted to be a part of the action. Isn't she adorable? The girls also helped Grandma dip chocolate pretzels. I'll add more of her pictures later.



The weather was getting cold, but we wanted to do something besides sit at home and play Wii all afternoon. We bundled up and walked down to the fish hatchery about a mile away. It was cold, cold, cold. Not minus degree cold, but cold.

Chris and Grandpa Ball








After thawing out upon our return, we decided Olive Garden would be a nice place to eat AND to celebrate Amy's 10th birthday! Delicious. Kristen was sick the entire time we visited, so we needed to pick up some medicine for her after dinner. Then Linda (Grandma) offered to watch the girls while Chris and I went to a movie. Can't refuse that offer. We watched The Blind Side and thought it was great. We walked out thinking about how we can make the world a better place. I had some gift cards to Kohls which I just HAD to use, so we headed over there as well. Christmas shopping after 11 pm is great. The stores are mostly empty!

Saturday morning we woke to cold temperatures but no snow or freezing rain as had been forecast. Whew. We met up with Chris' sisters, Lori and Becky, and their families and headed to the Nike Employee Store. Talk about crowded. The kids were all getting hungry and crabby (only 2 something our time, so I don't know why they would be crabby) and we headed on over to Papa's Pizza Parlor with its lovely germ-ridden play area. My kids didn't care.

I had to laugh at Amy. She was in the ball pit with Misha and some boy jumped in and landed on her head! She was in tears when I noticed her and said accusingly, "He jumped on my face!" I looked at him and asked "What happened?" He tried to reply that he didn't see her but Amy was offended and I think some girl hormones were in play here when she yelled at him, "Don't talk to me you freak!" Still makes me laugh to think of her saying it. She climbed out, and I hugged her offended little head.

There was a small ferris wheel in the play area and the attendant offered to start it up for the kids. Amy ended up in the same basket as the boy who jumped on her face. She wasn't too happy about that but did a pretty good job of ignoring him the whole time. Chris happened to mention that any lunch when his girls were in a cage was a good lunch. Gotta love dads.



After lunch, there were tired babies and a pregnant mom, so we all parted ways. Amy and Misha opted to go back to Grandma's house with her. Kristen probably would have gone too if cousin Katie hadn't wanted to go with Grandma as well. Kristen was stuck with us for the afternoon. She kept complaining that she wanted to go back to Grandma's house until we told her we were going to go on the MAX train. "Oh fine," in her most condescending little voice, "I'll go with you." She really wanted to go on the train; the condescending attitude just reinforced that she felt as though she was doing us a favor. We rode the train to the Saturday Market--a much neater place on a warm day. Still it was fun. We headed back to Lloyd Center to thaw out at the mall.





And here's Kristen trying on bras at the mall. The employees thought she was pretty funny. Always good to have a camera handy for these moments.



We packed up our few purchases and headed back to Washington (just across the river) for Amy's birthday dinner with the family. It was a little bit crowded and chaotic but memorable for sure.

Sunday morning we were all up fairly early for 9:00 am church. The girls weren't too happy to have to stay for the ENTIRE three hours, but it was character building. We saw my cousin and her family which was always a treat. There were pictures after church (I'll have to get them from Linda) and then the dreaded goodbyes. My children were so sad. Kristen sobbed, and it was heartbreaking. She did not want to leave. Even after we arrived home and she talked to Grandma again, they both cried. She now tells me she no longer wants to live in Colorado. Her four-year wisdom: Going places is fun, but coming home is really sad.

As for surprises, we did good.

Christmas Newsletter

Finally finished it! Enjoy. Check out the link to the right.

Shane

Two of my brothers came to visit over the past two weekends, and from Kristen's perspective, they only came to visit her. "Brad come play with....", "Shane let's play princesses and you can be the prince...", Brad..", "Shane..." All weekend long she was after them to play with her. Brad helped the girls build paper airplanes. Shane played the prince.

From my perspective, and from that of a little girl, you are a prince. Thanks, Shane.  Thanks, Brad.

Dead Battery

Walking out the door to take the girls to school today. It was frigid outside. Sadly, the battery on the van was dead and Chris was stuck in traffic 500 miles away. Fortunately, he called to talk while at a standstill and gave instructions on how to use the power jump starter thingie to charge the battery. Hopefully it won't give out again.

Update: It really was just too cold for the power starter to do much of anything. A friend came over to help give the car a jump and suggested I go drive for awhile. I began to figure the battery wasn't going to recharge much at all, when the rear sliding door wouldn't shut completely. I headed over to Autozone where they tested the battery and gave a prognosis of "Bad Battery". They then proceeded to change the battery for me. Woohoo for Eric at Autozone. Peace of mind is worth $90.

Changing Scenery

Our neighborhood has been underdeveloped for a number of years now. We have enjoyed living in a quieter area with very little traffic, but it looks as though things will be changing. Pretty soon my view out the dining room window will be very different.

Christmas Decorations

Last year, I didn't set up Christmas decorations until the week after Thanksgiving. It took a long time for me to get everything set up on my own along with the stress of everything else I was trying to do. This year, my brother and my daughters helped me get the tree set up. It went up so much quicker. So nice. There is still a few things to do, but I'm not feeling all of the pressure of last year. I've had to rearrange a few of the ornaments to balance things out, but it is nice to have the Christmas glow in the evenings.

Thanksgiving Day

Lots of quiet, relaxing activities happening around our house on Thanksgiving Day. Lego is always a fun activity, but my girls usually set up everything in my front hall.

Amy loves to set the table with all of my good china.



And Chris took it easy.



He got bonus points for bringing me these roses:

A Visit With Grandpa Kline

Grandpa had an overnight in Denver the day after Thanksgiving (he flies airplanes), and we had a chance to go have lunch with him in Stapleton. We chose Noodles and Co., that's always a safe bet with my girls. Kristen was sweet enough to dump a bunch of salt on her noodles; the Noodles people were kind enough to give her another bowl. Once she and Misha tasted my chicken, they ate the rest of it. Sadly, I liked it too, but I guess the mother in me figured they needed some kind of protein. While we were eating one of the workers brought each of my girls a HUGE chunk of Rice Krispie Squares. HUGE. They were thrilled. After lunch, we walked around the shopping plaza and enjoyed the sunshine and time with Grandpa.

More Curls

I bought some sponge rollers to try in Kristen's hair. She was excited to have them put in, but not quite into the leaving-them-in-for-hours part. I don't have an after shot, but her hair looked beautiful. I think next time, I'll put them in before bed and have her sleep with them in.



Amy wanted me to try them in her hair. I put them in Saturday night and she didn't seem to have any problem sleeping in them. Why, when her head is already so full of curls, would she want curlers you might wonder? Bigger curls, of course.

More from Brad and Kristen

Brad (my brother), helped Kristen put together a marble game on Sunday morning. They were both putting marbles in and racing to see whose marble would reach the bottom first. Kristen stuck one marble into her spinning wheel at the start of the course, and then another marble soon after so that both marbles ended up getting stuck in the wheel. When Brad's marble finished the course first, Kristen wasn't too happy. Brad said to her, "User error." She heard differently and retorted, "No, you're the loser!"

Kristen LOVED having Brad here. I think Brad was happy to go home.

What Song Are You?

My brother is visiting for a couple of days, and Kristen thinks he has come solely to play with her. She is sticking to him like glue. Sadly, Misha caught a cold from too many late nights and has to stay away from Brad. In an effort to keep germs away from everyone, I mentioned to Brad that there was alcohol (hand sanitizer) in the bathroom if he wanted to use it. His reply as Kristen chattered a mile a minute beside him, "I might be needing a drink...."

Brad and Kristen were talking about Primary last night. Brad asked what class she was in, and she replied that she was in Sunbeams. Most children in Sunbeams quickly learn the Primary song, "Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam" and like to sing it with much enthusiasm. She then asked, "What song are you?" Brad thought for a minute and then said, "I Am A Child of God."

Kindness

I presented my credit card to the Costco cashier lady last Monday only to be told that they don't take credit cards in the food court. Really? My options included going to an ATM to withdraw some cash or going through the regular checkout line to purchase my food and then come back. As I stood there with three pizzas in hand and Kristen by my side, I weighed my options. Suddenly a man a couple people in line behind me, tapped me on the shoulder and handed me a $10 bill and wished me "Happy Holidays". Wow. My heart filled with gratitude at his kindness.

It's a Surprise

Chris and I have planned a surprise for our girls in December. Amy reads my blog, so you'll have to wait until after it has happened to find out what the surprise is. They, of course, are anxious to know what we have planned. So a couple weeks ago, Chris said they could each ask one question every Saturday until it happens. I think they just might figure it out. At first they started asking silly questions that weren't getting them anywhere, but then they began to put a little more thought into their questions. Such as: Is it skiing? No. Does it have to do with winter? No. Will we enjoy it? Yes. Is it a vacation? Yes.

Chatterbox

Amy had a piano recital last weekend. As we were waiting for the program to begin, Kristen happily sat on her dad's lap and chattered away. Chris leaned over to me after a few minutes and said, "We worried for the first three years of her life because she couldn't talk right. Now we can't get her to shut up!" It is true, she talks a lot. If there is a quiet moment to fill, she'll fill it.

Snow Break

Kristen was excited to play in the snow after walking home from school. She tromped all over the front yard leaving little footprints all over, tried to start a snowman, and finally decided to take a snack break.