These are old. (Obviously.) Just silly shots in their

Christmas pjs that make me laugh...

Jack makes me laugh in this one above. :)

I love Evan's protective hand around Jack in these shots...

and Jack's hand resting on both of their legs.

Labels: Christmas, pictures, siblings

Nestled all snug in their beds while visions of tape dispensers danced in their heads (read on)...

Gotta love the red painted nails and stamp on his hand.

We went from "not making a big deal" out of Santa last year, to making hohoho noises outside Evan's room, shining a red flashlight, and leaving this note. Shaun did the acting, while I listened outside the door of their room to their squealing...

When they ask, "is Santa real," though, I still say, "I don't know... what do you think?" I still let them draw their own conclusions as opposed to declaring it as truth like I do other things, BUT perhaps that's not very consistent with making noise, shining flashlights, and eating his cookies, eh?? Let me just say this- Shaun and I both had parents who worked the Santa thing big-time, and it gave us both great joy then- and even now- to know that they enjoyed our excitment that much... besides which, Madalyn woke up and came out to see me assembling her dollhouse, so as soon as she connects the dots, her believing days are over anyway...

Madalyn's loot- she later told us Santa Clause wrote her name on the sleeping bag with his special, magic pen. I had no idea!

If you try to play dollhouse with her, be prepared to follow orders. Do not dare say, "I, the daddy, am going to take a shower." You will be told, "no you can't take a shower. " The best thing to do is ask, "what should I, the daddy, then do with myself." "Go lie in the baby's room," you will be told. The way she plays is absurd and makes NO sense whatsoever, but it is her new toy and she knows it. So if the house is not their house but Disney World and she wants to spend the night there, don't argue, gosh darnit.

Jack's TWO vacuums... the Hoover is from Grandma and Dadaddy and looks exactly like mine- that's his favorite... the other just came with the janitor kit and we didn't want it to be anti-climatic for him so we put them out together. He played with his cleaning supplies longer than we've ever seen him play with any toy.

Evan's loot... what kind of kid wants paper and crayons and a tape dispenser for Christmas? His favorite gift is probably the book-making kit you see here. He has spent HOURS at this desk in his room that he now calls his "office" where he does "a lot of work."

Sleepy eyes, excited kids...

The best part of it is still just being together, isn't it, Jacky boy?

Labels: Christmas

I was folding laundry about an hour ago, just before we feasted on macaroni dyed red since it is Christmas Eve. Evan had just made himself a Santa Claus hat out of paper when Madalyn initiated the following conversation:

Madalyn: I'm Mrs. Claus.

Me: Oh, you are? And do you live with Mr. Claus at the North Pole?

Madalyn: No. I live at my own pink North Pole.

Me: I see. Is the snow pink?

Madalyn: No, not the snow. The North Pole is pink. Now come with me.

Me: I can't.

Madalyn: If you don't come, I will give you a BIG spankin'.

Me: You are not a very nice Mrs. Claus, then.

Madalyn: Yes! Yes I am- I am just doing my job.

Me: I see. Well I still can't come right now.

Madalyn: If you don't come, the North Pole will fall right on your head.

After dinner, Shaun and I sat on the couch together and watched Jack sprint down the hall towards his room with white pieces of paper trailing from his head, flapping in the breeze. Evan was quickly on his tail yelling, "wait! Your antlers are falling off!"

Both Shaun and I burst into laughter. This is the stuff you can't write. This is the stuff you shouldn't even try to write because it's so much funnier in person. But one day I will want to remember it, and so I do write.

Merry Christmas to you and your funnies!!

Katie

Labels: Christmas

Youtube downgraded my children's precious faces! But you'll get the idea... you can still see the nervous twitches if you look closely, and the pbj on Evan's face. :)

Labels: Christmas

Last night we left Jack with the sitter again and went to have dinner at Jason's Deli (free ice cream cones,) and to see "Alvin and the Chipmunks."

The kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves... except for one moment when Madalyn fell off her theater seat and hit the cement with both knees and a loud "THUD" that shook the entire theater. I handed her to Shaun while her mouth hung silently open, just before the pain caught up with her vocal chords, and he exited right when the wailing began. TEAMWORK! Hoo-ah! High-five!

They were back five minutes later, her temprament- just dandy.

She seems to be having mini-traumas at every outing so that when we now ask, "wasn't that fun the other day?" the answer is something like "yes, but I fell on the floor and it hurt" or "yes, but LEE TEE scared the bleepity bleep out of me."

There's that small clause to the end of the fun that was had.

Of course, I suppose Evan's following suit, as just now we were making fudge and he had poured in the chocolate chips, and just when I said, "don't touch the bag to the fudge- it's really hot," he grabbed up the part of the bag that had been near the heat of the fudge and started screaming bloody, burning murder. The fudge was at a critical point of needing to be stirred, so as is becoming routine, I called on Shaun for damage control and flung the child in the rough vicinity of him and the running sink water to continue stirring.

Yeah. Not my most maternal moment. I KNOW.

Evan recovered quickly, though, and was soon tasting warm fudge. Their first experience with fudge inspired these remarks:

Evan: "I want to eat fudge forever. I want to eat a fudge mountain."

Madalyn: "I want to eat a fudge bird."

Now you KNOW you want the recipe that inspires talk of eternity, mountain peaks, and water fowl:

My Favorite Fudge from Tara Van Dyke

1 jar marshmallow cream

2/3 cup evaporated milk (not condensed)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 stick of butter

1/4 tsp salt

1 11.5 oz. bag milk chocolate chips

1 6 oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir first five ingredients over moderate heat. Keep at a rolling boil, stirring continuously, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Stir till combined and then add vanilla. Pour into foil-lined square baking dish. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Labels: Christmas, let there be butter and sour cream

Last night I attended a Christmas party for my Bible study group.  The hostess, Jaime, made these candy canes.  I brought some home with me and this morning we had them with our coffee...

This was how Madalyn had hers- in hot cocoa, of course.

This was how Jack had his. 

Evan was at school already, but he's not a huge fan of candy canes anyway.

About an hour later, we pulled out the dip I took last night and Jack thought he was the coolest when he was allowed to dip his own crackers:

Then, when Madalyn and I turned our backs, he got a little out of control...

Ohhh, that's right, boy!  You are SOOO BUSTED!  Get off that table!  GET!

But the dip- back to the dip- the dip is the best hot dip you'll ever put in your mouth.  (I just said dip four times in one sentence.)

Heart of Palm Dip from Lynda Wilkerson

2 14 oz. cans Heart of Palm, drained and finely chopped

2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Mozzarella

1 1/2 cups mayo

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

2 T minced green onion 

Mix ingredients and spoon into shallow and greased casserole dish.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or so until bubbly.  Serve with Triscuits and/or Wheat Thins.

Labels: Christmas, Jack, let there be butter and sour cream

This morning the kids and I sat down and poured over the Christmas toy magazines that have been filling our mailbox this season. We got out the red and green crayons and paper and made wish-lists for Santa. They follow:

Evan's Christmas List

1. Dinosaur sleeping bag

2. Stepping stone kit

3. book making kit- Illustory

4. electronic state game (teaches you states and capitals.)

5. Lincoln Logs

6. Solar System glow int he dark room mobile

7. Dinosaur models you paint

8. EZ Art Projector

9. Electronic Planet toy (teaches you facts about planets and space)

10. Art case

11. games

12. talking clock (teaches you time)

13. microscope

14. marble race

15. walkie talkies

16. laser guns that shoot cans off log

Madalyn's Christmas List

1. new doll with curly hair

2. doll clothes, diapers, shoes

3. baby doll bed

4. castle sleeping bag

5. stepping stone kit

6. Fisher Price Doll House

7. tea set

8. camera

9. games

10. Princess walkie talkies

11. diaper bag

12. make-up

13. jewelry

14. stick-on earrings

Jack's Christmas List

1. vacuum cleaner

2. cleaning supplies

Shaun's Christmas List

1. tickets to the Pepsi 400

Labels: Christmas