We got to spend a few days before Christmas at Mom's house and the Chris's came over too. Olivia had a great idea of bringing dress up clothes so that's what we did first. She decided to wear her Christmas dress, Emma has on the Sleeping Beauty pink dress, Chloe is the Snow White in the corner and in the middle of everything, as always, is Buzz Lightyear!
Mom is nice enough to let the kids use her spare room and she put a couple of blow up mattresses in there for them to 'sleep' on.
Buzz is getting a little help from the Christmas Queen with his glubs.
This costume is great, I got it at the Disney store after Halloween, it's got everything, suit, hood, boots (with built in knee pads), gloves and little lights that blink on the back wing. It's a little big but I'm afraid it's going to be too small for next Halloween.
I had a really hard time getting Snow White to turn around. While the rest of them are literally running around like banshees she's just sitting there quietly playing. Every once in a while she looks over at them like 'You guys are nuts' then goes back to playing.
Everyone decided to change back into their clothes so they could go outside but Buzz just felt too naked without his hood and gloves. We can always use a few more laughs so I said why not!
Ok, they went outside and after awhile I look out the window and I see them setting up lawn chairs at the fence. So I snapped a few shots then went outside to see what was going on.
You're going to love this one - 'We've made a nest and we're waiting for the birds to come and live in it!' Emma and Olivia had gathered a nice little bed of grass, leaves and twigs on a small paper plate and perched it in an old bush. The then pulled the chairs up to about a foot away so they could wait for the birds. They actually sat there for about 20 minutes then they moved it do different places in the yard.
After that it was time to come inside and decorate the Gingerbread house and cookies!!!
Everyone did a fantastic job. I took Heather's advice and I put the icing on and they all put on the candy. I think they did pretty good, Dave put a few on then decided that he would rather eat them. Olivia decided we should take the gingerbread snowmen they decorated and put them around the house as well.
Later that night we helped Mom decorate her Christmas tree which was lots of fun. She got one she can plant just like the old days.
Christmas Eve morning the kids woke up ready to go, Mom had put all the presents out under the tree the night before while they were asleep and they were of course dying to open them up.
We had decided to wait until the Chris's came back over to open things up. Olivia decided to make her post on the present Mom told her was hers underneath the tree.
Dave didn't stray too far either. His face says it all - how much longer do we have to wait?
They made it!! I didn't actually get many pictures of the kids opening presents, as soon as the first was opened I was busy trying to undo the yards of metal ties, tape, boxes, etc so that we could actually get the toys out of the packaging.
Chloe got her a baby doll from Mom and wasn't interested in much else after that. I enjoyed her lounging pose below.
We all had a great time at Mom's, thank you to everyone for the gifts, the kids have been having lots of fun with them all. I hated to leave but wanted to get back so they could see that Santa had been to their house Christmas morning.
He also had to wear his new Spider Man PJ's he had gotten the night before.
He was all over that kitchen for about 20 minutes, inside, outside, checked out all the cabinets, new cookware and the little stools at the little bar too. Had to sit on each one just in case they were different. Of course Olivia is still asleep. I finally talked him into waking her up. He ran into her bedroom toting his gift bag full of tools that Mamaw gave him and informed Olivia that Santa had been there.
She noticed the tree first thing and that's when he finally saw all the presents.
Santa brought the Singing Belle!
Dave's been opening presents but still won't let go of the gift bag of tools :-)
Ok, this one's my favorite, while shopping I found this bedroom set at Target, it's got a camping theme to it with bears and a tent that straps onto his bed. Dave gets to sleep in a tent each night! They had a ball when we set it up, Olivia told me that she was going to be a big girl and sleep there all by herself, Dave could sleep in her bed. That's what I like about her, always trying to help out and thinking of others ;-)
Much like the kitchen earlier that morning he had a ball going in and out of every door, flap, etc. There was also lots of jumping and screaming.
Last but certainly not least here's Olivia in her new pink sparkly dress. She picked out the tights to wear with it. And that is how she looks most of the time now. She wears it to school one day, comes home the next day and gets it out of the dirty clothes hamper to wear around the house, we finally get it through the washer and it's on her the next day ready to go to school again.
