Hard hat

After each game, the coaches pick one player who they feel showed the best effort during the game and award that player with a hard hat. After an amazing shut out, Nicholas scored the hard hat!
 

He's become quite the goalie making unbelievable saves.  He's quick as a cat! 

The team played in a Christmas tournament and he won the hard hat there too!  Twice!  So proud of our boy!!!

Christmasing

It was a wonderful, magical Christmas this year...festivities started at Kimmy's house Christmas Eve day...

Kimmy, Paula and Dena made a yummy Christmas Eve brunch...

Are they sleeping???

Nope.

And my Dad was there too of course...he's always with us...

We took the kids outside to play.  It was a crisp beautiful day with loads of sunshine...

Later that night, we did our usual traditions...making Christmas cookies for Santa, sprinkling reindeer food on the lawn and watching the Polar Express.  I love how the five of us all snuggle up on the couch together with our blankets...memories I'll treasure forever...even the part when Nicholas sat on the remote and shut the movie off at the best part... : )

Christmas morning the kids woke up early...I told them not to wake us up before 6:45...so at 6:45 sharp, Nicholas came in to wake us up.  They were so excited!!  We kept them waiting in great anticipation on the stairs!!  They drank their OJ and waited...patiently???  Not so much...

Checking out the loot and who got the biggest present in the room (Nicholas)!

Gianna with her goodies...her guinea pig would come home after Christmas just as Santa had promised...

Julia with her goodies...the Vera Bradley bag was her favorite...

and Nicholas with his goodies...he was so surprised about the basketball hoop!

We ate our traditional Christmas breakfast...french toast that was cooked in eggnog, crispy maple bacon and maple sausages...so yummy....

My family came over later in the day...

more surprises...

The kids and I put together a photo album for Nana...each of us recorded a special message for her...

I think she loved it...

Danny spent quite a few hours putting the basketball hoop together in freezing temperatures!  But the kids still had to try it out...

And the magical part of the day?  We actually woke up to a dusting of snow!!  My prayers were answered!  It doesn't feel like Christmas unless you have a little snow...

The day after Christmas, Danny's family came over for some more yummy food and presents.  Here are all the cousins together, minus one.  Now that they are older, it's never easy getting them all together at the same time.  I think we have good genes in the family...and they are all wonderful kids! 

Danny with his sister and brother...

 

Yes, it was a wonderful Christmas.   

 

 

Christmas morning

Funny video of Gianna getting her "Husky" on Christmas morning...

Don't you just love Nicholas' negative comments when Julia opened her present?  Ugh.   We had a wonderful Christmas!  I'll post all about it soon!  : ) 

Merry Christmas!

Look who surprised us!

We were at our neighbors house last night having some holiday cheer and guess who showed up? Santa! It was the highlight of the night.  Gianna was beyond thrilled!

She was so nervous she forgot everything on her list!  I whispered in her ear that she wanted a guinea pig.  So she told Santa.  He told her that he would bring her a cage and that she could pick out her own guinea pig after Christmas.  And Julia and Nicholas missed it!

It's the most magical time of the year for sure.  How wonderful it is to be 7 years old.  It's a night we'll always remember.  Santa, you were just what we all needed. 

School parties

Today the kids had their classroom Christmas parties.  First up was Gianna's 2nd grade classroom.  She made this cute craft...

I love this bulletin board in her classroom.  The kids drew pictures of their families...

Here's Gianna's...I love it!! 

Today their classroom had pajama day and hat day! 

I cracked up when I saw her wearing her hat like this...

The kids could also bring in a stuffed friend which she was so excited about!  She brought in Blaster from G-force...

Then it was off to Julia's 4th grade classroom...

Her desk...

Then Nicholas' 5th grade classroom.  Let me tell you...it's tough doing the rounds by myself.  I try to spend the same amount of time in each of their classrooms.  The great thing about this year is they are all in the same wing!  Last year they were in 3 different wings. 

Nicholas' class made gingerbread houses...

My boy is such a love.  He gave me a big hug when he saw me today.  It doesn't bother him to show affection in front of his friends.  And as we were walking down the hall to get his sisters, he told me he loved me. Sigh.

Now it's school vacation time!!  : )