Here we come a-waffling

On Monday it was a pretty normal day.  The kids didn't come so we just got to hang out and play.  We cleaned up around here and I worked on Bradley's stocking.  It started to snow in the evening.  Since BYU was out of school it was starting to seem like Christmas vacation.   At school in the morning Jared and Lauren got to go to the gym for the all school sing along.  I think they had a fun time with that.

The white shelves there are one of Connor's favorite places to unload....I mean play.  I thought it was pretty funny that he found himself a seat this day.

And then moved his seat to eat his apple....He has seen how the big kids eat at buckets (on boosters...not cracker boxes)

Tuesday Bradley walked up to me with a Santa hat on with a couple little things in his arms and asked "What do you want for Christmas?"  I said, "Happy kids"  He looked back at me shaking his head and said "I don't have any of those" in his cute little voice.  Brad had preschool too.  They got to decorate gingerbread men and other fun things.  In the evening we went to the BYU basketball game.

Jeff and Spencer came over and played in the snow for a little while with us.

Wednesday was finally their last day before break. They got to go to the sing along again (Tuesday too). Bradley, Connor, and I went to Lauren's class and helped with their class party.  It didn't seem very party like, but I don't think they knew any different...and they had already gotten to do so many other fun things during the month.  We basically just helped with their centers.  We played blackout with their sight words and when they got blackout they got a sucker (all the cards were the same too).  They also played don't eat Rudolph, had computer time, and got to make jingle bell necklaces.  We after Lauren's school we came by home for a couple of minutes to grab some snacks and then we went to ready to learn.  We had to leave early from there so we could  get Jared in time.  He got done at 12:30....earlier than normal early release.  We were officially on Christmas vacation.  In the evening Jeff and Elizabeth and Spencer came over and watched the kids while Alan and I could get some last shopping done.

Thursday was our first full day of break....and we loved it!!!!  We just did little things around here to help us get ready for Christmas.  Jeff and visited for  a little bit.  In the evening we watched out neighbor's kids and we watched the Poinsettia Bowl....kind of.  We had good food and fun.

Friday morning we went to a little playgroup...we don't usually go just because it doesn't work out with school times.  It was a little Christmas party and Santa was there.  They had a fun bead craft for the kids to make.  Then we hurried home and picked up Jeff and Spencer to take them to Elizabeth's work in Sandy.  They were all flying to Mississippi together.  After dropping them off and having a picnic in the car we headed the rest of the way up to Salt Lake.  We walked through Temple square again and in the North Visitor's center and saw the Nativity again.  Then we went over to the church history museum and played in the children's part of the museum for a while.   There was some special event going on there and I didn't realize it until we were leaving.  If I had know then we would have walked around a little more.  We did listen to some lady talk about what they might have gotten in their stockings.  She had stockings there and the kids got to pull the things out of the stockings one at a time and she would talk about it and why they would have gotten it and how they would have made it...little tops, candy, walnuts.  I always have to drag them out of there and that day was no different.

Eating in the car.

You can see Jeff in the back of the next car over.

Little cuties  in front of the Nativity

Fishing!

Yum Yum!

Shake it! Shake it! Shake it!

Saturday we were able to spend most of the day here just getting ready for Christmas.  Alan went up to Wendy's house to pick up a few things from there too. We did go swimming and we had a trip to Winco.  We also watched part of White Christmas.

Jared built this for a little doll.  He was calling it his baby's Pram.  I have no idea where he learned the word.  It is a pretty impressive Pram.  Its axles are free spinning and it rolls really well.

Sunday our ward was combined with all the wards that meet in our building...on our half  (so 4 wards).  And we got to meet at 9 which was nice.  Our ward was in charge of sacrament meeting.  The primary kids sang Picture a Christmas and did a great job.  Primary was pretty crazy, but they did a good job controlling it all.  Alan ended up teaching a class...almost his normal class and I helped in one of the nurseries.  It was a good day.    

The weather outside is frightful

Monday was a nice snowy morning.  I had to get scrape off the car to take them to school and again at pick up time for both of them.  It was so snowy at Lauren's pick up that cars couldn't make it back up the hill and tires were spinning and sliding. I didn't go down in the pick up area I just parked on the street and ran down and got her.  One car had to be pushed back up the hill. It was so bad we almost walked down to get Jared, but it was so cold we didn't.  Luckily the roads had cleared up a little.   After school we played outside in the snow for as long as we could take it...which wasn't very long because it was so cold. Our bishop and his wife stopped by with some hand me downs from their daughter's kids.  Lauren, Jared,  and Brad got some shoes from them and love them. Lauren has enjoyed showing off her sparkly ones and her pink cowgirl boots.  We are really grateful for the shoes.  There was also one new pair for each of them and new church shoes for Lauren.    The kids that usually come didn't which was probably good since Brad had been a little sick.  He seemed mostly better Monday...which was good.

Lauren's graham cracker house from school

Tuesday Bradley had preschool in the morning.  In the afternoon we just tried to stay warm. It was another cold day. In the evening Greg spoiled us and took us to the cannon center for dinner.  We had a great time and got stuffed.

I took a Christmas box out of their closet giving them a place to play.

Wednesday was a pretty normal day. We just cleaned up around here and worked on school projects...homework!  Greg took us to the Legends Grill for dinner which was super yummy.

 Jared and Lauren helped clear out more of the closet and they opened up a shop...be thinking about your orders

Jared's graham cracker house from school.  He stayed in recess to finish it up and make sure it was just right.

Thursday I went visiting teaching first thing in the morning.  Then to help in Lauren's class.  Mrs Porter had us help with some writing...not the painting.  I was releived after the glitter the week before.    The table is low enough that Connor can stand up to it and reach pretty far onto the table and he was very interested in the giltter. When we left he had giltter on the bottom of his feet and all over his clothes and all around his mouth. We did an ok job of keeping the kindergarteners from flinging it all over the room and mixing colors too much.  There were a few times where they were telling me they could do it themselves while waving the paper that caught the glitter over their heads.  I just felt like last week was crazy, so although painting would have been fun I was plenty happy to be helping with boring old writing (not that there weren't challenges they just weren't messy ones...Lauren's class has some strong crazy personalities in it). Thursday night we went with Greg one last time to eat in the cannon center...Jeff and Elizabeth came too.  We were spoiled by Greg.  It was really nice to have a little break from making dinner, but I liked the break from the dishes better!!!  Which reminds me of the old commercials for the cannon center they used to have during BYU football game broadcasts years ago...."and best of all you don't have to do the dishes".

Friday Bradley and Connor went to play at a friend's house while I went to Jared's class.  After getting Jared in the afternoon we helped Greg return his computer and do a few other things before he left Provo.  We drove Jeff up to Sandy to meet up with Elizabeth for her work party and then we continued on to the airport.  There was a ton of traffic all the way to dropping Jeff off.  We got backed up right about when we got to Freedom boulevard and it was slow all the way around point of the mountain. It got a little faster after dropping Jeff off, but it took us 2 hours to get Greg to the airport.  Which was ok...Greg still had plenty of time.  Our drive home went faster and smoother.   We will miss Greg.  It has been a fun semester to have him here to play with us. We will especially miss his Friday visits. :)  At one point in the afternoon Greg was sitting on the floor and Brad was walking across his thighs, Jared was climbing onto Greg's shoulders and Connor had found some diabolo sticks and was using them to whack Greg across the leg...Hopefully Greg will miss us just a little too.  :)

more playing in the closet

Saturday morning we woke up to snow. There wasn't a ton and it was warm enough to slowly melt it off, but not before we went out and played for awhile. Everyone but Connor and me stayed out for over 2 hours.  Seems like they were having tons of fun.  I think this is the first time I've really seem Bradley really get into it. He and Jared were toboggan racing down the hill and he rolled a big snowball all by himself. Saturday I also got some new pants since I needed some...and they were on sale. We went to the women's basketball game. They had several fun things for kids to do at the game...and like always the chicken dance.  Jared and Alan went grocery and Christmas shopping in the evening.  We also skyped with Grandma and Grandpa Schachterle and Ashley and Greg for a little bit.  Brad was pretty surprised to see Greg on that side of the computer.

the first snowman

 
Connor loves it!

Bradley rolled this ball all by himself!  It got too heavy for him to push anymore.

Lauren rolled one too

Jared's snowman

Alan's huge snowball

They named this jail.

jail turned igloo

After everyone was inside we cut a caramel apple that someone gave us into slices so we could share.  Alan gave a slice to Lauren and Brad, they each took a small bite and said they didn't like it.  When Jared came in, he asked "What's on it?" Alan said, "Brown sugar and caramel." Jared: "Oh yuck!"

Chicken Dance!  Our family was also on the Kissing Cam during the game which Lauren thought was hilarious.

It wasn't even Connor's first game!  He is getting so big...he went last season.

There is a U on the other cheek

Today we combined with another ward and got to meet at 8:30.  I got to sub a primary class and play piano. After church we went to Wendy's house for dinner.  We had a fun time there. We all got to open some presents from Grandma and Grandpa Atherton. Everyone enjoyed getting to play with their new toys. Brad got a big bump on his head after falling off a couch, but seems ok.

So I remembered a few weeks back after we got home from the Temple Lauren says to us "We got to watch a few shows (pbs) while you were gone...one was princess diarrhea.". I have no idea what show it really was, but we all laughed hard.

This week when I told Bradley to tell his preschool teacher thank you he looked at me and dramatically  (head tipped back, arms flailing) said "draaaggg me". I told him I wasn't going to drag him and he said ok and walked normally in and said a nice little thank you.

Have a Wonderful Orange-Pineapple Christmas Week!

Christmas bells are ringing

Last Monday the kids came to play in the morning, then we walked down to pick up Lauren.  In the afternoon we talked to Ashley for a while. It was fun to get to talk with her. That night we tried to go to the hand bell concert at the library, but they were turning people away. I have never seen it so packed.  We were disappointed but drove by a few lights on our way home before doing family home evening.

They let Connor have a short turn opening the present.  We've had a fun time reading stories every night.

Tuesday Bradley had preschool.  In the evening we were able to set our tree up.

Mr. Holiday

Wednesday we went to a grad student Christmas party. There was a raffle appetizers and making graham cracker houses.  We had a fun time there. I also got some fabric to make blankets to donate to foster children and I worked on those and turned them in on Friday.

Bradley loves to play with nativities!  (He calls them activities)

Thursday we went and helped in Lauren's class.  In the evening we were able to decorate our tree.  It is fun to have it up and so far Connor has pretty much left it alone....Bradley is another story, but he usually puts whatever he took off back.

Friday I went and helped in Jared's class.  Greg came and got a hair cut.  Then he walked down to pick up Jared with us and we walked him part way home.  in the evening we had a fun time playing with some hand bells that I borrowed for primary.

Saturday we spent the day getting ready for Christmas.  Alan and Lauren went out and did some shopping ...grocery and Christmas.  They had a fun time together.  We went swimming when they got home and in the evening watched the BYU vs. Utah basketball game.

Just some fun pictures of the boys playing here with me while Lauren and Alan were gone.  Connor looks so big!

It was a good day.  Brad didn't change out of his pjs until we went swimming at 5pm!

Today church was good.  No one stood up to lead the music in sacrament meeting so I passed sleeping Connor to Alan and I did.  For the rest hymn Bradley was sleeping on my lap and I had to lay him down on the bench in front of us...Connor was still sleeping....and so was Alan :)  Primary went well too.  We used the hand bells to play Away in a Manger.  I had color coded the music to go with the bell color. We played it twice. The first group just happened to have mostly older kids and I was surprised how well they did.  The second time it was mostly sunbeams and it wasn't so great but they had fun.  It was nice to do something a little different too.  I think Alan's class was ok...he survived and didn't say it was awful.  There were 2 weeks where one challenging girl was gone and she was back,  but they made it through.  Jeff and Elizabeth and Greg came over after church for dinner which was fun. Then we all went to our stake Christmas musical fireside. Jared and Lauren got to sing Away in a Manger with all the primary kids from the stake that were there and Jeff accompanied a quartet from his ward. Bradley has things moving through him fast right now...starting at the fireside.  Hopefully the night isn't too bad.

Showing off their bell skills

They have been saying lots of funny things recently.  Bradley always wants to ride the allivator at BYU.  One night Lauren happily said "wow I just got milk in my eye.  That's the first time I've ever done that."

Riding in the car on the way home from Joann's Bradley said to Lauren I'm going to call you Elizabeth and Lauren said back if you call me Elizabeth then I will call you Jeff.
Brad: If you call me Jeff I'll call you Lindsay.
Lauren: then I'll call you John John (I think she heard Lizzy)
Brad: then I'll call you Alan.
Lauren: Then I'll call you Lindsay.
Bradley : then I'll call you Alyanne.
Lauren: LINDSAY.
Bradley : ALYANNE.
Lauren : LINDSAY
Bradley : ALYANNE.
Lauren: If you call me Lauren I'll call you Bradley.
Bradley : Lauren.
Lauren : Bradley.
 I laughed pretty hard.  Maybe it's not as funny to read it but I was entertained.  I know Brad has said some other cute things I just can't remember then right now.
I hope everyone has a wonderful week and enjoys Christmas...and finals :)

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Monday was a tough first day back from Thanksgiving break.  The little kids who usually come didn't...so that was nice.  I was able to get most stuff picked up...at least back to normal. It was a pretty normal day.


A scarf I finished recently

Tuesday Bradley had preschool. In the evening we were able to go to juggling club for a little while.  The weather was still super nice and we were able to play outside.   Alan took the car to get an alignment done, but they said the car didn't need it....it just eats through tires, so we had to get 2 new tires.

The last day we got to play in the leaves.

Wednesday was just a normal day.  We walked to pick up Lauren and again to get Jared.

Thursday Bradley and Connor and I went and helped in Lauren's  class.  It was their funny feet favorite food feast.  All the kids wore funny feet ...Bradley wore Jared's from last year.  Then they got to eat some of their favorite foods.  Bradley got to too...he thought it was great.

Brad loves puzzles!!!

Things get a little crazy here when Alan goes home teaching :)

Friday we got to go see Greg dance in Christmas around the world.  It was a super fun show. They did it in the round which was new and fun.

Saturday we had a slow morning,  but when we finally got going we headed out to Midway.  It was their Swiss Christmas celebration.  Part of the things they do is have a festival of nativities sort of thing.   This year it was at the Homestead.  There were a lot really nice nativities there.  There was also a ginger bread house display/ competition. It was held at an indoor rodeo arena.  There were several cool houses there.   On our way home we stopped at winco.  It wasn't too much longer until our ward Christmas party.  It was a nice dinner, Santa came at the start and there was a nice program.  The primary kids sang jingle bells, which didn't really fit with the rest of the program, but it was fine.  Lots of people left after the primary sang.  The rest of the program could have been done in sacrament meeting....hopefully we will still have a musical sacrament meeting.  We got to bring home a lot of leftovers that fed us dinner for half the week.

They had costumes to dress up in and get our picture taken

Connor didn't really like Santa...neither did Brad.  He wouldn't even get this close.  We did get a family picture we just still need to get a copy of it.

Sunday church was good.  Lauren had a talk that I forgot about until on the way to church. She did a good job bearing her testimony.  I played piano in primary. I think Alan's class went well.   In the morning Bishop Moore dropped our tree off...it had been stored at their house.  When we got home from church we had a message inviting us up to the house for their Christmas open house and to watch the First Presidency Christmas devotional.  It was fun to go up there and visit with them and see some of the old ward members. On our way home from there we drove be a fun house that has lots of light synced up to music.  It is a fun display, but everyone was pretty tired and getting late  so we didn't watch it for too long   It was a great week.