our christmas day

Kaylea certainly didn't lack in the gift department.  Santa definitely took care of her.  I want her to understand the importance of giving, too, so we talked about that as well.  When she woke up, she seemed to be half asleep, but she went with it.  She spotted the two things that Santa went out for at the last minute - a Bouncy Dog & a LaaLaaLoopsy doll.

 

Jordy and I exchanged gifts this year (sometimes we do and sometimes we don't).  Can you believe I actually asked for 2 small kitchen appliances?  Yep, I am officially old because I was excited to get them and try them out!

 

Kaylea got to play with her toys before we headed to nana & pop's for our Christmas Eve celebration.

 

 

 

new puppet theater

 

my mom using my new griddle/grill

 

DJ Kaylea

christmas eve (sorta)

Like last year, we celebrated Christmas a day early so Santa could visit Kaylea in Lafayette.  Kaylea made cookies for Santa with a little help from mommy & Mimi.  We had breakfast for dinner.  I asked what kind of milk we should leave out for Santa and she said white.  We left a couple of carrots for Rudolph and sprinkled reindeer food on the ground so Santa could find his way.  She had no trouble falling asleep, so it wasn't long before Mr. & Mrs. Claus were off to work.

 

sparkles

Day 1 - Sparkles arrives with Christmas pajamas for Kaylea

 

 

Day 2 - Working on Daddy's computer

 

Day 4 - Daddy is starting to get into this!

 

 

Day 5 - Blocks

 

Day 6 - Sparkles colored the milk green!

 

 

 Final Night - on the final sleep in our house, Sparkles left Kaylea  note thanking her for letting her live with us for a few days and telling her that Santa knew she had been a very good girl.

ornament exchange 2012

We had our annual ornamen exchange this year.  We decided to give Kaylea an ornament of Mickey from Disney World since she took her first trip there this year.  Jordy selected a martini glass with pink rhinestones for me (I think it's a cosmo), and I got him a tablet.  I thought it was an iPad, but I guess it's close enough.  This is one of my favorite traditions that Jordy & I started before we got married.

 

good intentions

I worked on Saturday - the last day before 10 days off.  Jordy called me and asked what time I was coming home.  I knew he was up to something.  Sure enough, he had rented a limo and invited some of our friends to come with us to look at Christmas lights.   I wasn't sure how it was going to go with 2 three year olds and a baby, but it was worse than I could have imagined.  Kaylea had gotten up early and didn't take a nap, so she was tired.  It started out great - the kids were excited and were great, but that's where the fun ended.  Kaylea didn't want to look at the lights, she wanted to get out in the cold and dance.  She cried, which lead to the baby crying.  She and Owen didn't get along as great as they normally do either.  They did have fun looking at some of the lights and stopping at McDonald's, so it wasn't quite a disasterous as I make it sound.  When we got back to the house, Kaylea crashed on the couch.  She kept complaining that her knee was hurting.  She was screaming at one point.  We have decided it is growing pains.  We were talking about making the limo a yearly tradition before we left the house, but I think we'll have to wait a couple of years!

 

 

playing hungry hungry hippo before we left

end of the world

We went to an end of the world party on Friday night. I guess the Mayan calendar ended at 12-21-12, so it was going to be the end of the world. We knew it wasn't ending because, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." But we had fun anyway. Kaylea put on her Santa hat before we went. The kids had a great time and actually spent some time playing together and not just independently.

 

 

 

shaving her legs - lol 



 

bud

 

My dad came to visit on Tuesday. He wanted to see us and go to basketball practice with Kaylea.  He and I have a strange relationship.  He was the best dad in the world growing up - we spent every Saturday together, he never missed a sporting event, he took me to school everyday...but our relationship changed as I got older.  I now accept it for what it is and just go with the flow.  Kaylea loves Bud and I have no idea why, but we go with it.  She was so excited that he was coming to visit.

 

He took us out for dinner.  Kaylea wanted McDonalds, but picked Logan's when we suggested a real restaurant.  We headed to basketball practice.  She had fun with Bud.  I have been very disappointed with her new coach.  Half way through the class, she said they had free time.  We can have free time at home in the garage.  I want the class we paid for.  She even packed up the goal and put it away 5 minutes before class was over. 

Kaylea showed off for Bud before it was time for her to go to bed.

 

the ornament she made at school

cookie party

This morning we hosted a cookie decorating party and Kaylea was so excited.  We let her stay up late on Friday night getting ready for the party and she was hyped up Saturday morning.  When our friends arrived, we played for little while and then started to decorate.  The kids have come a long way.  I actually didn't even help Kaylea with her cookies.  I let her do with them whatever she wanted (mostly because I was busy passing out cookies)

 

We had lunch and then made reindeer food.  I also had a Rudolph craft and jingle bell necklaces.  It's hard to believe we have only been in Lafayette for a year.  We are so blessed with great friends and awesome playmate for Kaylea.

 

elf on the shelf

The elf on the shelf has arrived at our house.  We decided our tradition would involve lighting a candle in the window the night before he arrives so he can find our house.  We snuggled up on the couch (me, Daddy, Kaylea & Doodle) and read the book before lighting the candle.  He showed up in the window and Kaylea named him Sparkles.  He brought her new Christmas pajamas.  I wonder what else this silly elf will do?

 

crouching tigers - yellow belt promotion

Kaylea had a promotion ceremony in her karate class this week.  I was excited to go and see what she is learning.  We spent quite a bit of money on this class and she talks about it, but this was our first chance to really know that she loves it!  They started off my doing some stretches and then counted to 10 in Japanese.  Then it was time for each of them to break through a board.  Kaylea's white belt group broke through a board by kicking.  It was pretty awesome - they got to take the board home.  Kaylea was so excited!  She got her new yellow belt.  These guys are awesome with the kids and I know my money is well spent.