A trip to see Santa Claus

It is strange to think that next year at this time we will not be in student housing anymore. There are traditions that are in place that will have to be replaced with new ones (not that I'm complaining!!). One of these, is visiting Santa in the loft. It is a great time for the children of the community to see the man in red, decorate cookies and play with each other in a loving environment filled with holiday cheer. :) Here they are with a few of their friends.

It took a relaxing Christmas day...

We are all still in our jammies and it is absolutely heavenly. After a 4 am, "Wake up, it's Christmas morning!" from Dexter, the children miraculously slept until 8 (I know, right?). We spent a lovely morning eating cinnamon rolls and opening presents and are now in a lazy-happy mid-day high. With everyone content to read to story books, build new building sets and play with new toys... I am finally going through summer video shorts. Yay for a lazy afternoon.

Here are a few videos from July and August that are definitely adding to my smiles today.



Here, the boys and two of their cousins play a silly game of their own design. What fun it will be for these four little boys to play together in a few weeks!! There's also a bit of Jaxon performing at the first annual summer magic show. Let's hope there's another one in 2011!



Fun for me to see little Shea, not even two and still in diapers, staring to learn her abc's with Daddy. Now, she seems like such a big girl. It's hard to imagine this was less than six months ago! Free of diapers since August and more than capable of recognizing almost all of her letters... she is growing up more and more each day! I especially enjoy the cameo from one clone trooper ninja. :)



An adorable game of ring-around-the-rosie with a certain Jax, who just wants to play tag!

Deep Thoughts With Shea

Shea is at this fantastic age where she is able to communicate her thoughts. This is nice on several levels. Aside from being grateful for healthy development, however, we are particularly entertained, these days, with the fantastic windows she gives us into what occupies her mind.

Yesterday, while sitting at the computer, Shea came up to me and just started saying her random thoughts, all of which had me smiling. I decided to take advantage of the moment, and start typing down whatever she said. This led into four hilarious minutes (a very typical representation of the silly, perpetual chaos that surrounds me) of transcribing all three childrens' activities.

Here you go:

Shea, sitting next to says, "Mommy, princesses are good and kind and beautiful (big dramatic sigh)."

Me: "Yes, Shea, I suppose they are."

Shea: "Mommy, I'm not a baby. I'm a girl. I'm a big kid girl. And you're a girl too. We are girls together. And Daddy's a boy and Dexter and Jaxon are boys, too. And Sylvie's a girl and Mathew is not a girl."

Me (giggling): "Yes, you're right, Shea."

With our apartment coreway under renovation, one of the workmen accidentally bumps into the door.

Shea: "You hear that Mommy? You hear that noise? I realized, someone knocked on the door and I heard the noise and I said, 'Mommy, you hear that noise?' " Then, she laughs, as if at her own cleverness.

Shea: "I'm a little puppy and your a big puppy, Mommy. Woof." (Putting a blanket over her head) "No, I'm a ghost. (Pause) No, I'm a bad-guy! I'm a ghost bad-guy."

Shea starts to dance under her blanket, so, naturally, Jaxon, who is nearby, picks up the guitar and starts to play for her.

Shea: "Look, Mommy, I'm dancing! Jax is playing guitar and I'm dancing!! Meow. Meow. Meow. Woof Woof. Woo-hoo!!"

Now, Dex, wearing a headlamp, runs into the room and begins dancing with her and pulling on the blanket.

Shea: "Mommy, I want that back!"

Dex, "Shea hit me!"

Jax, now sorting toys under the tree, picks a gift up and shouts, "Mommy, this one doesn't have a tag on it!"

Dex: "Is it Christmas Eve tomorrow? When is Christmas Eve? Is Santa coming tomorrow?"

Before I can answer either boy (primarily because I'm now typing), Shea and Dex resume dancing.

Dex: "I'm Santa and all of you guys are the elves. (with a voice of authority) Elves!!!"

Jax: "I'm not an elf. I don't want to be an elf."

Dex, chasing Shea again, "Come back here! You have to do your work!"

Shea, "No!" (followed by hysterical laughter)

Now, all three are dancing and singing Jingle Bells.

Jax, remembering he was in the midst of something important, reaches for the tagless gift. "Mommy, what is this? Who's it for?" Can you give me a tag for this? Can you write 'to Jax and Dex'?"

Dex, pouncing on Shea, shouts, "Gotcha!! You're an elf!!"

Shea: "You an elf!"

Dex: "Please stop screaming. You're an elf!"

Shea: "I not an elf. You're an elf!"

Dex- "Stop, or you won't get any presents."

Shea: "Mommy, Dex said I can't play with the presents. You are an elf, Mommy! Elf!! You an elf!!"

Dex: "No, you're an elf."

Shea: "No, you're an elf."

Dex: "No, you're an elf."

Shea, who is running around while chanting "No, you're an elf" runs into the presents.

Jax: "Shea, that wasn't nice."

Shea and Dex start playing tug of war with the blanket, then they cuddle on floor, then all three (Dex and Jax from the floor and Jax from the tree) sing Jingle Bells again.

Silence...

for about 30 seconds... until Jaxon starts singing about all the toys he wants for Christmas, Dex and Shea join in and it all starts over again!

My silly boys

Dexter

Jaxon

If I said the boys were just a little bit excited for Christmas this year, I would be lying. Their exuberance knows no bounds! I adore this about them. I love the way they carry passionate enthusiasm around with them on a daily basis. I love the way they share that excitement with the world around them. It can be a little intense, at times, but it's worth it.

Earlier this fall, they started compiling their Christmas lists by browsing through toy magazines that came in the mail. By mid-November, we were hand-writing the lists on a near-daily basis. A few weeks ago, they started decorating the apartment for Santa and have been relentlessly coloring and painting ever since. Dex is the ringleader in this particular endeavor and recently told me he wants our whole kitchen/living room surrounded by their artwork, "by the time Santa comes... or until we move." (Despite the fact that I love their artwork on the walls, I might have to secretly thin this display out after Santa comes! :))

About a week ago, they started their own amazon.com wish list. They have also created wish lists on lego.com, barnes&noble.com and target.com (as well as a few other sites). This is the downfall of their keen computer sense. At first, they were limiting their toy-lust to set permitted screen times. For the past few days, however, if I turn my back for a second, return from a trip to the bathroom, hang up the phone, bring Shea down from her nap, etc., I find them frantically adding things to their various wish lists in the earnest hope that Santa might actually surprise them with EVERYTHING their 6-year-old hearts desire. (This has, of course, made Christmas shopping pretty easy for us this year... and it's been a hilarious look into what they find interesting and gift-worthy.)

Oh, how nice it will be after Christmas when I can come downstairs after putting laundry away and not hear four little feet jumping away from the computer and two little voices shouting, "Mommy, go back upstairs!!" Or, maybe, on a certain level, I'll miss it.

I love that they're still innocent enough to completely believe in Santa Claus and all of the magical lore surrounding this time of year. They sincerely believe we have three elves (Humble, Mumble and Jumble) who come out at night and help ready our house for Christmas. When a young friend of theirs suggested that maybe the Santa Claus they visited wasn't the REAL Santa Claus, they vigorously defended the man, insisting that he was, in fact, the REAL Santa Claus. Why wouldn't he be?

Luckily, their young child greed hasn't smothered their desire to give, as well. Yesterday, they begged... and I mean BEGGED... me to let them each give a gift to each other, as well as to Shea, and be able to wrap them up, as well. So, three goofy looking wrapping jobs later, the gifts under our tree are a bit more complete and one mommy is happy that her boys are just as happy at the thought of watching their siblings open gifts of their choosing as they are about opening presents, themselves. Let's hope that spirit stays with them as they grow...

... as well as a little enthusiasm...

Christmas Tree!

As would be expected, picking, setting up and decorating our Christmas tree was so much fun for everyone. The children have a way of making the ordinary magical. A few nights ago, we took them on a holiday lights drive. As we would approach a home with a stunning lights display, the kids would all start to cheer. If there were plastic blow-up decorations, it was even better, as far as the kids were concerned. Sometimes, we would have to park, just so they could thoroughly investigate the glowing scene before their eyes. It soon became a contest between the three of them, to see who could first spot holiday lights. Despite the fun of giddy squeals and rowdy renditions of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," I think the highlight of the evening was when Jaxon announced, "Wait, guys!! There's a Christmas light we forgot!! The moon!!! It's the best light we've seen so far!" So sweet.













All tuckered out after picking out a Christmas tree. Love hand-me down Spiderman boots on Shea. :)

Another photo shoot with Dex

Dex spent another afternoon trying to entice Shea to play with the duplo legos. Despite her lack of interest, he still had a good time! (And insisted on another photo shoot.)

Week-end trip

Story of the day.

Dexter tried his hardest to find someone to have a lightsaber duel with him earlier today, but Jaxon and Shea were busy playing together and I was busy working. With a very sad face, he left the room. A few minutes later, he returned and announced, "No one would have a lightsaber duel with me, so I had a lightsaber duel with God. I won."

Hee hee.

Below, are photos from a recent trip to Madison for Ollie's birthday and Indie's baptism. What a fun and special week-end!
Sarah and me
Love being with my sis!
Dex-left, Jax-right, trying out one of Ollie's new games.
Seth, Nicky and Shea... sharing lots of cuddles.
Shea and Mommy.
Birthday boy!
Sis and Shea
Indie and his new stick pony.
Lucky for Ollie, he had two very devoted spectators while he opened gifts.
Grandpa and me

Dex asked for another photo shoot. I love these photo shoots... I get such a kick out of the fact that the boys love to have their photo taken... especially after constructing something. Here, he put together a duplo train for Shea.







Once again, Mimi and Shea were inseparable. Shea completely adores the fact that my mom gives her undivided attention... and it shows!! I love to see the two of them together. I also love Shea's need to be wearing something "beautiful" all the time!

Misc

Shea, protecting her prized playdough creations.

Shea has joined the boys in their fantastic ability to crack me up nearly constantly. The other day we were riding in the car and she started singing, to the tune of Frere Jacques, "Shea and Mommy. Shea and Mommy. Mommy and Shea. Mommy and Shea. I'm a little girl. And a little boy. I'm a boy. And a girl."

Of course, that being said, there are days when I can't call her anything but Shea, not cutie-pie, not Shea Bug, etc., or she'll retort indignantly, "I'm not Shea Bug! I'm a little girl and I'm Shea!"

An afternoon of interpretive solar system paintings. Fun, fun, fun!

Shea and Gramma

Grama and Grandpa with five of their grandkiddos.

Meredith and Shea