Our three days of Christmas

With the swapping my ex Thanksgiving for Christmas it threw our schedule off.  Normally we have both exes on the same weekend and same holiday schedule, so we either have all our kids and can be together as a full family, or we get to be together as a couple.  We like it this way.  But with the switch it made us a little off.  So we had to have two Christmas Eve's and two Christmas mornings, one with Jayme and Sean, and the regular one with the other four girls.
Christmas eve eve:
Christmas eve eve started with lunch with Grandma KC and Aunt Jessica and her crew at Cafe Rio.  Grandma decided to come for a visit for the holidays and this would be the only day while she was visiting that we would have the full circus.  She'd been working for a year and a half on quilts for all her grandkids and they were finally done.  The kids got to tell Grandma what colors they wanted their quilts and they were super excited that they were finally done.  I didn't get a closer pics of Sean, his was done with Sponge Bob material:

That night we celebrated Christmas eve eve.  And of course, no Christams eve eve is complete without a family throw down while watching Christmas cartoon specials on TV:

And of course, the pajamas.  We just gave them comfy bottoms this year so that would be why they're all raising knees and legs.  They wanted to make sure their bottoms could be seen in the picture:

Christmas eve morning Jayme and Sean got to open all of their presents from us, and we let all 6 kids open the presents for the names that they had drawn with each other.

And Papa Mike showed up with his gift, sleds for the entire family:

Which will be awesome if we ever get any snow this year...
I made our traditional Swedish Pancakes for the kids and then Jayme and Sean went off the spend the rest of the holiday with their mom.  Sad for us.
The rest of us cleaned and cooked for the family Christmas eve dinner.
I love my family.  They make me laugh.  My mom was there, with my brother Bill and his family, and my sister McKell and her family.  As well as the world's most awesome father-in-law, Mike.  We laughed and giggled and ate a lot of food.  Thank you to pinterest for the cheesecake filled strawberry idea! Oh, and we had fun watching Sam-I-am and the dogs tease each other:

We also watched Santa's progress across the world with Norad Santa Tracker which was so exciting, even for me.  I think that's going to have to become a yearly thing.  Cali pleaded with me as she went to bed, "Mom, please don't stay up too late.  He's getting close!"
Christmas morning was as magical as it should have been.  Cas got her long awaited for camera and the other girls got their American Girl dolls, which of course, looked just like them. 

And being as Christmas fell on a Sunday this year Santa brought the girls Christmas dresses for church:

Santa also brought me the softest robe I've ever felt in my life *sigh* and Grisham's new book :).

And don't forget about the puppy boys who got a nice cushy new bed:

And although we certainly enjoyed the gift giving and receiving, we didn't forget about the true spirit of Christmas.  There was much love and gratitude expressed and their was a wonderful peace in our home.  As well as, for me, thoughts of my Savior Jesus Christ and not just his birth, but his life.  And his atonement for me.
I have been given much.

Awesome days start with Costco hotdogs for breakfast

What. A. Day.The man and I tackled grocery shopping first thing this morning.  We were very litterally out of food.  As in, the kids squeeked by with pb&j and applesauce for breakfast and I... had a Costco hotdog (complete with mustard, relish, and onions).  Don't worry, after Costco we dropped off eggs and milk so the kids coud have some scrambled eggs while we headed out to the regular grocery store for the rest of our list.
And I had to finish up some errands for the man's birthday tomorrow.  (I did that sans man though).
We got back in time to crack the chore whip before Tay and I headed out to watch my niece dance in her Christmas dance recital.

I'm glad that I was able to go and support my brother and his family.  Family is everything. Speaking of family... from there we joined up with Grandpa Brent and Grandma Julie for their Christmas present to the circus.  They've decided that instead of gifts of toys, they want to give the gift of time. And we're way okay with that.  Last year they took the circus to the local aquarium, this year it was to the movie theater to see Dolphin Tale

and then to Rock Creek Pizza Co. for some awesome pizza buffet.  Because where else are you going to go when you have half a dozen starving kids?

Oh yeah, the movie was 3-D which meant popping the lenses out for Bieber glasses.  When will this fad end?
And if that weren't a full enough Saturday, we had one more trip on our agenda.  I've been doing a Christmas countdown for both the circus and for the man.  Each day they get a card.  Sometimes it says something nice about them, sometimes there's an activity for the day.  Today's card was an activity.  Go find some lights!  I'd heard from my cousin about the Christmas house near us so we drove by to check it out.  If you're in the Salt Lake area you should check it out.  His website is here, it has the address.  And according to the website, this is the last year that they're going to do it.  I highly recommend it. The lights changed and danced with the music and the trees had lit up faces with talking parts. The website also tells you which radio station to tun in to, but if you odn't want to wait in the LONG line of cars, you can simply park at the bottom of the street at the church and walk up, the show is also playing aloud from the yard.

How many kids can you cram into the back window of a car? :) On tomorrow's to do list... clean face and hand prints of said car window.

Needless to say the circus was pretty excited about what we saw, and that made me the coolest mom ever. 
And to think, this day all started with a hotdog for breakfast. Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

Lying to my children about Santa Claus

I've heard it mentioned a few different times this season... lying to our kids about Santa Claus. 

I guess I'm a little taken back by it.  I don't recall it ever being phrased in such a blatant and, well, rather harsh way.  Lying to my child about Santa.

Here's how I see it.
Santa is the spirit of giving.  Unselfishness.  Hope.  Love.  Acceptance of all.  As my children grow older and they ask the inevitable question, "Does Santa really existence?" The answer in my home is, "As long as you believe, Santa will come." Santa is in us all.  And perhaps at other times of the year we simply just call it charity.  Or service.  But come Christmas time, that wonderful time of the year, we all become a little more focused on it.  We start looking around us, and we starting giving and loving just a little bit more. 
I don't think it a terrible thing to create the magic of Santa for our children.  Because that's exactly what we're doing.  Creating magic.  And as they grow, it gives the lesson of the spirit of giving all the more substance, because they've felt it.  They know it.  And now they're a part of it too.
So am I lying to my child about Santa? No.  I'm creating memories, visions, and lessons to last a life time.  And I'm okay with doing that.  I'm also okay that my parents did that for me as a child.  And I hope that my kids will do it for theirs.
To each and every one of you, with out fear of being politically correct, or being religiously offensive, I simply say "Merry Christmas."  This wonderful time, that no matter your beliefs or orientations of life, when we can all have a common feeling of "good will towards men."

Christmas Choir

Casidee and Tayler joined the Christmas choir at school this year.  Second year for Cas, first for Tay.  This year their choir was invited to sing at our City Hall.  There's a staggering 122 kids in their choir, the biggest they've ever had in the choir before, and the biggest choir that our City Hall has ever hosted.  We were packed in tight. In front of City Hall:

Tay on the front row with the light blue shirt:

And Cas in the very back on her tip toes so she can see over the massive group that's squashed on the tiny stage, you can see her head:



Last night was the official concert.  They had some pretty fun props, and of course an Elementary school choir is just funny to watch period.  They make great faces.

Don't tell West, but I'm secretly hoping that they get into the musicals and plays in Jr. High and High school. :)