Are you ready for the long overdue Christmas post? Let's just say, we had a fun filled, family packed, amazing 2 week break from school and work! Well, the girls did, Patrick still worked, but he got to have some fun, or at least the benefits of our baking efforts :)
We started off the Christmas break with McKenna's preschool performance. She was a lamb that was having a hard time keeping her 'hat' on, but she sang beautifully and had a great time with her friends from school.
One of the first baking tasks was to make a frost sugar cookies. The girls helped bake, cut and frost all of these cookies. Ava mainly helped by eating the dough, and the main decorating happened while she was down for a nap, but Anna and McKenna thought this was so much fun.
After we finished the cookies, we went to see The Princess and the Frog with friends. When we came home, Beau had eaten ALL 36 cookies! The girls were disappointed, but they got over it pretty quickly. Beau, on the other hand, didn't stomach all those cookies very well, and Patrick and I got to deal with the brunt of that aftermath. (note to self: don't leave cookies out EVER again!)
Christmas Eve brought mass, snow and food. We thought we were being so smart by choosing the 4:30 mass, but it ended up lasting for about 1 hour 40 minutes, the snow/ice storm raged the whole time we were in there and we got dinner started way later then planned, but we didn't let that slow us down. Ava doesn't look thrilled in this picture, but in her defense, she was starting to come down with a little stomach virus and that would make for several wardrobe changes over the next few days (lucky for most of us, she only shared her virus with Patrick).
One of the girls favorite tradition is the Pickle Tree. While I think there is only supposed to be 1 pickle on the tree and the person who finds it will be lucky the next year, we do it a little differently and there is a pickle for every grandchild at the house that year.
It was really late by the time we finished dinner, so we changed the girls into pjs and jumped in the car. About half way home, the girls realized we forgot to listen to grandpa read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. As soon as we got home, we made a call and the girls gathered around the cell phone for their story. Ava was amazed to hear grandpa's voice and kept giving him kisses and yelling 'Grandpa!'
Putting food out for the reindeer
Leaving cookies for Santa
Band Hero! This present was left by Santa and the girls are having so much fun playing with it. They don't even need to have the actual game playing, they will just pretend with the instruments and make up their own songs.
We haven't come up with any band names yet, but we will try for something more original than The Clerkin Sisters...
Even though it didn't snow on Christmas, we did have a white Christmas! It froze all of our decorations to the ground, so that is why they are not standing up for the pic :)
Ava got her own sleeping bag for Christmas and she just rolled around on it all morning. She loves getting in her sister's bags, so now she gets to snuggle up in her own for movie night.
Present frenzy with the Franz side of the family.
Kim, Ava, Aunt Jenny, Mitch, Grandma Franz, Anna, Uncle Brian, McKenna, Patrick. Wii games, Fur Real pets and makeup were the big hits of the morning. The girls love playing The Princess and the Frog game and they always want to put on makeup.
Present frenzy with the Clerkin side of the family. Spike the Dinosaur and the Barbie Dream Townhouse were the big hits here as well as jewelry (earrings, necklaces and braclets galore!). Anna did have a pretty bad reaction in one ear to a pair of earrings, so I am assuming she has a nickel allergy. One earlobe got really red and nasty looking. I kind of freaked out about it, took the earrings out, cleaned with peroxide and put in some plain gold earrings. Within 2 hours the ear was already looking better and it didn't hurt as much. We will definitely be looking for the 'Nickel Free' markings on all earrings from here on out.
Grandpa Clerkin, Monty, Grandma Clerkin, Sitto, McKenna, Kim, Ava, Patrick, Jiddo, Anna, Reed, Aunt Nicole, Uncle Mike
Aunt Nicole and Uncle Mike - the happy newly weds! Anna's first comment when she found out they were getting married - I can't wait to see their babies!!! So far, no word on any babies, but Anna keeps asking for one!
Jiddo has helped all the girls play 'P.S. I love you' on the piano.
Aunt Nicole's brother, Reed, joined us for Christmas this year. This is how Reed spent his entire time in Texas, rough housing with Anna and McKenna. They took about 2 seconds to size him up, realized he was SOOOO much fun and proceeded to jump, spin, scream and laugh their way through his visit. I am not sure he knew what he was in for, but the girls loved it and he and Uncle Mike were their personal jungle gyms.
Aunt Jenny and Ava sharing a sweet moment on Christmas.
Since Aunt Nicole and Uncle Mike eloped and we missed all the fun, we had a little reception for them after Christmas. The girls got all dressed up and danced the night away.
I just posted this picture as proof that Ava does sometimes sit in a high chair when we are out to eat, she isn't ALWAYS in my lap, contrary to popular belief...
It snowed again a few days after Christmas and this was perfect snowball/snowman snow. I bundled the girls up and we went outside for some snowy fun. I only took a few pics as I was protecting the camera from falling snow and ill aimed snowballs (softball is going to be interesting this spring!). The beautiful jackets the girls are wearing were gifts from Reed and Paula (Nicole's mom). The girls love them, and are happy it is cold enough for them to wear all the time.
In between all the Christmas festivities, Anna and McKenna had their first sleepover at a Maddie and Abbie's house. Kelly and Lee were extremely brave and had all 4 girls at their house before Christmas. They gave pedicures, watched Polar Express, played doctor and stayed up late (and woke up early, sorry guys!) and had so much fun, that we had Maddie and Abbie to our house after Christmas. The girls all get along really well and we made t-shirts with a Fashionista present the girls got for Christmas. They got to blow paint onto the shirts and make decorations. They had a blast!
The 2 weeks I took off of work were fantastic. We played games, went to the movies, baked, hung out, went ice skating and just had a lot of fun. Going back to work/school on Monday was hard on us all, but we are getting back into the swing of things. The girls are already planning all their activities for summer break and McKenna can't wait to start kindergarten. Ava will be starting preschool next year, and I think her registration is coming up. I can't believe that she is already almost 2!
We also had 2 great friends have babies over the break. Susan and Ryan Rosser welcomed the second daughter Alyssa on Dec. 21. Linda, the girls and I all went to meet her at the hospital and she is a beautiful little girl. I always forget how tiny they are and just how sweet a newborn baby looks and feels. Anna and McKenna just adored her, Ava was a little jealous. Luckily, Alyssa's big sister Addison is adjusting well and is just loving on her baby sister. Way-Way and James Pee welcomed their son Gavin on Christmas Day! Way-Way is the best laborer ever and woke up at 4 with contrations, got to the hospital at about 7 and Gavin arrived at 9:30! I am sure WW doesn't think it was easy, but that timeline just amazes me :) Her first was also pretty fast, so she must just know what she is doing. I got to visit with her and Gavin at the hospital and the nurse came in to explain keeping his circumcision clean - ouch! With 3 girls this was something I have never dealt with and can I just say it looked painful :( He is doing great at home and his big sister, Claire, has decided that he is 'her' baby. I am keeping Ava away from Gavin since she took a punch at Claire when they were just a few months old! Gavin is adorable and just let me play with his fingers and love on him. Don't worry, I am not getting baby crazy, I am just enjoying my friend's babies and the ability to give them back after a little while :)
This was a much longer post than I had planned, sorry for rambling on, but lots has happened. I am sure we will have more adventures to share soon. Happy New Year and may 2010 bless you and your family.
