Santa Brunch

The whole family came out this morning to have brunch with Santa.

Em cozies up to Glammie.

Sister love!

One of the only pics where everyone is looking at the
camera and all eyes are open. Why does this seem
 like such a miracle these days!?!

The Rudd family. (Sorry about your eyes, Colin. The only pic I had!)

The Conway family. 

The Busch family.

Juls hung out in line with her girlfriends (Kaitlin, Lexi, Addison) while we waited to see Santa.

All I want for Christmas is....
a sleeping baby!! =)

Waiting in the photo line for Santa with a baby who wants to just run seemed
 longer than EVER this year. Which was almost enough to send me
 psychologically over the edge memorable family bonding time.
Santa looks spent too, doesn't he!? HA. =)
Tis the season to be jolly!!

Memorable Family Fun

Tonight we took the "big" kids to see The Nutcracker at the Touhill Arts Center on UMSTL's campus.
The kids wanted to watch a DVD on the drive over, but I told them we were going to talk instead.  They just don't understand why.  I told them it helps us build relationships.  So the kids talked about their days, about how Julia's teacher is back to school and she's so glad that the "worst guest teacher ever Mrs. S is gone".  And then Ry says, "Hey, what does 'sexy' mean?"  We were totally unprepared for that one. I stalled for time and asked where he heard that word. He said his friend Andrew was singing "I'm sexy and I know it." I first told him it was like "handsome" or "beautiful", and he was like, "oh, I thought it meant like popular or something."  And so he says something like "So if you think someone is pretty you tell them they are sexy?"  So I did my best to explain that it's kinda a "personal" thing that maybe a husband would tell his wife and such, but that we shouldn't use that word to other people.  I think Ry understood.  Let's hope, or we might get an interesting note home from the teacher!!!

Intermission time at The Nutcracker

What the kids say about their first ballet experience:
Sugar Plum Fairy: Good
Nutcracker: Where are the words? Are they only going to dance? That's kinda girlie!

Bedtime, As Told By Ry Harriss

How To Get Ready For Bed
First, I brush my teeth. Then,
I go potty. Third, I get my clothes
off me. Next, I go to my bed.
Last I got a kiss.

Sister Denial

As told by Julia:
"Mom, Ryan and a boy came up to me on the playground.
And the boy asked Ry, "is that your sister?"
and Ry said "no".
And it kinda hurt my feelings."

Today they are having a dance party together.
Augh, the highs and lows of sibling love!! =)

TGIF!

This morning I brought the munchkins to the Dr. for strep tests.  Emerson was sent home from preschool yesterday with a fever (but no other symptoms, and she was fine by the time she got home?!?), and Juls has had a hard time handling life lately. Emotional instability has been an indicator in the past she's got strep. So hard to tell what is "normal" 5 yr old activity or a result of sickness!!
 Example:
Juls: HYSTERICALLY crying,
 Me: What's wrong?
 Juls: Ry gave me the mad face!

When I dropped Juls off at school, I noticed this chart in the hallway outside her classroom. Looks like she's the second tallest girl in the class!  You go girl!  =)

Fortunately, we're all negative.
I was, however, tempted to ask the pediatrician's office to run a report and see if we are winning the contest for "most co-pays paid in 12 months time"..there should be some sorta prize for keeping them afloat like we do, right!!?
And now I get to spend the day with THIS sweet girl!

First Haircut

Today on a whim I brought Babycakes to get her first haircut.
She's needed it for awhile now.
Poor third child! =)

She was doted on by everyone at the shop, and was a total ham waiting her turn walking around to everyone waving and making friends. She did really well sitting still. When her cut was finished, the stylist tried to blowdry her hair. She sat still looking at me for about 30 seconds, and then got a "I'm going to scream/cry what are you doing to me!?" face. That was the end of that!

Santa Claus Comes To Town (or The Galleria!)

The munchkins were happy to head to The Galleria today to visit Santa and share their lists with him!  

Post Holiday Exhaustion

Don't you just LOVE a sleeping baby?!
I could just eat up this little angel!!!

Happy Thanksgiving 2012!

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving day.  We're blessed enough to have most of our family in town, so that means we're lucky enough to get invited to partake in not one, but two Thanksgiving feasts!  After the traditional morning game of football, we headed to the Harriss house for celebration #1.  Jeff's mom had the idea that we all take a pic with us all in glasses since Em now has glasses.  I have a feeling she needed this pic as part of her annual Christmas poem, but I guess we'll have to wait a few more weeks to find out!  Regardless, the kids thought it was pretty fun.

We took full advantage of the near 70 degree weather and spent some time outside. 

Turkey day, round 2 was held at Amy/Jeff's house.  Ry and Jul hang at the kids table with Maddie and Ali.

Mom and I pose for a pic.

Amy, Dena and Dad take a break.  Amy spent HOURS in the kitchen prepping for the massive spread she puts out every year, and dad spent nearly TWO hours carving the pumpkin.

Tim and Debbie

Glammie and kids.

Grandparents and me

Granny Re before she modeled her Elvis look-alike sunglasses for us. I'm not sure how I didn't snap a pic.  She said she actually had someone offer her $200 for them and she wouldn't sell.  Craziness, I tell ya!

Jeff ended up talking Glammie into coming over at 11pm so he and I could head out to partake in the madness we call Black Friday.  We talked Amy and Jeff into tagging along too.  Despite the fact it was the middle of the night, and thinking clearly wasn't really happening, we had a great time.  Jeff toted a TV around the store that he THOUGHT was on special, but it wasn't. I somehow managed to LOSE all our advertisements (key for price matching) not once but TWICE (and then we ended up realizing on the drive home we left them back in the toy section of the store!?!). It was for sure one of our more memorable shopping trips!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pre-Turkey Day

My mom believes every day is worth a party.  She extends our Thanksgiving celebration by an entire day by having a party the night before.  Since my sister Krista travels with her husband and kids to Chicago on Thanksgiving, this is our opportunity to hang out with them for the holiday.  Glammie is never short on sugar for the kids. (Looking back, it's really amazing none of  us came out of childhood in that house obese or cavity-filled!). Even Em was begging to partake in a cookie with a thick row of icing.  

Decorating Early

We've  never decorated for Christmas before Thanksgiving, but the kids  (Ry especially!) have been relentless.
I caved today when Ryan carried up some of the Christmas decorations by himself.  Guess we'll have the day after Thanksgiving open this year!

Operation Shoebox

This year, Julia joined a troop called American Heritage Girls (AHG), which is a little similiar to the Girl Scouts.
They just had a service project, and we went tonight to pack shoeboxes as part of Operation Christmas Child.  Since they needed lots of help, Ry was able to come along too.  What fun helping pack boxes we had tonight!

See's Visit

Juls had an appointment this morning at Children's, so we decided to play hookey a little longer and stop by the Galleria to say hello to Gram and Papa who were running their See's Candy cart at The Galleria.  Of course, we couldn't turn down the chocolate suckers they offer us when we visit! =)

Tats and Voting

It feels like a weekend. The entire family is home from work/school with strep. (Well, except I don't seem to have symptoms..yet!)  Em and I snuck out for a bit to go vote.  I would have left her at home, but Jeff didn't seem capable enough to take care of her. Seriously.  Apparently strep can be "you must lay on the couch and not move" type of knock you down.  She quickly got bored in the booth and made a run for it.

And meanwhile, the kids back home kept busy making tattoos on themselves.
This is a little bit my fault. Juls was looking through toy catalogs to work on her Christmas list, and she came across this kit that you could do this with. It seemed like such a dumb toy to me..basically came with a stencil, markers and glitter.  But all packaged cute.  When she told me she wanted to add it to her list I told her she already OWNED everything in the kit.  Mistake #1.  Oh well..at least the bath they took after this bought another hour and allowed me to clean out Em's closet!

Strep

Ry had a fever and complained of sore throat this weekend, so first thing Monday morning we headed to the pediatrician.  By the time the day was over, and some extra co-pays later,  we figured out all three of our monkeys are positive for strep. Awesome.

Em is doing her best to pick up as MANY germs as possible from the waiting room.
I've already gotten her test results back at this point, and knowing she is positive and there is an antibiotic waiting at the pharmacy, I don't freak out as much as I might normally have and choose to let her continue her "germ gathering" as opposed to the loud shrieks she does when I try to contain her to my lap.

And then the hubby walked in the door complaining of a sore throat and crawly skin, I knew we were in for it.
That, and remembering that Emerson literally sneezed in my mouth today when I was carrying her (isn't motherhood so dreamy?!) I called our Dr. and promptly went to pick up prescriptions for Jeff and I as well.

Tonight the kids helped me take clorox wipes to every surface in their rooms.
Good times!