week 49

During Church Christian moved to be by Dad.  He had sketched out a plan to build a sled.  He is always building or buying or planning something.

After church, we visited Grandma and Grandpa Peel.  Grandma is such a good sport and plays canasta with the kids all the time.

Around midnight, I heard a crashing sound.  So did our neighbors.  They called the police.  Some teenagers rode through our neighborhood throwing pieces of iron and brick through vinyl fences.  They were caught and came to apologize and are paying to have the fences repaired.

Following a yummy dinner at Blue Lemon, I went Christmas shopping with Camille and Brittany.  We were in the Christmas aisle when I looked down to discover that I was pushing a cart with another woman's purse inside.  My cart and purse were nowhere in sight.  I ran around looking for it and found that I had mistakenly left my cart in the aisle and took hers.  We called an employee to help. I told him what happened and asked him to take the purse to the front to find her.  He thanked me for finding the purse. I clarified, "no, I am the one that took the purse."  I don't think he really got what happened.

Christian goes through pants like crazy.  I don't exactly know what happens at recess, but there is a lot of sliding on his knees.  If there aren't holes, there are grass stains.

After having the boxes of Christmas stuff in the kitchen for a few days, I finally got after it and decorated the house.  After some bickering, the kid's tree was done.  This tree consists of ornaments we have been given, and the ornament each kid gets every year. This year their ornaments are from Manzanita, Oregon.

Christian likes to hang the star.  This star has issues and is constantly tipping over.

When my mom brought me stuff from her basement, she brought my old rain coat.  The minute there was rain Jessi put it on.

Christian found some wood in a dumpster and, with Mike's help, started working on his sled.

Santa came to our neighborhood party.  The kids were good sports and let me take their pics with him.

Every year, she asks Santa for something completely different than she put on her list.  Ugh.

The weather was beautiful, so we made plans to go to Temple Square…apparently so did everyone else.  We didn't realize the racial bias/police brutality protest was going on. It was pretty cool to witness.  We had some great discussions about what they are protesting and how lucky we are to live in America where people can make their voices heard.  The protesters shut down State Street, so driving was a nightmare.

Then we met up with my family to see the nativity and lights.

Following Santa, we headed to Home Depot. The three youngest made the project. Drew helped Jessi make her bug holder.

The bane of my existence is the highlight of her month…class store.  The kids earn class money and then get to bring stuff and buy stuff at the class store.  One kid's junk is my kid's treasure…four bags full of treasure.

This beast has discovered climbing the tree.  He got to the top and then yelped for help getting down. Everyday there are a few ornaments on the ground.  He is a rascal and darling and we simply adore him, falling ornaments and all.