Galena

After Christmas we spent a few days in Galena with my parents.  The kids had a blast sledding, skiing, playing games and watching movies.  It was nice to get out of town for a few days and relax after the holidays.

Cece at the top of the hill, mentally preparing for her first sledding experience

Cece at the bottom.  She LOVED it and the 30+ degree weather meant that she could stay outside with us the entire time.

My crew

Post sledding party, double fisting the drink yogurts

Ski School

Getting ready to hit the slopes with Daddy

Christmas!

 

Children's Nativity

We made it to church on Christmas Eve with only minutes to spare before the start of the Children's Nativity play.  Despite much anticipation, Maggie ultimately refused to be a camel and sat with us during the service.  Ben and Cate, a shepherd and an angel respectively, fell into their roles with ease despite having delinquent parents who did not bring them to a single rehearsal...

Christmas Eve

Following our Christmas Eve dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, chosen not for it's culinary sophistication but for the fact that everyone will eat it without complaint, the kids opened presents from me and Chris and from each other.

Cate's hands-down favorite present was a sleepover bag.  It's really an awesome feeling to give someone a gift that they didn't even know they wanted and I was able to do this for Cate (this time, anyway...).  Her bag contained a little cosmetics bag that held mini shampoo, conditioner, and toothpaste and I also included other items that I thought she would need on her next sleepover.  She kept telling me how much she loved it ("I mean I really, really love it Mom!").  She is a very organized everything-in-its-place kind of a girl and so I think this was the perfect gift for her.

Maggie proceeded to serenade us with songs played on her little ukulele while Ben got right to work on (another!) Lego project from his sisters.  Cece was not terribly happy (see above photo) and went to bed early.

We set out cookies for Santa, carrots for the reindeer, read "The Night Before Christmas" and called it a night.

Decorating Gingerbread Houses

Ben decorates his "ninjabread" house

Maggie eats a lot of frosting and does a little decorating

Hard at work...

You can never have too much frosting...(a common theme at my house)

Cate, hard at work.

Chamberlain Family Christmas

Cece and Grandpa Jerry

Hey, this makes walking a lot easier.  We should get one of these...

Photo booth prep with Aunt Jenah

Max shows Cece how it's done

More Legos!  This Christmas just keeps getting better and better.

Cousins in Christmas jammies (Maggie has poor Cece in a strangle hold).

Chris, Amy, Trisha and Todd with the new babies born in 2013 (Cece, 9 months; Nora, 6 weeks; Dominic, 6 months; Lincoln, 8.5 months)

Santa paid a visit to Grandma and Grandpa's to deliver the Christmas jammies.

Cate and Ava, bookworms

Ben and Max

Gingerbread house decorating (and candy eating)

Ben's Holiday Party

Decorating cookies

With mom at the cookie decorating table

Eating his creation.  (You can never have too much frosting, you know).

Playing BINGO with his buddy, Emily

I volunteered to help with Ben's holiday party this year, and I love seeing how he interacts with his friends and teachers.  And, of course, I get a kick out of the kindergarteners in general---what they talk about, what they think is funny, and especially how they refer to me as "Ben's mom."  (As in, "Ben's mom!  Ben's mom!  I have a pet turtle")

Every time I've visited his classroom this year I've been truly touched (and a little surprised) by how excited he is to see me.  He's a pretty cool cucumber most of the time and so I'm just bowled over by all of the hugs, kisses, and hand holding that greet me when he sees me at school.

I Spy

The dishwasher.

I Spy...

Sadie's water bowl.

My Mini Me

Maggie is a unique little person.

For better or worse, she has her own sense of style.

On a recent winter morning, she decided to rock a summer tank top and headband.  And I think it's fair to say that she pulled it off as only she can.

Cecilia - 9 Months

Likes:  crawling, pulling up to stand, Sadie's water dish, pulling books off the shelves, peanut butter toast, yogurt, baths, peek-a-boo, "So big!", clapping, sleeping with two binks (one in the mouth, one in the hand)

Dislikes: being interrupted from anything that she doing, having her diaper changed, sleeping away from home, wearing hats

Cece is definitely on the move.  No longer content to stay in one place (sigh) she is crawling, creeping, standing and lunging to get what she wants.  She's trying to figure out how to go up stairs and we're trying to teach her how to scoot down stairs as well. 

She will stand, unassisted, for 10-15 seconds at a time but hasn't taken any steps on her own yet.  She has her own cheering section and so any time so any attempts to stand are met with lots of positive reinforcement.

Johnson Family Christmas

It's safe to say that Maggie's favorite gift was her very own school kit from Grandma and Grandpa.  Cate has her own school kit and will rarely let Maggie use it.  Not deterred by this, Maggie often uses it while Cate is at school, much to Cate's frustration.  Immediately upon opening it Maggie said, "Now I don't have to use Cate's school kit!  Aren't you happy Cate??"  A few minutes later Maggie observed, "Now I can be the teacher every time!" 

Ben reading Scooby Doo.

This was a Christmas for Legos as Legos topped both Cate and Ben's wish lists.  We are quickly running out of display place.

Toy Tester

Cece and Grandma read a book

Backpack, backpack.

Uncle Devo and Uncle Mikey teaching Cate how to play cribbage.  We agreed that with all of the math involved that playing cribbage would count toward her math minutes for the week.

Maggie making pop bead jewelry with Grandpa.

Chris with his White Elephant gift.  This year's theme was home decor.  Each decorative item is to be displayed, prominently, in the recipient's home until St. Patrick's Day.  When Chris opened the posted Maggie furrowed her brow and said, "Is it you Dad?"