Trick Or Treat...FOREVER

Even though we're only two months into 1st grade, I feel like Ben has really matured.  Some of the things that come out of his mouth sound very grown-up and he's developing a very cheeky sense of humor.

The other day we were scrambling to get out the door (surprise, surprise...) and one of the kids asked me a question about why I was taking a particular item to the business school.

"Oh," I replied, just wanting them into the car. "It's a long story."

"Start now, finish in the car," was Ben's immediate response, a response which cracked me up at the time because of his nonchalant delivery.

While Ben is often impulsive and probably tunes out much of what I say 80% of the time, there is also evidence that he is listening a lot more closely than I realize.  (Or maybe he just doesn't listen to me...hmmmm).  He seems to pay particularly close attention to what his teacher, Mr. V, says.  And what Mr. V says is pretty much treated like Gospel at our house.

"Mom," Ben said from the back seat of the car earlier this week. "Mr. V. says you can trick-or-treat until you're 18."

"Really?"  I said, a little skeptical of where this conversation is going.

"Yeah, maybe even until you're 19," came the reply.  "You know, because you're technically still a kid."

"Wow"

There is silence while Ben and I both consider the possibility that he still has more than 10 solid years of trick-or-treating ahead of him.

"But I'll probably do it longer than that.  I'll even go when I'm a grown-up," Ben finished.

And more Easter...just because.

Maggie was all business during the St. Pat's Easter egg hunt, kindly suggesting that she would take Cece's candy since Cece is just a baby and shouldn't really eat candy.

Cece was intrigued by the Easter bunny, walked right up to him and happily agreed to have her picture taken.

 

 

The traditional Johnson Easter bunny cake.

After nap with Grandpa Doug

 

 

Our last Easter egg hunt of the day...at the lake with friends.

Easter Egg Prep

Hello Easter Bunny!

Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Hickory Hill Park

(Cece was napping and missed the photo opp!)

Party! Party! Party!

Cate's class party

Cate and friend, Catalina.  Clearly the Fun Dip was a popular Valentine's Day treat in their second grade class.

Valentines Day Tattoos.  (NOTE:  This tattoo is so durable that Ben is still sporting it in the middle of his forehead more than a week later.  I'm sure his teacher is thrilled).

Brotherly love (and the only photo of sweet Cece McGee taken on her very first Valentine's day!)

Ben reads his Valentine from our family.  This year I asked everyone to tell me what they loved about everyone else in our family and made mini-books for the kids.  It is not Pinterest worthy by any stretch of the imagination but all three big kids are sleeping with them by their beds.

Valentine Love

Candy rockets

Rainbow Loom bracelets

Unique, one-of-a-kind hearts (plus M&Ms)



We managed to make Valentines for three classes this year.  It was a small miracle that we got them all completed, and I will admit we glued the last Hershey's Kiss to the Lifesaver rocket at about 8:27pm on February 13.

It's a good thing we started working on these in mid-January...

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

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)