Indoor Soccer

Chris put together an indoor soccer team for Maggie. We both thought it would be great for her for the winter time. She has two cousins, Grace and Makayla, playing with her. They are getting killed each game so far, but they are working hard. (They are playing comp teams that have played for years together and this is their very first game together.)

Christmas Day Continued...

After our festivities Christmas morning, we headed to Chick and Dianne's house for breakfast with our little family. We stayed for a couple hours enjoying them and then headed back to our house to play with toys and get my other food items cooked for the dinner at my parent's house. We spent the whole evening at their house with all of my siblings and their families. It was a very full house, but fun. We had a little program that evening after we opened presents. The program was nice. My sister, Lisa, and her family are very musically talented. It was a nice ending to a very great Christmas Day. (I know I didn't get a picture of everyone, but here are a few.)

Christmas Day

Christmas morning came later than expected. Last year Maggie woke us up at 4 a.m and then every hour on the hour until we gave in at 7:00 a.m. This year she slept in until 7:20 a.m. The kids are at perfect ages--we think that every year. It was just so exciting for them. Everyone got lots of stuff--too much in fact--but we sure loved watching their faces light up. Christmas is just a magical time. I love it!!

Christmas Eve

We spent Christmas Eve at my parents this year. We had 4 out of the 6 siblings there with their families. It was a fun evening: watching The Christmas Story, chatting, acting out the Nativity with Maggie as Mary, Travis as Joseph, Kristen as the donkey, Allie as the Angel, Ethan as a shepherd, Cooper, Tyson, & Tate as wisemen, and Shane and Caden as camels. We sang lots of Christmas songs and of course ate lots of food. It was a fun evening together.

The evening didn't end there. We headed home for our own Christmas Eve traditions of opening Mom and Dad presents (pajamas) and our kids' presents to each other. Each of them were so excited over the presents they received and gave to each other. It was fun to watch. They also put out the cookies and pop for Santa and placed their stockings for Santa to find. As we were heading to bed, Allie exclaimed that she forgot to put the oats out for the reindeer. She stood at the front door while I sprinkled the oats out. They were all very excited, but went to bed exceptionally well--lots of threats were issued.

Cooper can tie his shoes!

Cooper asked me yesterday if I would teach him how to tie his shoes. Sure thing. I showed him once and he had it. I went to his class today to help with their reindeer party and saw him tying his shoes, so I tried to get an action shot but got him as he had just finished. Cute boy!

The Hislop Christmas Eve Party--without Rudolph

Santa was a little late getting to the Hislops this year. It was foggy and he left Rudolph at home, so he couldn't quite find the right house. We expected him about 6:00 p.m. but he didn't get there until 7:00. After a few phone calls, we found that he made an unexpected visit to another family party down the street. He did the whole Santa visit with another family thinking he was at the Hislops. They paid him and everything, so he got two gigs that night instead of one. It was a little frustrating at first when he was a no show, but now it is quite humorous.

We had a fun evening with all of the family--minus Elynn's. Elynn had us and gave us the Christmas countdowns, a travel activity book, and lots of movies. G & G gave the kids new church clothes and books. The kids loved all of their gifts from the family.

We had Lance and Teresa's family and I shopped and sewed hard for them. Lance and Chick each got a real dagger and mace. Teresa got springform pans and a new faucet. Miles got a snowboard sled, bow and arrow set, and sweatshirt, and Tanah and Grace got a dance video game, sheep kits and a sheep banner for their 4H stall . It was a beast to sew but turned out cute.

"You better watch out..."

I had an errand to run today at the mall in Layton. Allie was my little buddy. I had to exchange a Garfield calendar for Chris. After we finished the exchange, Allie asked if she could go see Santa. Of course we had to go see Santa. He was a very authentic looking Santa Claus in a beautiful setting. (The above picture is from preschool. I didn't have the camera at the time.) She waited her turn and walked very confidently up to him and sat in his lap. They had their little conversation and all of a sudden, Allie broke into a beautiful rendition of "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town." She sang the whole song for him. After she finished, Santa exclaimed in his very Santa voice, "That made my day!" He gave her a big hug and she left with a big grin. I think Allie is living in a musical.

Cooper's 6!

Cooper turned six today! He had a morning pajama birthday party with 13 five and six year old boys in attendance. Coop wanted a breakfast birthday with a Skateboard theme. We had bacon, eggs, donuts, juice, chocolate milk, skateboard pinata filled with candy, and a chocolate skateboard cake with ding dong wheels. The cake didn't get eaten--the boys were too full! It was a fun birthday party for him. Miles, his cousin, was able to spend the night with him too. Grandma and Grandpa Davidson came over for pizza, cake, and presents that night-- G & G Hislop weren't able to come because Grandpa Hislop had a knee replacement surgery two days before that, but we're going there tomorrow. Happy birthday my boy!!

WSU has reindeer!

Jennilyn, our cousin, works for WSU and was in charge of getting Santa and some reindeer to visit there. We went and visited with Blitzen and Snowflake, a couple of Santa's reindeer. Cooper loved it as did Maggie, but Allie would have nothing to do with those reindeer. The kids also got to make an ornament and a reindeer cookie. Fun event. Thanks JL.

"Santa Claus is Comin' to Town!"

Maggie had her Christmas recital and did wonderfully! She played her song with gusto and with very few flaws. Her piano teacher, Ruth, does such a great job with her and is so cute to our Maggie. Very proud parent moment.

The Bowling Allie

Allie had a preschool activity at the bowling alley and we had such a fun time together. She bowled an 84. She would jump up and down when the ball would knock even a couple down. Santa came later and she was the first to sit on his lap. Fun date with Mommy!

Christmas Lights at Temple Square

After we went Christmas tree hunting in Park City, the kids and I headed to Salt Lake with my mom and met my brother and his family for a dinner at Pat's BBQ and then to Temple Square to see the lights. It was COLD!! We kind of ice skated around seeing the lights. Once again, we missed having Chris with us, but it was a fun evening out.

Oh Christmas Trees!

We headed up to Park City today with the other Hislops and the Noels for our annual "find a Christmas tree" extravaganza thanks to the Osguthorpes. We really missed Chris this year because he was in Chicago for work, but were thankful for Teresa, Grace, Miles, Wright, DeAnn, and Wright's truck in coming up with us. We came away with 4 trees total--2 for our household.

Soap in the mouth

Allie chose to use some naughty, potty-mouth words the other day. We had had it and said she would get her mouth washed out with soap to get all of the naughty words out of her mouth--"hate, kill, hell, throw you in the garbage"--were a few. We took her up to our bathroom and used a bar of Irish Spring and rubbed it on her tongue a few times. There were lots of tears, but we followed through. After the ordeal, she rinsed and brushed her teeth to get the soapy taste out. Well, I am happy to report, the soap must have done the trick, because no bad words have come out of her clean little mouth since--and that was three days ago.