I hung the mistletoe this week. The boys are not fans. However, the mistletoe is hanging in the hallway, where they must walk under it in order to go to their bedrooms. My new favorite past time is sitting under the mistletoe, and tackling them when they come through. Sure, they flail about, and whine, but eventually I get a kiss on the cheek, and they get to go on their merry way. It's a win-win situation. At one point I asked Hayden for a bedtime kiss. I got one, but he declared 'Ok Mom, but next time I get a mistletoe pass'. They're all getting so big, I'll take what I can get.
We made some arts and crafts this week, Hayden's favorite was the brown paper bag reindeer puppets. This is good because I am making Hayden a puppet theater for Christmas, and I've already wrapped a bunch of puppets for him. He ran around saying his puppet was better than anyone elses, but then later begged Calib to use his too. The hours of entertainment that a kid can get out of a brown paper bag with some pipe cleaners, pom poms, and googly eyes glued to it is amazing. Thursday we made a Christmas Tree out of plant pots. The boys each painted one green, and used a sponge to add some red 'ornaments' to the tree. I later tried to retrieve another pot from the garage for the stem, and hurt my ankle climbing over camping gear. Calib declared me 'out two to three weeks with a high ankle sprain'. It was all for nothing to, because the pot wasn't even in the garage, it was up on the plant shelf- on the island of forbidden toys. This is where toys that have been confiscated go on vacation until they are earned back with random activities. These activities can range from singing I'm a little teapot for a nice you tube video, to cleaning your room. Asa and I are such awesome parents.
Friday was Hayden's student of the month assembly, which I missed. Which, makes me feel like an awful parent, despite my previous paragraph. He told me he was student of the month, but he never brought home the paper. Calib told me he was probably either Author of the month or Mathlete of the month, because they get their pictures too, and there isn't an assembly for those, you just eventually bring home your award. I am so upset about missing it, I don't even want to talk about it- but, I did want to mention that Hayden is student of the month. Yay Hayden!
The boys also went to the holiday store and purchased some things for Christmas. I have no idea what Calib bought, because he can express the self restraint it takes to hide the presents until Christmas. Hayden and Peyton, however, came home and immediately gave presents to me and Asa. It was a bad day, and I was being really hard on myself for missing Hayden's assembly, so I think they did it in part to cheer me up. Hayden got me a cute little bracelet, and Peyton got me a keychain. Calib was apparently at the holiday store the same time as Hayden, and over heard Hayden saying he needed to get something for his sister. Confused, Calib went over to tell Hayden he didn't have a sister. Hayden insisted he did. When Calib got in the car he was telling me the story about this, and Hayden chimed in with 'but I do have a sister'. Equally confused as everyone else, I asked who his sister was and he replied with 'Gwen'. Apparently Hayden needs a run down of family trees.
After the boys got home on Friday, we decided to go see Santa. Now, Hayden is the only Santa-brings presents-believing kid I have left, so I wasn't sure I could convince Peyton and Calib to sit for the annual family Santa Picture, but they actually did- with no complaining. I did bribe everyone with milk shakes at Red Robin, so that may have had something to do with it. Asa then bet me $5 this wouldn't be the last year Calib would sit for a picture, somehow I doubt it. Our timing was perfect to catch the light show at the mall again, and Hayden found the 'snow' just as entertaining the second time around. When we got home we all sat down and watched the Grinch. I think it's really funny the things Peyton picks up on now. Of course he knows those kind of movies are pretend, but then he'll comment on the strangest things. We start up the grinch and Peyton says "wow, that must be a really high altitude, look at that cloud cover".
Saturday we went to get our tree. We usually just go to Target or wherever and pick one up, but this year I found a farm about half an hour from here that you can cut down your own. Granted, these aren't the usual northern christmas trees, but you still get to chop down a tree! We all went out there sporting our Santa hats (with the exception of Asa who decided his warrior hat was just as festive), and settled on an eight footer. Asa chopped it down, and they shook it and wrapped it and even tied it to the top of the car for us. Meanwhile, the boys got to pet baby animals, and run around in the field. I think this will be our new Christmas Tree tradition, it was a lot funner than picking out a tree at Target.
When we got home, we had a hard time getting the tree to stand up without its usual tipping , thank you plant ledge, rope, and hook. You save my ornaments every single year. Oh, and I can't forget you, brick, holding down the fort at the base. I just want to take a second to point out the discussion that happens every year when we take down the tree.
Me: Hey Babe, please don't just jumble all the lights up like that.
Asa: It'll be fine.
Me: Until next year when I have to untangle them.
Asa: It'll be fine.
Fast forward just over 11 months to putting up the tree. And, untangling of lights. After that, we decorated the tree, and as per Sattler family tradition finished up the evening with Chinese food. Then, we watched the always hilarious National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. Super Awesome that the boys are getting old enough to like movies that aren't specifically for kids. It was brought to my attention this week they've never seen Ferris Buelers Day Off. We're going to have to remedy that.
Sunday, oh gosh, Sundays. The day when the Bucs lose, and Asa gets angry about it. But, hello, did anyone see the Tim Tebow game? I gotta say, I had given up hope and got in the bath tub, then realized this thing was totally in reach, and got out of the tub to see the end. He definitely restores my faith in football. Plus, hilarious things about him on twitter when he pulls off the miracle wins. I suspect next week may be the end of the magic, but then again, it is absolutely magical.
We also made candy cane and snowman pizza's on Sunday. It's nothing all that creative, just pizza in the shape of candy canes and snowmen. I love how the shape of something can make it magically taste better to a child. Peyton is not a fan of homemade pizza. But, shape it into something fun and he's totally on board. Same thing with Pancakes- so strange.
I've had my sewing machine out a ton these last few days. I made some elephants and octopus to make sure they were done in time to send out for Christmas. Then I started tackling some of the projects I wanted to get done for the boys for Christmas. I made a table fort for Hayden. It's this slipcover type thing that fits over the table and makes it into a super awesome fort, plus a nice drawstring bag to keep it in. I've also been churning out pajama pants like you wouldn't believe. I found this tutorial:
And I will seriously probably never make another pair of pajama pants any other way. I can get them done in half an hour- and since I bought all kinds of the material when it was $1.49 a yard, and the elastic buy one get one free, It's costing less than $2.50 to make a pair. Ridiculous! I'm thrilled when I can do things on the cheap, so much so I was excited yesterday when I had to whip up another batch of laundry detergent. I will never ever again pay for that stuff.
Anyway, my most impressive project for the week has been the boys Pajama Eater Monsters I have made. This is a combination of two ideas I stumbled across- Stuffed animals that kids can feed their -not quite clean but not dirty enough for the laundry- pajamas to, and then retrieve later. And a website where kids can draw their own monsters, send it in, and have it made into a stuffed animal. I posted Peyton and Hayden's on facebook, so I'll share Calib's here.
Monday we had a snowman race, which was super fun. The boys picked Peyton to turn into a snowman. They had a start line, and a finish line, and had to stop at stations to complete the snowman. If they did it before the Ma-nom-a-nom song was over on you tube, they would be rewarded with hot chocolate. The stops were getting wrapped up like a snowman (in toilet paper--from the dollar store of course, I'm not wasting a roll of Charmin on that), buttons (circles cut from black construction paper), a pipe (made from pipe cleaners), a scarf (red crate paper), and a hat. They completed this before the song was over- but then begged Asa to be the snowman the second go around. That was even more entertaining to watch. I took video- so I'll have to post it on you tube. Pretty funny stuff.
Last, but certainly not least, this week, I'd like to share with you Hayden's Master Plan. Everyday at dinner we talk about what our favorite part of the day was. On Monday, Hayden said his was sitting under the slide, and grabbing kids ankles when they came down so he could scare them. When Asa asked if he got in trouble for it, he replied "Actually, I haven't done it yet. It's my plan for tomorrow'. I saw possible harm in this, but allowed it. The next day at dinner, he told us all about how his plan was successful and named off about seven kids in his class he scared. Peyton couldn't believe they kept falling for it kid after kid. Calib responded with 'those are kindergartners for you'.
Thats it. I have a busy week ahead of me, and have actually written this blog as a two parter- so forgive me if I've repeated myself.
Oh, one more- Award for the funniest misunderstanding this week:
Hayden: Can I sing my vowels?
Asa: Did he just ask if he could drain his bowels?
Next Up: Another doggie birthday party, and ugly Christmas Sweater Parties!
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