2022 Christmas Blanket Fort

The last weekend before Christmas is always a busy one around here. I've tried to prep a lot of things ahead of time, but I still always feel like it's a mad dash. This year, with older kids, though, we were a little slower pace. We spent Saturday hanging out, having monkey bread, and Asa and Hayden went down to the lodge to donate blood.  

We also had some neighbors drop off some gifts. Vince had made these simple tree frames and I told him how much I loved his, so he surprised me by making me my very own. He even provided the lights. Later, Sam dropped off some chocolate for me. It was all very nice. 

We picked the second to last round of lemons. We were trying to save the last few for my mom to pick. 

And I finally got my fabric and made the cover for the second section of the couch. Because of the way it was cut, I had to do it kind of weird though. It bugs me, but nobody else hardly notices. 

On Sunday, Asa and I caught the end of the World Cup, watching Argentina beat France in penelty kicks. 

Of course, it was Sunday, so we had tacos- but we also got around to one of everyone's favorite Christmas games- guess the present (where I wrap some ordinary object, and they have to figure out what it is without unwrapping it). 

I told Hayden we would build the blanket fort when grandma got here, since everyone's sleeping arrangements would be interupted, I was trying to figure out a way to pull out the couch in the fort. That wasn't working, so I suggesting bringing the trundle out. That worked, but I had to figre out somewhere else to put the chair that was in front of the window, so it went up against home school central, but then the fort had to be extended that far. Just trust me, it was a whole thing. But, Hayden and I figured it out and built ourselves one very nice Christmas blanket fort, complete with Christmas star lights. 

Monday was a bit hectic though, because as I was building, Calib was cleaning for grandma's arrival, and Asa was at the vets all afternoon with Ellie. By the time he got home, and Calib went out to get us all Wendy's, mom was nearly here. She arrived in her new car while we were eating and joined us. 

That night we hung out in the fort, watching Christmas stuff. I love a good Christmas blanket fort. The whole thing was born in 2019 when Calib went to Italy and I wanted to do something special for Peyton and Hayden. Then, we did it again in 2020 because, well.. 2020.. and since then, the tradition keeps going. 

In all the madness, I did also get some window cling and use my cricut to cut a grinch out for the Harvison's down the street. I wanted to do one for us, but didn't have a good window, and then Teresea offered up hers. Collin climbed the roof to get it up there, and it looked so good! It has peeled a bit, but I believe it's still hanging on. 

I mentioned Ellie at the vet, and oh my gosh, she has all kinds of stuff. She has a double ear infection, which is also bothering her eye. So, ear drops, eye drops, pain killers and antibiotics for her. They must have felt bad with how much it cost us right before Christmas because they threw in free food that Ellie seemed to like (to take with her pills), and some other free samples. But oh my goodness. 

It did knock her out for a few days, but here we are more than a week out and she seems totally back to her happy normal self! She has her follow up on January 2, so we'll see what they say then (And how much weight she's gained eating all that food). 

Tuesday, with mom here, she took all five Waterstrauts on one of her famous shopping trips. It has been a good year since that happened. 

Afterward, we swung by Wawa for free coffees and she bought her and Peyton milkshakes since they aren't big coffee fans. 

We also stopped by Total Wine and More and stocked up. When the bar area is full, that's how you can tell mom came to visit. 

She also brought with her our cookie box. 

I spent Tuesday evenign wrapping. I made sure to note all the presents Jasmin helped us pick out as from 'mom, dad, and Jasmin', the one she sent just from Jasmin labeled as such. We also had a couple of joint presents for Peyton and Jasmin. I feel so bad she had to go home for Christmas, and we haven't really been able to talk to her or gift her anything. We're looking forward to her getting back to the UK. We miss you, Jasmin! 

Peyton also had special stuff rom Allison- who wass kind enough to get her all kinds of makeup to play around with to see what she likes. I know nothing about any of this, so a big shout out to Aunt Allison for this one. 

At this point we were behind on our Christmas punch board for Christmas bucks, so a couple of times we played multiple games. We had the "do you hear what i hear" game, where they had to put the boxes in order from the most bells in it to the least bells. 

And the guess the cookie game. 

Two points for getting the name right, one point for general cookie description. They're blindfolded, but they can smell, feel, or even taste the cookie if they so choose. 

Asa and I went out to run errands, and came back to see a snake moving real slow outside the garage. It was starting to get cold... though not freezing yet.. and the reptiles around here were moving pretty slow. 

Asa was gifted a fun present from a friend. He's a landowner in Scotland now, and as such is a Lord. 

We also made sure to take advantage of all the good Aroma Joes coupons this week. 

I made a new game where they pulled the string and got whatever was attached to the string. Peyton ended up with 11, Calib got 2. Hayden was somewhere in the middle. 

We also played a new 'don't break the ice' game. You roll two dice, and have to stick that many wholes in your napkin covering your cup, unless there's a 1, then you have to add a candy cane in the middle. When your candy cane (s) falls, you're out. 

This, however, proved to take forever. I did pull puffs plus across the cup, a cheap brand probably would have given way much sooner. 

Eventually we decided you also had to dip your toothpick in water before you broke the ice each time. Then it became a little more challenging. Calib and Peyton tied, Hayden was out first. 

After that, we played another good game everyone enjoys: Yankee Swap. 

Basically, I buy five gifts, wrap them and then we pass them around and unwrap them depending on a dice roll. 

This year I put a picture on canvas. The picture is a picture I took from a painting at my moms house they all find super creepy. It was hilarious when they opened it. I ended up with it, but I was happy with that because now I can plant it all over the house and freak the kids out. 

On the 22nd, we also got to celebrate our Ellie-versary. It had been 7 years since Ellie joined our family, so once again, the dogs got pupcakes. Ellies comes with bacon bit sprinkles, since that's her favorite. 

Thankfully, she's been feeling much better, so she was happy to scarf down her anniversary pupcakes. 

So much so, she took one right off the plate when I was trying to take a picture with her. 

I was just happy to see her that excited about food again. 

The cold weather was starting to come for us, so we did have some chili in the blanket fort to keep us cozy. 

And Asa and I got to wrapping presents. He's hilarious when he tries to wrap stuff, but it's the thought that counts. 

I leave you with a funny picture of Moe, my pig from the Bahamas on my side of the bed, wearing my sleep mask, all tucked in. 

Next up: we're headed out to Enchant in Saint Pete