Christmas Eve

A walk inspired some art.

Reindeer food was made and scattered.

Cookies, milk and a marshmallow were set out for Santa.  Sydney wrote a note to Santa to make sure he likes marshmallows.

She set up shop to do a bit more writing.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Keep smiling...

The pictures just kept right on coming over the Fort Worth weekend.

Baby Jake

He was a fun guy to take pictures of.  He didn't move :o)

Fort Worth Christmas

We celebrated Christmas in Fort Worth the weekend before Christmas.

There was a new addition this year, cousin Jake!

There was dancing. 

 Tights + wood floors + Christmas music = perfect combo for dancing.

There was present opening...with lots of great faces.

A little bit of gambling.  Starting early...

Date with Daddy

Sydney and Eric went to the Houston Symphony to enjoy a Christmas show.

They paused for a few pictures before they left.

Holiday Program and Santa's Visit

The kids had their school holiday program this month.  They performed together and sang 5 songs.  

Sydney enjoyed the lime light.  Performing is her forte.  

She had some sassy bell ringing and dancing.

Posing for pictures.  Let me clarify.  She is not just posing for me.  She made sure everyone had a chance at a photo.

Santa was also there so this is where we visited him this year.

Christmas Cookies

Awhile back in December we made Christmas cookies.  I love to eat sugar cookies but secretly I dread making them.  This year to spice up the process I found these guys...

I did not know that the eyes had to be put on AFTER baking so we had these come out with melted eyeballs.  They pretty much looked like empty eye sockets.  Real appetizing. 

Dear Tooth Fairy...

The first tooth has been lost!!  You have no idea how much I have been dreading this period of Scott's life.  He is not the best when it comes to pain, blood, or anything along those lines.  I was afraid he was going to starve himself when teeth were loose.  I mean if he has a cut on his finger his entire arm from the shoulder down is useless.  So 1 down, 19 more to go.

November 30th he suddenly jumped up and shouted, "It's gone!"

And sure enough it was gone.  Gone where?  We don't know.

That night was a popcorn night.  Do you know how many popcorn crumbs there were around?!

 Is this a tooth?  No.

 Nope not here either.

Really I could show you quite the collection of white things resembling teeth but I'm a little embarrassed that there was so many and I think you get the picture.

So instead of a tooth he wrote a letter to the tooth fairy to put under his pillow complete with a germ buster sticker on the envelope.

She left him $1 and some chocolate coins along with her note.  

Beginning Reader

This guy is reading :o)  Nothing too difficult but it's pretty fun to see him learn.

Sometimes the mood strikes him to practice.  Here he was actually writing sentences with his sight words.

It was something like...Scott said no.  Go to the can.  Yes, I will.  And then something about a ninja.

The ninja got him thinking...Hmmm...I'll write a book.  He rushes off to staple some pages together.

He writes the title.  Well almost.  

He wrote an A at the end instead of an O for Ninjago and I tried to fix it but he didn't like it 

so... the moment was over.  

The Actual 4th Birthday

Sydney's actual birthday, November 18th, had it's ups and downs.

Downs: Scott was getting over being sick.  Scott does not like ice cream.  Sydney was starting to get sick.

Ups: Tylenol made grumpy, feverish children "normal."

I took Scott shopping for Sydney the day before...

This package was from mommy and daddy.  It was sitting wrapped on my nightstand for a few days before her birthday.  It is a camera and it was taken out of the package before it was wrapped.  She picks the package up one night and says, "I know what this is!"  She puts it down and she goes off skipping and singing, "I'm getting a cell phone, I'm getting a cell phone."  

Apparently she's going to be very disappointed in future years.

So that was the morning.  Everyone looks happy and healthy.  Fast forward to the evening skipping the fevers, complaining about having to get ice cream, very short trip to the ice cream shop and here we are.  Sydney asked, "When am I going to blow out the candles on my cake?"

Well I was not aware there was going to be a cake.  I didn't think she liked cake.  

Really am I saying these things...one doesn't like ice cream, the other doesn't like chocolate or cake??

She thought candles in her leftover ice cream from the ice cream shop was a fantastic idea so here we are.

Before eating it was sliced (like cake) and dished out for all to enjoy.