I promise that TOMORROW there will be Sunday School pageant video but today you have to suffer through pictures and some Lisa babble. Anyway…

Today was the Christmas pageant and it went marvellously! First off Trinity chose NOT to go up… she did, however, sit in the very front pew with her Grandpa Mike. Gavin was a terrific Joseph who eventually got bored… Zander sang his little heart out at the very TOP of his lungs AND waved at everyone (wish I had gotten a picture of that!) and Emanuel shushed with the best of them! We were all VERY proud!

Hugs from Grandpa

With Emanuel's friend

We had our luncheon at the church first where the kids had a blast sitting at a different table and meeting other parishioners. Some of our family came to enjoy the event as well! Cousin Veronika with her Adam and her folks (my Aunty Lorraine and Uncle Ken) were right on time, and then Grandma and Grandpa Mike! YAY! Echo was wide awake in her Christmas finery. She wore Trinity’s first Christmas dress… it is closer to fitting… sort of! 

With headband

With cousin

Echo spent some of the program crawling around and entertaining some of the people at the ends of the pews… she really does enjoy the sanctuary… sound echos (ha ha) AND lots of crawl room! 

Floor time

After we enjoyed the pageantry it was time to say good bye to some of the relatives and then head back to home where Grandma and Grandpa Mike came and hung out for a while. They brought a special gift – a magic key for Santa for him to get into our place on Christmas Eve (after all we have a chimney but it is blocked off and the couch in front of it!). 

Key

Trinity was not interested in being an angel… she saw the 3 Kings’ crowns and wanted to be a PRINCESS! Her teacher was so sweet… took her to the craft supplies and made her a shiny pipecleaner crown! Which she wore ALL DAY! So if you ask her, she was NOT an angel – she was a PRINCESS!

Pre-crown cutie

It was finally time for Chris and Chris to open their present… they seemed to like everything! And now I can share my picture of my very first wing holding owls! 

Opening presents

Together in love

Now I have a new deadline – I want to have ALL my gifts done by Wednesday so I can truly enjoy the final countdown to Christmas. I have almost done it with a short list of items to be completed. And for our Advent video… who doesn’t love the Muppets???

My family!

CHRIS B!!! Who sent me a lovely email asking to be entered into the draw as my number THREE entry!!! I will send you out an email asking for your Feltie idea! Thank you for entering everyone! I had 11 entries on my very first draw! Friends, family, people from near and far! I feel very thankful for all the comments on the site and in emails as well as all the interest my blog has had over the years. I look forward to continuing on with it! 

We have begun our week on much the same note as we ended it. Some resistance to working on school things but the willingness is there! We had a peptalk before bed on Sunday about how if we DO get all our work done in a timely manner there WILL be more time for fun! And I was right. The boys both worked on pages in their reading and math books successfully before going onto a Michaels buy. Mini activity books with a Christmas theme. There was 6 in the pack and they should be ok for Emanuel to do as well so I am limiting them to a book a week which will hopefully slow them down on the rushing through. 

Workbook time

Sunday was a special day for Trinity – she got herself a brand new (to her) bike! It needs a bolt for the one training wheel and I am debating some paint and Gavin suggested brightly coloured tassels so I have some searching to do to find the best way to make those in a way that will be weather resistant. Thank you Freecycle! Though by the same merit, a lady dropped off a box of clothing for the twins that they said were size 7/8 and then up to 14. Well… I really didn’t see any 7/8 and their 14 yr old must be a TALL boy! So I am planning on holding onto them for now and then if she does not contact me I will pass them along! 

Bike!

I have been working on MORE bows and now a new craft project – though thankfully meant for Christmas presents! Of course, felt and rather a quick stitch! You can follow the instructions HEREand make your own… though they are NOT for resale.

Done so far

I have a stitching completion after WAY too long – an ornament – well it is now (the pattern originally calls to make it a pin). I am not sure who will get it for Christmas but I have decided it was way too much fun to create to keep for myself… This one had more assembly than my santas… I had to attach the hat and tree! 

COMPLETION!

We are at work on our November letter package to head off to my brother-in-law overseas. This one has a much more winter/Christmas flavour. So far Trinity drew him a picture on her favourite purple paper, Emanuel made him a Christmas card printed off of here and the twins are each writing a letter with a picture. I have to write up my letter before we send it and I think the kids want to make him a small gift… Maybe a bracelet or something? 

One thing that IS making me very happy is how much Zander and Gavin WANT to play with their siblings, suggesting they play trains in Emanuel’s bedroom… later working with Echo to teach her new things (Emanuel did this too!). She is one lucky baby to have so many teachers! 

Building with Echo

With lots of gaming time yesterday and my crafting today… I have quite the mess to tidy tonight. But I think that the past few days have been GOOD days! I am hoping we continue an upwards trend! 

Sitting pretty

It was Remembrance Day today. This year has special significance to our family as my new brother-in-law Adam is overseas for 6 months. So please keep a special thought/prayer in your heart for him and his safety. He will be gone over Christmas leaving my sister Kat alone in the south. This comes quite soon after their wedding day and we cannot get down to her to visit. Please remember all in the military! Regardless of how you feel about current world events these individuals are amazing people who have sacrificed a lot to ensure that the world is a safer place. 

So yesterday apparently being told that since you did NOT follow simple instructions and do your schoolwork without grumbling you would NOT be getting your allowance today was grounds for a major full out screaming old fashioned temper tantrum. Well only if your name is Gavin. That was actually a huge surprise as he is usually my level headed boy who understands that behaviours have consequences. We simply had to have him yell himself out a bit in his bedroom (with the door closed as of course this occurs during naptime for Emanuel and Trinity), and then go downstairs and talk to Daddy. With Ken swamped with work lately we are all feeling the lack of Kenny time. 

The 4 kids DID manage some somewhat peaceful quality time working on Emanuel’s Thomas Mega Blocks trainset on his bed. I love it when they can all work together on something, there was chatter about the adventures the trains were on, the town they drove through…

Train set

We read our snowflake library books. Two of which were based on Wilson A. Bentley and his snowflake photographs. We drew our own snowflakes on black paper to look like his negatives and included a quote: No two snowflakes are alike. Gavin did a whole mini book of his own snowflakes to include in his snowflake lapbook. 

So pretty!

Today was a special day for the twins, they got to go to the Agri-trade show with their Uncle Wayne! So that meant we ALL had to be up and them ready by 9 am, early for our family. Since only the twins could go (handful they are and his truck can only hold so many) the little ones and I had our morning to ourselves. We started with popcorn and the jumperoo…

Popcorn

And moved swiftly into painting. There were some fridge magnet kits though the paint included in those was dried rock solid. Thank goodness we have a large  variety of colours, though I noticed my yellow is getting low. Trinity went one step further and did a painting as well… so of course baths followed! 

Painting together

Painting on paper

Last night I opened up my Etsy store! I haven’t posted much but it is a start! I need to get Ken to make me a logo and post up a few more items but I am starting small. Etsy charges 20 cents per post so I don’t want to go hugely into the hole and then find out I can sell nothing! So please click the link above and take a look… suggestions welcome, sales even more so! I have put the shipping low so far and will see how items go. I want to try and charge as close to what it costs me to ship as possible. 

Today was full of fun with friends… Trinity, Echo and I went out with Kathy and Karyn shopping for post potty training Kitty booty. She picked out socks (knee!) and a necklace/bracelet set (pictures to follow). Then there was the food court and Edo Japan (ok Arby’s curly fries for the picky Trinity) and then Michaels for a bit more shopping (oops). 

At the mall

Wore her out!

The twins had an amazing time with their uncle. They came back with a whole bunch of booty, memories and stories to tell… oh and yoyos. Again pictures to follow as after a fun day out I am too lazy to take pictures of all the goodies!!!

Oh and the most awesome of friends kept me company even into tonight! We had Little Caesar’s for cheap food… and chatting was done… and now I have to post this silly entry before I forget!!! Remember to go back to this entryand enter the draw! 

YAY company!