Merry Times

I heard on the radio last week the difference between happy and merry.  Happy can involve luck, but is generally related to satisfaction and contentment.  Merry is marked by festivity or high spirits.  So, I feel like merry is a more fitting word to use to describe our holidays this year.  There was A LOT going on between December 21 and December 25, but we still managed to be merry (for the most part).

It started Friday night with El Monstero for the parents and a fun night at home watching movies and playing video games for the kids (this is a big treat for them).

Then, we opened gifts with Nana and Papa at our house on Saturday. It was a very relaxed and enjoyable visit.  The kids are even getting old enough now that while they played with some of their new toys, the adults got to sit and talk for a bit without constantly interruptions. 

We headed to Greenville on Sunday for time with the York clan to celebrate both Christmas and my grandparents' 70th wedding anniversary.  It was a long day, but it was an amazing milestone to celebrate for them.  If Billy and I are married 70 years we'll be 93 and 92! It was sad that my aunt Cathy couldn't be with us, so my Uncle Mike got out the iPad so she could still be present when we opened gifts, even if it was with video. I love how technology is keeping us connected even when we can't all physically be in the same place!

On Christmas Eve, we opened gifts with my parents and my brother's family.  It was so much fun, in part because of our matching Christmas pajamas. The most memorable moment of that day was when Audrey and Barrett both opened Lego sets at the same time, and Fletcher wanted one.  My mom handed him another gift to open, and when he saw it wasn't Legos, he pushed it away and said, "I don't want this. I want a Lego set."  My mom then provided a gift that was a Lego set, and then he went on happily opening his other gifts.  It was hilarious, but also a bit concerning to see how stubborn he can be!

Christmas day, we got up and went to Billy's grandmas. That is always a wonderful time, and often feels too short because most people have to leave right after lunch to head to other Christmas celebrations. Fletcher had a great time playing with the box to a toy Barrett got.  He seriously laughed so hard he got out of breath and had to lay down (in the box of course) for a few minutes to catch his breath! We also iced the gingerbread cookies Audrey and I made for everyone to enjoy.  The kids did a great job of decorating them!

When we got home on the afternoon of Christmas day, we opened gifts at home with just the 5 of us.  While we didn't get the kids a dog this year (that ones always going to be the top of the list...at least for Audrey), we did manage to surprise them with gifts they really love and have played with constantly since Christmas.

Audrey got her Truly Me American Girl doll she's been wanting for some time. The hair is just a bit darker than hers, but the eyes, freckles, and earrings are all spot on.

Barrett got a game that helps him practice is hockey puck handling skills.  Not surprisingly, the competition is fierce and everyone is taking turns trying to beat each other (even Fletcher...sort of).

Fletcher got several paw patrol toys, including a little tent for his bed. That gift really was a win/win because he willingly climbs into his tent bed for naps and bedtime now!

All in all, it was a great Christmas.  I feel so very blessed to have so many family members nearby that we get to spend time with over the holidays.  I am also so lucky to have 3 wonderful children who, while extremely spoiled, still enjoy the magic of the holidays and the time with family over the gifts they bring home...well, except the dog that they all still love dearly, even if he's a huge pain sometimes. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

So Much to Do...And So Much We've Done!

The past few weeks have been packed with tons of activities.  Barrett actually said to me as we were driving home for the final time yesterday that he felt like all we did was drive around all day.  Then, I asked him what I keep trying to ask myself, "Would you rather have just stayed home all day?"  And the answer, as expected, was a quick, aggressive, "NO."  Then, we took a few minutes to recount all of the people we got to see and fun we had.  In that spirit, this post is going to recount some of the awesome events and activities of the past few weeks.

Audrey's Dance Recital came earlier than normal this year, but that was actually very helpful. It was the weekend before Thanksgiving, so we didn't have to rearrange other holiday events around it.  Audrey did a fantastic job.  It has been fun to watch her grow as a dancer over the years.

  

The Piano Recital for Audrey and Barrett was the weekend after Thanksgiving.  Nothing gets one in the Christmas spirit like hearing your child learn tp play a Christmas song on the piano, measure by measure, starting in October. This year it was Deck the Halls and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. I love the recitals for many reasons. It makes me so proud to see them perform because I know of all the hard work and nerve management that went into those performances.  It is such an amazing gift to be able to give my children this opportunity to learn to play!

Hockey...always hockey every weekend in between all of the other things. Barrett plays and the other kids watch.  I think that's all I need to say about that right now.

Advent Crafting was a fun activity that Audrey and I did together at our church.  She is much more crafty than I am, so I let her do the heavy lifting.  I basically just carried her creations for her. She clearly got those skills from her dad!

We launched rockets with the kids' Lego League teams two weeks ago since the projects this year are focused on space exploration.  We had a couple of mishaps, but in the end we managed to successfully shoot off and retrieve both the boys and the girls rockets.

The Slalom Holiday Party was a nice break or Billy and I to spend some time together without the kids.  The theme was Age of Innovation (think Great Gatsby), so we went all out. I was really pleased with how our outfits turned out.  We looked like we just stepped out of a 1920s speakeasy.

We did Christmas with the Kirchers (my  mom's family) last weekend.  Unfortunately, I was so caught up in chatting and enjoying the company, that I took no pictures.  Seriously...I took none.  Not even bad ones.  It was great to see everyone though. For a few years, we only had one or two small kids, but now we have a bunch (7 under 10 to be exact).  It is so much fun to see them play together!

Parent Participation Week at Audrey's dance school was a little fun thrown in the mix on a week night last week.  I only went to 1 of the 3 technique classes she attends each week, but one was enough for me. Even though I work out a few times a week, I was still sore after the dance class.  I definitely have a lot more respect for how tired Audrey is when she gets home after dance!

Basketball has also started up again for Barrett. He has one practice and one game a week, but with everything going on, it has been tough to make it to all of them.   His speed has improved since last year as has his hand eye coordination.  He has pretty good hustle too; I think he gets that from the hockey.

The St. Louis Symphony did a Home alone concert, and Billy and Audrey went on a double father-daughter date with some friends.  Even though I am slightly jealous, I am glad they got to spend the time together to enjoy one of the best soundtracks of all time played live.

And Fletcher, well, he just gets dragged to all of the different activities.  He is starting to be more assertive about when he wants to go, and when he doesn't.  At least he's still small enough I can carry him (barely)! He's also pretty good at finding ways to entertain himself once we're there.

We've got 8 more days to go until the big event, and there will be plenty more festivities to enjoy between now and then.  Here's to staying merry and focusing on the wonderful gifts God has given us!   

Christmas Spirit

It seems like every year I have a post sometime during the month of December talking about how I am trying to get into the Christmas spirit.  I write about my desire to slow down and enjoy the season and not get so caught up in the business of it all. I always say it, and I always try, and I always do...well...ok...ish.

This year is no different.  Billy has been traveling every week for work.  The kids have activities basically every day of the week (ok, only 5 out of 7). All of the normal holiday activities and events are scattered throughout the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  There is the dog that wants to chew on trees presents ornaments tree skirts garland bows all of the Christmas things. I have to admit, it's a lot and it is starting to stress me out just typing the list!

But, this year, I am trying to take a slightly different perspective.  Why?  Because I can't slow down enough to soak up every moment and embody the Christmas spirit the way that all of the sappy Christmas movies make me think I should.  Instead, I am trying to do a better job of enjoying the hustle and bustle and infusing fun where I can. I guess you could say I am just learning to embrace the chaos and keep things simple. Making the last minute run for something at Target with tired, crabby kids in tow is much more interesting when you act like you are in mission impossible and walk quickly through the store, ducking around the isles. The kids and other shoppers think I am crazy, but I'd rather be crazy and having fun than be crazy mad, yelling at my arguing kids.

I am also embracing online shopping like never before. I used to try to take each child one on one so they could pick out gifts for each other because I wanted to enjoy that one on one time with each of them. It was nearly impossible to find that time to do that though, and the older they get and the more activities they're in, the harder it is.  So, this year, I just had one come to the computer at a time to pick something out on Amazon.  What I've discovered there is that they also are more thoughtful about the gifts because they can't just walk down the isles looking at stuff to get ideas.

I've also been trying on some new traditions for size. For one, I ordered us all matching Christmas pajamas this year.  The kids absolutely love them.  In fact, I caught Barrett pulling his out of the dirty clothes to wear them again. I am not sure if it is because they are soft and warm (because they are), or if it is because they secretly like wearing matching clothes (although none will admit to it, except maybe Fletcher).  So, tonight we all put on our pajamas before dinner, and after dinner, we watched a Christmas movie together.  It is simple and uncomplicated, but the kids loved it.  I enjoyed having both of my boys curled up in my arms while Audrey and Tripper snuggled with their dad.  I hope it's just the beginning of a long-lasting tradition (as long as Billy will tolerate the matching family pajamas). And it wasn't enjoyable because it was perfect or complicated.  In fact, it was so simple that it almost doesn't seem like it's worth mentioning. But, that's the beauty of it.  And that's what I need to do more of. I want to embrace the beauty of the Christmas spirit that exists in the smallest moments, not just the big ones.

So, here's to a fabulous Christmas 2018 and all of the crazy, chaotic, small, lovely moments that it will bring into our lives!

Chitty Chatty

When Audrey and Barrett started talking, I was so happy.  They could finally communicate what they wanted and needed instead of just screaming.  I felt so much better able to help meet their needs. It totally changed parenting for me...for the better.

Fletcher started talking right on target with development for his age.  It was also a lot of fun to see him learn to communicate verbally.  The way he mispronounces words or calls multiple things the same name (i.e. boat) has been just adorable.  But now, he NEVER STOPS TALKING!!!  I am pretty sure that every thought that comes into his head he feels the need to say out loud. And when he says it, he keeps repeating it until you acknowledge that you've heard what he's saying.

At times, this makes me want to scream.  At others, I use it to my advantage, because he also likes to repeat things.  So, we've been teaching him some fun things so that he'll look cool in front of his friends (and ours).  Here's one sample of one of the latest things we've taught him. Enjoy!

Snow Day

Yesterday, the forecasts were all predicting a good amount of snow last night and today.  Given the track record for these types of things actually happening, I was extremely skeptical. As we were going to bed last night, the two older children were extremely hyper.  I realized that Audrey had found some list online of how to increase your chances of getting a snow day, and the two of them were sneaking around doing it.  They wore their pajamas backwards, put a spoon under their pillows, and put an orange by the window.  I was chuckling the entire time.  Barrett was all about it, but Audrey was trying to hide that she was doing it.  

But then, it actually happened.  We got several inches of snow overnight and into today. My children can claim responsibility, but I am not sure how putting an orange by the window helped at all.  

Nonetheless, the kids ended up having a fun day.  While I shoveled the driveway first thing this morning, they played in the snow.  They built snowmen and went over to the park to play.

Since I was shoveling the driveway, the kids did the snowmen primarily by themselves, and they did a great job.  I still love the snowmen making kits that they got as gifts for Christmas a few years back!  We don't always get to use them, so it was awesome that we were able to get them out so early in the season this year! 

When the kids went to the park, they got creative.  I thought slides were fun anyway, but I guess they are more fun when you can land in a pile of snow. 

Fletcher didn't quite know what to make of the snow. At first, he was afraid to walk in in.  After a bit, he got more comfortable and would walk in it holding my hand.  The whole time though he was just excited to be out in the falling snow taking it all in.  At one point he was following me on the driveway while I was shoveling just repeating, "It snowing." 

The dogs had to get into the action too.  All day, Tripper just wanted to be outside frolicking in the snow.  After the first time I let the dogs out, I noticed that Stella was more covered in snow than Tripper, even though he was the one running around like crazy.  After the second time I let them out, I realized that was because Tripper was running up and practically sliding into her, giving her a face full of snow each time.  She didn't seem to mind though.  

After playing outside until we were pretty cold, the kids came back inside and had some nice warm hot chocolate.  I even had the kind with marshmellows in it to make it extra tasty.  The funniest part is that Fletcher refused to try it.  He just wanted a cup of milk.

We finished off the day with a movie after dinner.  The snow got the kids in the Christmas spirit, so we had to watch a Christmas movie.  And, since dad wasn't home, I let them! 

All in all, I think the kids had a pretty fun snow day.  The fact that it's already snowing like this in November makes me a little bit nervous for the rest of the season, but maybe by the end of it we'll all get better at building snowmen.  

Crazy Nance Fam Travels: Part 3

It has taken me a while to get to this last post about our vacation.  It seems like such a long time ago, and it hasn't even been a month!

After visiting Universal and the cruise, we made a stop at Kennedy Space Center.  With Audrey's recent interest in all things space, it seemed like the perfect ending to an already amazing trip. It was a really hot day, so we were glad there were a lot of indoor activities to keep us entertained.

When we got there, we noticed that they had the Astronaut chat starting in a few minutes, so we headed straight there.  Jerry Ross was the speaker, and the kids were hooked.  Audrey even asked to buy the book he wrote (and not the kids version).  She's been reading it and is now full of random space facts.  Don't try to tell her the first person or first American in space was Neil Armstrong!

The highlight of the day was getting to see the space shuttle Atlantis.  The way they do the video and give you the context of what you're looking at before you go in was awesome.  I am not sure who was more impressed by the shuttle itself though...Billy or the kids.

The last activity we did was the bus tour.  That included a visit to exhibit on the Apollo missions and moon walks.  Audrey was excited to see a real life Saturn 5 rocket, although we had to go over with her a couple of times why the one she was looking at had never been launched.  It blew her mind that they'd just use up and dispose of the entire rocket every time!

After our visit to KSC, it was time to head home. The flight home was relatively uneventful...thank goodness!

The sweetest part about the trip home was how disappointed the kids were that we didn't get home in time to pick up the dogs that day.  We had to wait until the next day because the boarding place was already closed.  The kids were still extremely excited to be home and in there own beds.  None of them wanted to admit it, but there were no arguments whatsoever about bath and bedtime that night. I guess that's the sign of a good vacation.  It's fun while you're there, but it's also great to get home! 

Tricks and Treats

This past week was a bit crazy.  It was our second week back from vacation, and there was a ton going on!  Most of the festivities centered around the fun and excitement of Halloween.

We ended up skipping the kids' Trunk or Treat at school because of the soggy weather.  It came in about a week and a half ago, and it hasn't let up since for more than just a couple of hours.  The next night, Billy and I went to an '80s themed Halloween party.  We ran to target about an hour before the party started and threw our costumes together.  I was pretty pleased with the outcome, and now I have an awesome Miami Vice t-shirt that I can wear any time I want!

The night of Halloween, we went over to the house of some friends in a nearby subdivision.  They have kids the same ages as our 2 older ones, which always works out well.  There were other families from their school that came too, which made it a lot of fun. The kids got a ton of candy and even some juice boxes, which were a great idea!

Audrey has reached that age where she isn't all that excited about dressing up, which was really tough for me to handle.  She ended up going as a rock star, which turned out surprisingly well. She was complete with purple hair and a leather jacket! Barrett is still always wants to be some sort of super hero, so he mixed it up this year by being Captain America.  Fletcher has a new found love of Paw Patrol, so Chase was a logical choice for him.

We had an awesome time, even if the pictures aren't that great.  It was hard to get the kids to all hold still and look at the camera at the same time! Audrey and Barrett did a great job with their jokes; they're really starting to figure that out.  Fletcher couldn't quite do the jokes yet, but when you look as cute as he does, people will give you candy anyway!

Crazy Nance Fam Travels: Part 2

Two days of lots of walking and waiting in lines at Universal had us ready to head to the cruise ship and relax for the second leg of our trip. We climbed aboard the Enchantment of the Seas in Port Canaveral and set sail. 

We were joined by our parents (all of them) my brother, my niece, my sister-in-law and her mom. It was a big group, but we managed to balance togetherness time with time apart.  The kids loved having their whole family there.  Especially after 3 days of just us, I think they were ready to spend some time with other people. Although, there were several people that saw us on the ship that totally understood why our t-shirts said Team Chaos. 

Our room had a great balcony, so we spent a lot of time out there, including meals.  Room service was included, and it was easier to manage the kids through a quick meal on the balcony than to sit through dining room service. And, who doesn't love to eat a meal staring at the beautiful ocean? 

Our first port was Coco Cay in the Bahamas, which is Royal Caribbean's private Island.  It was amazing! 

Fletcher got to swim in the ocean for the first time.

And so did my niece Macie. 

All of the kids had fun playing in the sand and swimming.

And the adults had fun relaxing in the water and enjoying the delicious drinks they had for us.

We were also fortunate to see a real, live conk.  I wasn't expecting it to come out of its shell when I lifted it up, but we did get some good photos in the process.

The next day, we were in Nassau, Bahamas.  We spent the day on a Blue Lagoon beach and then went back to walk around and do some shopping in Nassau.  The kids loved this beach even more, because it was more secluded and so there were less fish and other animals around (sharks and jellyfish specifically).  It still took Barrett a while before he wanted to be in the water, and by then it was time to go back to the ship.  Fletcher needed a nap, and naps were definitely a challenge when we were at the beach all day.

Barrett and I did some paddleboard and kayaking.  He loves doing it at lake of the Ozarks, and in the Lagoon, the water was pretty still so I wasn't as worried about him not being able to make his way back.

The boat ride to and from the ship was also a great experience.  Fletcher took his nap there on the way home, and it was great to see some of the Bahamian Islands from the water.  The water is just so clear and has so many shades of blue.  We even saw some dolphins jumping while we were cruising along.

Audrey was a bit overwhelmed by the shopping.  The bartering back and forth really made her uncomfortable, so after just a little shopping for some souvenirs, we headed back to the ship.

The last day we spent on the ship.  The kids swam in the pool, the adults enjoyed a few cocktails, and we all had dinner together. It was fun to watch Macie and Fletcher "play together," even if that was really just them being side by side playing in the water. Audrey and Barrett both got some one on one time with different people too, which is always great to see.  It doesn't get much better than fun in the sun with family!

All in all, we really enjoyed the cruise.  The kids want to know when we're doing it again. I want to know when we're doing an adult-only version!