Christmas...Part One!

It's a long overdue review of the holiday. And boring, because I'm not posting any pictures right now, either. My computer has been acting up...Basically, that means that I could only do one thing on it a day, since it took almost that long just to start up. Lee fixed it, but it took restoring it to factory settings to do it. And I just can't commit NOW to re-loading all my pictures. So there.

Let me just say that my kids were (as they always are!) totally spoiled! There is way too much love...and OVER-giving!

I worked on Christmas Eve...That's what happens when you work retail!...but the store closed at 6:00, so I wasn't there too late. Then for the first time ever, we all stayed home on Christmas Eve. It was kind of nice to have the quiet and calm, but we missed seeing all the McPhie family. (My tank is definitely nearing empty after missing the Thanksgiving get-together AND the Christmas one!) The kids went to bed in my closet (yeah...it's that big. Five kids can camp out of the floor at the same time...!) to minimize peeking. :D The Lee and I put out our gifts and headed to bed.

The next morning, we had to be ready by 6:00 AM. (For years, Anna has been inviting her folks (my in-laws!) to come over and watch the kids open gifts in the morning. This year, they decided to take her up on it...and you can't watch just ONE family open gifts! Good grandparents hit ALL the houses!) And frankly, we were up anyway. Darn kids! :D So we all got ready and dressed for the day in the new pajamas Santa brought in our stockings! (One of my favorite parts of Christmas...I wish jammies were acceptable as clothing more often in my life!)

Gift Highlights:

Sydney...She finally got the cell phone she's been asking for since she was FIVE!! (Whatever, Santa. I was good all year...I'm not sure why she get's a phone!) So Santa is the bomb, but her not-so-awsome folks only gave her 300 text messages a month. I know it's not enough, but I wanted to see her actually watch the texting. So far, so good. In fact, it's kind of hilarious to see her freak out about it. ("Ryan has to answer every text! Like I say "Bye", and she has to say "Bye" back!") She also got new clothes (fashionista!) and new bedding and room decor in her favorite turquoise blue color!

Megan...Santa brought her the iPod Touch she's been asking for. And it's the NEW version, complete with camera! She also got lots of clothes...that's what she really wanted!...and new bedding and a lamp. She was also pretty excited about the crystal square with the Salt Lake Temple inside and the new light-up base to put it on. (Maybe I'll take and post a picture for those who aren't sure what I'm talking about!)

Tory...He also wanted the iPod Touch and Santa obliged. "X-Games" bedding, some skinny jeans and a new "Not puffy" coat that he's not embarrassed to wear in front of his friends!

Spencer...Asked Santa for a Paper Jams Guitar. He has been jamming ever since. (Mom loves that it has a headphone plug...!) He wanted new Harley Davidson bedding...He loves it. It's so funny to me! He also got the Imaginext Space Shuttle...very cool...comes complete with aliens!

Michael...Kept asking Santa for the Blue Dragon. (I'm glad Santa knew what he was talking about!...Whew!) He got the Imaginext BatCave, and How to Train Your Dragon bedding.

The three boys wanted the Kung Zu Battle Arena so their hamsters could do battle. And so I went and bought a hamster for Lee so he could join in the fun! (He thinks I'm a dork, I know!) But he also got lots of needed clothes for work, including a new striped Old Navy jacket that I think is fantastic.

I got a vacuum that stays on long enough to actually vacuum a whole room...Yay! :D And a BluRay player. That's pretty exciting!

And that was all before we left OUR house! Crazy, right?

Sledding...

One of the greatest things about my house is that I live on a hill. So when the kids want to sled, I am not required to dress warm and drive them somewhere. I can sit inside my toasty house, and watch and laugh through the windows! It is truly fabulous. 'Cause me and cold, not really friends. And when it's as cold as it's been lately, um, no.

But best of both worlds...Mom stays warm, kids get to sled and come inside looking for hot cocoa and cozy blankets. (And, they don't all have to be done together, which also happens when we GO sledding.)

Daddy It's Cold Outside...

I heard this song on the radio and thought it was the cutest thing EVER...!

Click here for a free download...the smile is no charge as well!

Fake Thanksgiving...

Last Saturday we made a turkey dinner. I'm using the term "we" very loosely. Really, Lee made a turkey dinner...Complete with homemade apple and pumpkin pie! See, as I mentioned earlier, we have to do our own turkey meal. But this year was different! He whipped up an onion/garlic butter to coat the outside of the bird, he peeled and mashed all the taters, he whipped up a perfect fruit salad, and then still managed to make 3 fabulous pies! (One apple, and two pumpkin, because one pumpkin is just not enough...!)

Lee's parents and little sister came over for the meal. And I was so proud of my very kitchen-savvy spouse! He really loves to cook, and it was fun to see him do it so successfully!

My contribution, incidentally, was Rhodes rolls. I took them out of the freezer, HE cut and arranged them in the muffin pan, and then they went into the laundry room to rise. And rise they did! When I went to get them to put them in the oven, they were like the size of my head!! (Slight exaggeration, but ONLY slight!)

But I guess it was a good dry run...Eventually, the parents will tire of cooking for us, and now we know...We're ready to host when that day comes! :D

Secret Sister...

Sydney was given the assignment on her first Sunday in Young Women of coming up with a person she admired/wanted to serve in our ward, and then delivering a treat or a note to her secret sister.

In true McAlister form (Lee aside...But hey, I'm trying to work on it!), she sort of forgot about it until this week...when all of a sudden she was in a panic to complete her assignment! So Sydney announces to me that she needs to make cookies for her secret sister. I sort of groaned at the thought...thinking I have tons of other stuff I need to do...and then I remembered we had "Krusteaz Sugar Cookie Mix" in the pantry. Add butter and an egg...I think she can manage!

So my 12 year old has now completed her first complete dish on her own! I was in the kitchen while she worked, and I answered a couple of questions, but she made them herself!

Woo-hoo! Now if I can just get her to figure out main dishes, I'll have found myself a new chef!

Library...

We went to the library today.

Is it a bad thing when you go to the library, and your 5 kids check out a total of 5 books, but a total of 12 movies? (And that was after I made them each pare their stack of DVD's down from 6 or 7 to 3 each!!)

Just wondering...

Aww...

She's not a teenager yet! (No, really...she isn't...but she also doesn't (always!) act like one, either!)

Yesterday at church, I was sitting in Relief Society waiting for the meeting to start. My cute 12-year-old darts up to me, kisses me on the cheek, says, "We're having opening exercises with you guys!" and then runs off to sit with her friends.

At first, I was thinking, "Whatever...don't come sit with your mom...!". Then I realized she left her friends to come and say hi. I hadn't even seen her yet, so she didn't do it out of guilt or anything. She's just pretty special!

I'll take it. :D And I'll continue to remind her that she's never going to be one of THOSE kind of girls!