Our Kids

I don’t know how I feel about the fact that Christmas is over. Every year (recently) I have tried to get in to the spirit of Christmas but somehow it eludes me. I don’t know why because I like family time, giving gifts, making sweets and all that Christmassy stuff.

The girls had a super time. They are still not interested in Santa at all so we passed on the Polar Express Train ride to the North Pole, maybe next year. We spent a wonderful week with my folks visiting and we celebrated the girls birthdays and Christmas. Then we went to the Haslups and celebrated Christmas with them. The girls had a great time and Landis was in to everything as usual.

We were lucky this year to spend it with both sets of Grandparents.

I dunno if I gonna make it til’ Christmas. We have had a great week with my folks that included a birthday celebration and an early Christmas. The girls are completely spent as evidenced by their meltdowns each night. It is so hard to balance all the joy that gift giving brings with raising thankful/grateful children IMHO.

We are very grateful for all our family and friends this holiday season. Here is to wishing you some peace in 2009, some chocolate and some relaxation.

Well the girls birthday is on its way out and thankfully they are asleep. After a late night the night before, wonderful grandparents to play with and a super duper birthday full of both sets of grandparents, presents galore, a bounce house and Uncle JJ the girls were some kind of tired. We powered through all the wailing and finally got them all down.

I know that they had a good time but shindigs seem to really take their toll on the wee ones. I guess that is what we can expect for quite some time with their birthdays 4 days before Christmas. The girls really got in to opening their gifts but it was still the thrill of opening that held their attention the most.

Thanks to everyone that made today special, especially Piper and Lela because without them it would just be an ordinary day.

Well my folks arrived last Wednesday and I can’t believe tomorrow is already Sunday! We have been busy, wrapping packages, making cookies and getting ready for the girls 4th birthday which is TOMORROW!

I have been keeping my dad busy with projects (thanks dad:) and Jason was out on the town today with the girls doing all my errands so I could go to Home Depot with my dad. All in all everything worked out swell. Tonight we had wine and snackies with our neighbors so we are all a little bit more relaxed after two bottles of old and tasty wine.

I am so excited for the girls to be 4. I dunno why. Maybe it is because most of the moms I know tell me that 4 is super magical. The girls really are not any trouble, they each have their own personalities and quirks but we don’t have any behavioral bombshells to deal with so I am pleased.

Here is to a great 2009 and year 4! Chin Chin!

Got home from a company dinner tonight and found the “office” (which was sort of doubling as a 2nd playroom) completely cleaned up, not a toy on the ground to step on, no piles of papers, nothing. Some new pictures up on the wall, a great photo of our family, and four handprints on painted canvas of the most important people in the world to me hanging up right in front of my computer so I can see them all the time. (Side note: Landis’ hand is almost as big as Piper’s!) I even got a nice card from all the girls just saying thanks. What a wonderful treat.

Girls… I know you’ll know this by the time you’re able to read this, but I’m gonna say it again (and again, and again). Your mom is the most wonderful person I have ever had the privilege of knowing. She gives so much of herself to us and asks for nothing in return. I am truly a lucky man.

Well today I had a brilliant idea, NOT. I gave the girls some string and they proceeded to make the worlds largest spider web. Several times during construction Landis got stuck in the string. Finally Lela was in my room and Piper was running out of my room with some string, Lela gave it a good yank and Piper was clothes lined and on the floor with a fat lip. It was a doosy of a lip too, lots of blood and nice and swollen. We are icing it now so if it stays big and ugly I will photograph it for all to see.

Today the girls and I made cookies, lots of cookies. We made gingerbread and sugar dough for roll out cookies that we will make tomorrow, we also made chocolate chip cookies and sand tarts (or Mexican wedding cookies depending on where you are from). Yesterday we made sweet chex mix and savory chex mix. The holiday spirit is in full effect at the Haslups.

Today as we were making the cookies Lela and Piper were helping me roll the sand tarts and put them on the tray. When we finished our tray was overflowing so I explained that we had to put some on another tray so they would cook evenly. You would think I had announced Armageddon. Lela was in tears at the thought of splitting the cookies on to two trays. I put on my best parenting hat and tried to understand why it was so upsetting, I explained why we had to do it with graphics and all. She was still upset, finally a little cuddling helped her to calm down. For the life of me I don’t think I will ever understand her.

So instead of trying to understand I think I will hop her up on sugar, LOL. As if that was possible. Lela will take one bite of something sweet and move on while Piper will literally lick dough off the floors!

I am convinced that Landis is lopsided. All her cuts, scrapes and bruises (and she has way more than the girls did) are on her left side. She escapes from almost all high chairs so we have pretty much stopped using them. She escapes from the grocery cart too so she rides in the basket.

Recently we got some new/used bar stools and put in a booster chair that straps on to the chair and that we can strap Landis in. It was working like a real charm, she was up at the counter with the big girls and she loved it. The other morning (after the shindig) I heard a loud crack and then wailing. Landis was up at the counter strapped in her chair and she pulled her legs up and used her feet to launch herself and the chair over backwards hitting her “left” cheek on the way down on the dining room chair. That is one crazy baby:)