Pre-Christmas christmas pics

Ammon's first time ever on Santa's lapSissy and Santa

Our gingerbread house

The kids by their tree

I just thought I'd post some pictures since after Christmas I'll probably want to post pictures from Christmas day. I took a couple of pictures of the kids by our family christmas tree downstairs. This is the first time I've ever had 2 trees. The one upstairs is basically there just for decoration. The one in the basement has all our family ornaments on it and despite that it is about to tip over because all the ornaments are on one side, and one strand of blinking lights, and the fact that it's a fake tree, it is still my favorite.

A dolly sling

My children have decided that it is much more fun to wear their jackets backwards than forwards. I'm just glad they're actually wearing jackets, since that is usually a battle. Yesterday Sissy brought her dolly to church and found a fun new way to carry it. Since we laughed and smiled at it along with a lot of other people, I have a feeling this is going to be a common thing. I'm not sure what will happen if it gets really cold and the kids need to wear their hoods though.

Baby Blues

I love Baby Blues. It is my favorite comic, because I can relate to it so well.

Where's baby Jesus?

Sissy was playing with our little velcro nativity set today, and asked me about 10 times each what each of the pieces were. It took a while, but she finally realized that the baby Jesus was missing! I said "uh-oh", where's baby Jesus?" She frowned for a minute then her eyes lit up and she ran upstairs. A minute later she came back with a baby Jesus. From my nice nativity set. That was all fine and good- I told her she could play with it. But a little while later at nap time she insisted on taking baby Jesus upstairs to bed with her. He made it as far as the kitchen when he got dropped and his little hand broke off. Poor baby Jesus. I can' t even find the hand. My kitchen floor is uglier than sin, but hides things very well. Good for when I don't sweep, bad for when you need to find a 2x2 mm baby hand on it. Anyway, perhaps I should look for the other baby Jesus. I'm glad that she has such an interest in the nativity.
Ammon has been having more fun with a pogo stick that he bought at a yard sale last weekend than I have seen him have with a toy besides his bike for a long time. He has been out there despite freezing rain jumping and jumping. He runs in the house every so often with a report like, "I just jumped 29 times!" or "I just jumped 10 feet sideways!"
I think it's the best dollar he's ever spent.

what language do my children speak?

Sometimes I wonder if I speak the same language as my children. They just seem to hear something else completely when I talk to them.

Here is what I say: "Please get dressed."
They hear:"Take part of your clothes off and run around naked for a while until I get upset and threaten you with time out."

I say: "Play nicely"
They hear: "Run around like wild things until someone gets knocked down and hurt."

I say: "Time for dinner."
They hear: "Beg and whine for a snack"

I say: "Do your chores."
They hear: nothing

It's fun to interpret what Sissy says sometimes, too. Not that she doesn't speak clearly, but she does like to imitate mommy. The way she does it is just a little funny though, so here is how I interpret what she says (although she is getting out of this stage now)

She says: "Get down?"
I hear: "I am climbing on something I am not supposed to be on"

She says: "Get a towel?"
I hear: "I have just spilled something and made a mess."

She says: "Be nice?"
I hear: "I have just hit my brother"

And last but not least, she says, "Don't touch anything!"
I hear: "I have just stuck my hand down the back of my pull-up and there is poop on my fingers."

I am glad that my children help me find humor in motherhood.