I invented the piano key neck tie!

Here's a quick recap of December. We are still in the process of raking leaves off of our lawn. All of our neighbors finished in October but we were unprepared for the amount of leaves we would be dealing with. Fortunately the weather continues to cooperate with us and I can be found raking whenever time and babies permit me.

Practicing with the timer on the camera

When I'm not raking the kids like to enlist me to play what we call the 'rawr game. It basically consists of me chasing them around the house while rawring at them. It's so much fun that their friends request that I play it when they come to visit.


While most of our family have summer birthdays, I claim December for my own. I turned 32 on the 11th. We all enjoyed dinner at a friend's house and I even converted them to the pleasures of putting rice crispies in your vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce dessert. Delish.






Adri had another fabulous piano recital, which is exactly what I told her I wanted for my birthday. Let me tell you, this is the best way to watch the recital; a video where you only have to watch the parts you want to. I Jason spent most of the recital consoling Charlotte who hates crowded events and would rather be at home rolling all over the floor.








After Christmas we enjoyed some popcorn from the popcorn maker Gramma K gave us. Then we invited some old friends over for dinner. It had been a while since we had spent any time with Mike and Emily so we had lots of fun catching up. Our kids had a splendid time running around the house and making lots of noise. Adri and Bradly looked extremely comfortable with each other and, when asked, Adri said they were not boyfriend/girlfriend but probably would be if they spent some more time together.

Adrienne, Brad, Hailey, Juliet and Luke

And now for one of our least favorite parts of the month. Christmas eve we woke up to find that our mailbox was beaten to a pulp, presumably with a baseball bat. While I maintain that our mailbox did not deserve it, others feel he was kind of a smart mouth and had it coming. In any case, Santa was pressured into getting us a new mailbox for Christmas.

Quotes:

Luke: I want milk

Annie: Milk, c'est fini.

Luke: It's not all gone! Get out of town!

Luke: Mom, go quick like a bear!

Luke: Mom, remember Daddy? Il s'appelle Jason.

Adrienne: I can't hold my thirst! I need a drink!

Luke: (while pretending to be the Pokey Little Puppy) Your clothes are woof woof? That means 'you clean all the clothes?'

Jason: Are you a good boy?

Luke: No, I'm not a good boy, I'm a Lukie

Annie: Juliet, do you wanna call everyone up for dinner?

Juliet: No. But I will.

Annie: Luke, do you want oatmeal?

Luke: No!

Annie: Grape Nuts?

Luke: No!! I want oatmeal!!

Luke: Mom, do you remember Tinkerbell?

Annie: Yeah, are you Tinkerbell?

Luke: No, YOU'RE Tinkerbell. I'm a wise man.

(on a Sunday before church)

Jason: Juliet, eat that cheese and then get to work on the bread.

Juliet: You mean get to church.

I call this video "The Return of Blet Blurt" - see the original here

Part of Adrienne's Christmas piano recital

And, in case you have any doubts about my parenting skills, I believe this video says it all