Julia's birthday celebration

For her birthday, Julia wanted to go back to the children's museum.  Since Grandma Updike gave us a season pass there, Thank you thank you, I thought that it was a great idea to go back. 

This is such a cute picture of Julia.  She wrote 2010 on her head in the mirror.  She could not understand what I was laughing at when she showed it to me.  Even when I tried to explain it to her it did not make sense. She would listen to me and then look in the mirror and not understand.  It was not until I took the picture and had her look at the picture that she finally understood my laughing.  Thankfully she was able to laugh about it as well.

One of the activiteis that day at the museum was to make new years eve hats.  So here we are in all our glory!!

There is this really cool stop sign when you leave the museum.  Upon entering the museum everyone gets a colored sticker and then when they leave they put it on this stop sign.  So of course, since we did not know the first time and had already thrown our stickers in the trash, we added our stickers to the working piece of art. 

Happy #7 Julia

Here is my beautiful 7 year old.  She wanted a cookie cake for her birthday, Julia does not like cake.  In fact she really does not like sweets that often and will choose a healthy snack.  Not something she learned form me.  She is in first grade, and is a super good reader.  She likes being social and loves PE at school.  She is a great helper at home and is a usually very nice to her brothers.  We sure love her!!!

Julia was lucky to open her present from Dennis early.  Dennis's grandpa passed away and so was going to be out of town for her birthday so, so she got to open a present early.

Dennis has created this very annoying tradition to open presents in the morning, usually before he goes to work, it is always way earlier then I want to be out of bed.  The boys like this tradiaiton, but us girls, well not so much.  I was really excited that he was not going to be here this year, so we could sleep in.(no school either)  To my surprise, Julia wanted me to wake her up early to open presents.  I guess tradition is better then sleep!!!  For her birthday she got a desk, decorations for her room and a bed for her doll!

Christmas!!!!

Christmas, as always, was a lot of fun.  Sawyer woke up at about 4am and tried to go back to sleep.  After awhile we hear him crying and go up to his room. He was crying because he could not go back to sleep and was afraid that Santa would not come if he did not go to sleep.  He was so sad that we went ahead and told him that Santa had already came and let them get up.  All the way down the stairs Sawyer was so happy because he saw gator golf.  He had originally asked Santa for a stage, and later he changed his mind to gator golf, but we never actually saw Santa again for him to ask, so he was really worried that Santa would not know.  So he was super excited that Santa knew to bring him gator golf.  I must say that Santa was super thrilled to be bringing him gator golf instead of a stage! 

Here is Sawyer with all his loot!  He was really tired and did not want to pose for a picture, to busy playing with all his new stuff?

Julia with all her loot.  She asked Santa for a bird in a cage, a beach in her backyard and something that will keep boys out of her room.  Even though she lacked the above mentioned items on Christmas morning she was really happy.  She was suprised that Santa knew what she wanted, even though she did not tell him the stuff she got.  Santa is so smart.

It sure looks like Santa loves Ryan alot!!  He got some fun big toys this year.  He is growing up tooo fast. 

His lack of belief in the big red guy has not made it as fun.  But he is cute trying to let us know is beliefs without letting Julia in on it.  He does not do a very good job, though.  

Everyone enjoying their gifts.

Dennis got each of the kids nerf guns for Christmas.  I am not sure who enjoys them more.  What do you think?

Christmas Eve

One tradition that is always easy to keep and do is Pj's on Christmas Eve.  Both Dennis and I had this same tradition as children and our children come to expect it as well.  They always say, "we get to open one present on Christmas Eve and it is always jammies!"  I use to buy matching Pj's for them all, but realized that they are more happy when it is a pair that they really like.  So recently I have purchased ones that fit their own taste.  Ryan has sports ones that are not to babyish.  Julia has a pretty purple nightgown, with sparkles.  Sawyer has buzz light year jammies, that even have cool cape features. 

Christmas Eve was quiet and nice.  We opened our jammies, read the Christmas story in the bible, watched a movie together and put out cookies for Santa.  Sawyer was so excited for the morning and had a hard time sleeping. 

I love this picture,(even though is is not a great quality picture)!  Children make every holiday, actually every day, so much better. 

Williams Christmas party

Dennis's company had a grand party for the kids for Christmas.  They went to the children's museum here is Houston.  Let me tell you, it is so awesome, it is huge, and has tons of stuff for all ages, even Dennis and I. 

Kidtropolis, an amazing mimic of a adult world.  So amazing,  Julia and Sawyer loved it here, especially the restaraunt.

Williams had a backdrop up and took a picture of the family.

Ryan participating in one of the many craft opportunities.

Being silly!!

Outside water play.  Ryan loving building with these pipes.

"Mom, no more pictures!!" 

Little chemists! or whatever scientist field this falls under!

How strong am I?  Not sure who thought this was more fun.  I wonder if there is a weight limit on this child's toy?  Glad Dennis was having fun!

Did I mention that Dennis was having fun!!

Face painting, a fun family activity!

We will defiantely be coming back.  There was not enough time to even do all that we wanted, let alone spend a lot of time doing it!  These pictures are just a few of the many things that we were able to do.  If you have kids or are a kid at heart, this is a must visit for you!!

Piano Recital

Ryan had his first ever piano recital in December.  I hear him play all the time while he is practicing at home, but I was not prepared for how great he did!  He was so "professional" and played so well.  I really think that he has a talent for the piano.  He seems to really enjoy it and I do not really have to fight him to practice.  I hope he sticks with it, I know that it will be something that I will enjoy listening to forever!!

Julia's holiday party

After I was done helping with Ryan's class, I headed to the 1st grade wing to help with Julia's class.  I was so gald that it was staggered like this so that I could go to both parties.  Julia's party was a lot less extravegant, but still fun.  The kids ate and played bingo.  There is always way to much food for the kids.  Julia is quite the clown in her class.  I never know if it is because I am there, or if she is always like this.  Julia has a great teacher and let Sawyer just join in with all the activities.

Sawter enjoying Mrs. Castilles reading chair

Julia and her "favorite" friend in her class

3rd grade and Ginderbread houses

For Ryan's holiday party, the third graders made gingerbread houses.Well actually graham cracker and milk carton houses.   What a huge activity for a bunch of young kids.  I could not believe all the goodies that they had to decorate thier houses.  It would have been chaos, but there were so many parents there to help.  I think that it was one parent for every 2 kids!  That is awesome.  Ryan did an excellent job with his house and was very creative in his construction, maybe a little of his dad is wearing off on him. 

The finished house!

Ryan's birthday outing

Since this was not a party year, (we only do friend parties every other year), I told Ryan he could pick one friend and go somewhere.  Well he could not choose between two new friends and then Dennis invited our nieghbor, so he took three friends to ITZ.  I guess the lucky little bugger got a party anyhow!  Dennis took the four boys to ITZ and ate and played games.  Ryan had a lot of fun and Dennis realized how hard kids are even when they are having a lot of fun.  I am glad that Ryan has found some great friends here in TX, and that there are such fun things to do in TX.

Another trip to the zoo!!

We made another trip to the zoo, this time with Sawyer and his little friends from his pre-school group.  It makes me sad to think that this is my last little kid that I get to take to the zoo with his little friends!  It was a good day.  Sawyer's favorite animal is the Okapi.  Since it is winter here, the Okapi's barn was open so they were inside where we could not see them.  Sawyer was so sad. but because he is a problem solver, when we saw a worker he asked where the Okapi were.  I did not even know he knew who the workers were.  Thats Sawyer for you.  Anyhow, the worker was so impressed with this little boy, that he called the okapi barn and they urged them out and we went back and looked at them.  What a crazy, but determined little boy!

Sawyer and his little friends

While we were at the zoo, we heard this very loud animal sound, we thought that it was a recording playing on the speakers becuase it lasted so long and was so loud.  We could here it all through the whole zoo.  Well, it was no recording, it was these monkeys making the sound.  They are the loudest creature and it was amazing to watch.  They filled their throats up into a bubble and then opened up and wailed.  Very cool!!

Sawyer and his buddie!!

Scout Play

For Pack meeting in December, the cubs put on a toy play for the senior citizen's center.  Ryan was a robot.  He really took it seriously and learned his lines and was a great performer.  The thing that really surprised me, though, was his behavior after the play.  He went up to the seniors and shook thier hands and interduced himself and wished them a Merry Christmas.  I think he will make a great missionary!  I love this kid!!

Happy # 9 Ryan

Ryan is 9 years old.  Can you believe it?  It is hard for me to grasp!  He is becoming quite a grown person.  He is really into music stuff right now.  One big sign that he is growing is his appetite.  Ryan use to eat very little and only because we made him, he now is impossible to keep full.  He eats all the time.  For his birthday he picked out a loft bed with a desk underneath.  The metal is camo, so he loves it. 

He picked out pizza for his meal.  Easy for me, just had to order it, my type of meal.  He also had a ice cream cake.  I bought some trick candles, I thought that it would be fun, but I must have bought some duds, because he blew them out the first time and they never lit again. 

Star of the Week

Julia was star of the week the last week before the long Christmas break.  She was so excited!  She put a lot of work into her star poster.  It was really hard for me to let her do it all by herself, but I did.  She thought it was the collest thing in the world.  After I saw the pride she had in her finished project, I was very happy that I was able to let her do it be herself.  During the week, she was interviewed by her peers, got to take show and tell, got a special pencil and had a guest come read the class her favorite book! 

Julia with her star poster

The results of her class interview.