Christmas Digest - 2014
What a strange Christmas it was this year! From forgetting to grocery shop and having to scrounge around in the kitchen for food, to sleeping in until nearly 11:00... it was off-beat BUT fun. We've just enjoyed having all the kids together. This is the first year without Parker and holidays are when we get to feel like our old selves again. Now... to the list of gifts!
PARKER:
1. A gift box with $50 in crumpled one dollar bills
2. A smaller gift box with $50 of crumpled one dollar bills.
3. A hardback book about the Beatles top 100 songs
Like last year, Parker just wanted money. He hasn't asked us for a DIME while he's been away at college, so we didn't mind giving a bit more than the typical Christmas (though, it's becoming more typical since it's the second year in a row!). He's so grown up and responsible. I asked if he was saving up for anything and he just said it would get him through next semester. I love him. :)
PEYTON:
1. Three bow ties (2 reversible and one diamond-tip)
2. $20 in iTunes money
3. Who-Ology book (about Doctor Who)
The boy loves bow ties, music and Doctor Who. So this was a great Christmas for him! He'd been asking specifically for those types of bow ties and I found a great online store that is VERY reasonable in price AND has a ton of patterns. You usually just get one or the other. I'm sure we'll be shopping there for many years! Peyton has barely put the book down since he opened it. He is ALLLLL about details and random miscellany. So Who-Ology is right up his ally. He's so easy to please... always has been. This year was no different. :)
MABRY:
1. Kitten themed back-pack
2. Her own grown-up bible (NIV)
3. An artist's easel and a dozen 16x20 canvas panels
Since we started co-op this year, Mabry has been BEGGING for a back-pack. I found this one online (from Japan or someplace) that is her favorite shade of blue AND has kitten ears attached to the top. The girl loves kittens. She's also been asking for a bible that isn't just for kids. It was more than about time for that since she's almost eleven (shut-up!!). I saw one that was the PERFECT blue (she's all about blue these days... no more pink!) and was small enough to be portable. She was thrilled. But by FAR her favorite gift from us was the art set. She draws and paints all day long... and mostly on typing paper. Now we've got her set up with exactly what she needs to paint masterpieces. She already painted a waterfall/mountain scene today. :)
FIN:
1. Stuffed bunny
2. Robin's Egg (math game)
3. Nerf Guns w/ targets
When the older kids from co-op newsletter were asking the little kids what they wanted for Christmas, Fin IMMEDIATELY responded with "stuffed bunny". Apparently, he was tired of borrowing Mabry's. Haha. So I found the softest one I could find. It's HEAVEN. He promptly said, "It should be a girl. I'll name her Cotton Tail". Since math is EVERYTHING to him at the moment, the game is self-explanatory in reason. He and Mabry played a round and he enjoyed all the adding and subtracting, even though he lost. Last, but not least, he's been ALL about Nerf guns for the past couple of months. He went to a friends house and they had them. Now if we can keep him aiming at the targets and not our eyes. :D