What an amazing Thanksgiving break we had this year! It started Wednesday for me. Ethan had a fun Thanksgiving party. All the Kindergarten classes took turns going to different stations. The stations included a few crafts, making pumpkin pudding, and then a Scarecrow relay race. That is what Ethan's class was in charge of, therefore me and the other Mom helpers from his class. It was a lot of work getting kids dressed and undressed over and over.
I definitely got a double work out for the day! Ethan had a fun time, and I had a great time being there watching him and getting to know the other Mom's better. After school, Aubrie went to a friend's birthday party (which was a trip to the theatre to see New Moon, and get pizza), while Ben and I joined the Lorenzana's at Texas Road House to celebrate Ben's birthday. We had an early dinner because I thought I had a few places to be later, but they were cancelled, so we just chilled at home with the kids, watching movies, etc. Thursday morning, Ben did the whole Turkey Bowl thing, which was at the park right by our house. While he did that, I worked out. After my work out, I pulled Sophia in the wagon, and walked Ethan to the park. He woke up late (big surprise...NOT), and was sad that he didn't' get to join Aubrie and Boston. So after I walked him there, Aubrie took Sophia to the playground, while I ran the trails for another mile. 
After my run, I came home and started breakfast; Danny's amazing buttermilk syrup, waffles, strawberries, and cool whip (therefore the extra mile run!LOL). I then prepared the dishes I was to bring to dinner; Shoepeg Casserole, Chocolate Pie, and a veggie tray! After I was done, we all went hot tubing. We all took our turns jumping in the pool! Ethan is a mad man, jumping in over and over. The kids finally got me in by pushing Ben, who was holding me! It was much colder than last weekend, and my legs were still numb several minutes after sitting in the HOT tub!
After getting ready, we headed over to the Lorenzana's for dinner, at 3:00. Her parents, and her sister and her family was there, too! We had a GREAT time socializing, and the kids had fun playing! The food was great, and the company even better. After clean up and dessert, we played a fun game called "paper telephone". It's where you write a sentence, and then the person next to you has to draw a picture of that sentence, and then the next time it is passed, you fold down the sentence, and the person has to come up with a sentence to describe the picture, and so on! We finally left around 7:30. Boston stayed at the Lorenzana's for a sleep over, and Maya came home with us for the night.
Aubrie's hair that lasted only a few minutes!
When we got home, I was ready to chill, but Ben had other plans. He was pulling out all the Christmas stuff. Next thing I know, our tree is plugged in and set up in our living room. Well I couldn't sit there and look at a bare tree, so the next thing you know its 11:00 PM and my tree is decorated. Luckily I got some help with the kid tree, after Maya and Aubrie were done hot tubing!:) Ethan wanted to help so badly. He was hanging the same kind of bulb in the same spot. I let him do a bit, and then Ben took him off to watch a movie, while I redecorated! Well at 11:00, I couldn't do another thing. I bagged the few decorations that sat in the containers, and swore off the stair garland till the next day. When we checked the girls, they were asleep on our bed, with the portable DVD player that hadn't even been opened. Guess they were tired!
Friday started with another work out (are you seeing a new pattern?), and then we braved Walmart to get some needed supplies. Surprisingly it wasn't that busy. I'm sure it was way picked over, since we didn't get there till 10:30. After picking up a few things, we took the kids to Chuckee Cheese for lunch. That place was sooooo DEAD!!! It was GREAT!!! The kids had a blast, and I loved that I could keep a better eye on them. Sophia loved the machines. She would come for the tokens one by one, and would typically bring back ONE ticket every time. Once Aubrie ran out of tokens, which happened quickly, she was more than happy to take Sophia around and help her spend hers. That was fine with us. Free Babysitting! Ethan pretty much played the same game the whole time, after hitting the jackpot on his first couple of tokens. When he came dragging his TRAIN of tickets he said, "I've been DREAMING about this moment!" There is one trick I have recently learned that has made going to Chuckee a lot more enjoyable. Ben and I used to sit at the prize counter and help the kids pick out their prizes. I HATED that. They could NEVER make up their minds, and it seemed like an endless process. Now I just send them up to the counter, and let the workers at the counter deal with it. I have found it goes much quicker, and sometimes they end up getting more. I think the people handing out the prizes are more willing to give them a little more just to get them out of there. Anyway, the kids walked out of there with stuff that cost Chuckee pennies, and us dollars! But they all walked out of there happy with their Laffy Taffy, Slinkie's, etc.
When we got home from Chuckee, Sophia went down for a nap, while Ben took the kids on a bike ride. They had a great time, and went a long way. Ben was impressed that Ethan could keep up with his little bike. The kids, Aubrie especially, has been asking since to go on another one. I really need to get a bike with a kid trailer, so we can all go together. Now that the weather is nice, it would be a great family activity, and a great form of family exercise! When they got back , and Sophia woke up, we went hot tubing (yes we live in there), and had dinner. After dinner, the kids worked on their Christmas letters to Santa while I finished up some last Christmas decorations.
Ethan got a little crazy with the crazy and started taking pictures of our Christmas stuff for a class project he is working on. Here is his picture of our tree.
We finished our evening watching an "edited" version of Liar Liar! I haven't seen that movie FOREVER. I remember quoting it all the time, and thinking it was the funniest thing. It was great to see it, again. The kids loved Jim Carey's sense of humor. They laughed and laughed at so many parts. Ben did great at being quick at the "editing button"!
Saturday was another work out, and then I took the kids to meet Ben at the church. It was our turn to clean the building. The night before we told the kids what we were going to do, and they all started complaining. I was a little sad that they weren't more excited about it, but the more I thought about it, I don't' think as a kid I would be clicking my heals to clean anything. Luckily, they were much more into it when they were there. I started them off in the chapel, having them clean out the hymnal's, and picking up trash off the floor. They started complaining how they couldn't believe people left so much trash in the hymnal's. It was a great chance to remind them to make sure they didn't leave trash there. Of course, they had fun going up on the stand and checking out where they prepare the sacrament, and talking in the microphone; something they never get to do. After cleaning the chapel, we cleaned the bathrooms and the kitchen. They never complained, and were eager to do things they wouldn't be so eager to do at home.
After cleaning the chapel, we came home and cleaned up here. We then quickly showered and went to see Planet 51 with the Lorenzana's. The kids were so excited, and were all spread out sitting by their Lorenzana counterpart. Ok, I'm sorry if anyone liked this movie, but it was such a snoozer. It had a good message, but that was about it. The kids said they liked it, so I guess that's what counts. I do have to mention that Boston was disappointed that we weren't there to see New Moon! After the movie we made a quick stop at Krispy Kreme, which is literally right across the street. I exercised great discipline and only had a bite of one of the donuts! After the movie we came home for some hot tubing (do I even need to mention it?), dinner and Twilight. The night did have a twinge of excitement, when Ethan tried to do a round house kick over Sophia's head. It didn't quite make it over her head though, and he ended up popping her in the left eyelid. It cut it open, but not enough for stitches (thank Heaven's). He felt so bad, and Sophia now goes around to everyone saying , "Look what Ethan did", as she is pointing to her eye. I think everyone at church knows that Ethan cut her eye by the time the 3rd hour was over. LOL
Today was a great Sunday. We didn't' have to leave the Chapel once during Sacrament. (Thank you Sophia!) Ben's lesson was great. It was on the Savior's Life. It made me think more about the Savior and the role he has played in my life. Third hour the Bishop gave an AMAZING and straight forward lesson on chastity, for the Young Women. I much appreciated it, and wish my leaders would have been that direct. We have an amazing Bishop! After church was Sunday stations. This week I added a station where the kids had to draw one of the siblings names and write a letter to them. I try to have a new station every week. It gets hard sometimes, but that ended up being a good one. After stations, I had a one on one talk with Boston and then with Aubrie, giving them my watered down Chastity talk. There is so much stuff out there, I am determined that they don't hear stuff from friends before they hear it from me. They were really good about it, and are still at the stage where they think everything is "Gross". I know that will change one day, and it's important they know the Lords standards and also that they can come to me with any questions.
During my talk with Aubrie, an amazing storm blew through. Ben was in the hot tub with the rest of the kids, and Aubrie quickly got her suit on to enjoy hot tubing in the rain. There was a beautiful double rainbow over our house. I am always amazed and grateful when I see rainbows! To me it's like a huge hug from Heavenly Father.
The rest of the night included our normal Sunday Spaghetti dinner, an impromptu piano recital put on by Aubrie and Boston, and then our Sunday ritual of America's Funniest Home Video's. They had some really funny ones tonight. Last week I posted on Facebook that Sunday's are never a day of rest for me. Well, today definitely felt much more restful. I'm grateful that Heavenly Father heard me and gave me that tender mercy!
Sophia liked her new coat so much, she asked me to take a picture.
This one is blurry, but I still had to post it, because the wink and her on her tip toes is so typical of her!
