Christmas and Birthday.....2011

The last few days have been busy ones at our house. Kyra turned one on Friday and I didn't want her to think that we didn't have a birthday party for her so I decided to have a small one on Christmas Eve. I feel bad that Kyra's birthday is so close to Christmas and I hope she has her own special day(s) every year. We had a Christmas Eve party with Devin's family and thought we would open presents and have a cake for her. Making a cake in the middle of the holiday baking was challenging-but I think it turned out pretty cute.

Kyra wasn't sure what she was supposed to do when I set her in the highchair with a cake on the tray. It was too cute-she just stared at me until I gave her a little taste. After that first taste it was all over. She stuck her face in the cake and couldn't get enough of it.

Of course I had to get a picture of her in the sink after eating the cake. The water turned pink she had so much on her. The presents were a hit as well. I had to help her quite a bit-but she loved her gifts.

I took a few photos of the decorations before the craziness of the party and gifts opening.

Christmas Eve was fun. We enjoyed a lot of good food and treats. We also had a special visit from Santa. The look on Tristan's face when Santa came down the stairs was priceless. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of that thanks to my batteries being dead in the camera. Tristan sat on his lap and couldn't believe he was at our house! Kyra was terrified and wouldn't let go of her cousin Hayden. When Santa left-Tristan wanted everyone to leave so he could go to bed and Santa would stop by again.

This year we had a special guest at our house during the month of December. A lot of families have an "Elf on the Shelf" which I think is cute-but I wanted to do something different. Tinsel the Magical Reindeer arrived at our home while we were gone and he had a note attached. The note explained who he was and that he reports to Santa every day. He also likes to hide and spy on the kids so every morning Tristan has to find him. Tristan loved Tinsel and was excited every morning to hunt for him in his secret hiding spots. (tree, lamps, stockings, refrigerator, cupboards, etc) When Santa stopped by he took Tinsel with him. Tristan was sad until we told him that he would come back again next Christmas. On Christmas morning-there was a note on Santa's plate from Santa telling the kids that Tinsel left them special gifts---a pooping Santa,a pooping reindeer, and a pooping snowman.

Christmas morning was nice-the kids didn't wake us up until 9:15am!!! I know-I was shocked too. We opened gifts and had a nice relaxing morning. That evening we traveled to Idaho Falls to enjoy dinner with Devin's family and open gifts.

Kyra LOVES her new baby doll. She is such a sweet mommy.

The kids are modeling their new Christmas Eve pajamas. This was a new tradition I wanted to start this year and I almost forgot. I had to get the kids out of bed for us to open our pajama gifts.

Overall-we had a great Christmas and I get a little sad when it's "over". I wish the Christmas spirit stayed throughout the year....minus the stress and crowds. :-)

Happy 1st Birthday Kyra!!!!

A year ago today at 10:02am, Kyra Crystal was born. She was 20.5 inches long, 8lbs 4 oz. I can't believe she is already 1. Where does the time go?? Kyra is such a spunky little sweetheart and our lives couldn't be better with her in it. She LOVES her brother and sister and can't get enough mommy and daddy time. She is beginning to walk everywhere and is in to everything. Kyra loves to play with her baby doll and will cover her up with a blanket and carry her around like a real baby. She may not be a sleeper or a napper but when you look at her face and her big smile-you don't care how tired you are. I love her sooooo much and am thankful each and every day that she joined our family on December 23, 2010.

Happy 1st Birthday Kyra!!!

Nutcracker 2011 and Trix on the floor

This last Saturday was the last performance of the Nutcracker and in a way I'm so glad it is over. Over the last two weeks she was in 4 performances and 2 mini performances for the schools. She has also been practicing for a minimum of 2 hours each week since October-on top of her 3 days a week dance classes. Every performance of the Nutcracker was sold out; and they actually set up folding chairs in the aisles. On Saturday they had a waiting list for even more folding chairs. All of the dancers do such a great job and it is very professional looking. I'm so proud of her and the talent she has. Even though she can only hear in one ear-her musicality is amazing. It isn't just me being a proud mother saying this-but also the academy owners/instructors. They can't believe how well she does with one ear.

I decided to help out backstage with the little "chefs" this year because none of their mothers signed up. I helped last Friday and thanks to one of the other mothers of a "cherub"-I almost went crazy. She was beyond obnoxious. Cortlynn told me that she was up there every night-even when she wasn't supposed to be. She's one of those people that has to be the center of attention and doesn't follow the rules or instructions. She actually told the dance instructor what to do and how to choreograph the dance. AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!

Cortlynn was a rat this year and was in the fan favorite "battle scene"

This week we made some ornaments with the kids. The ornaments came in prepackaged kits and I think someone or the machine had a sense of humor. The gingerbread man that went on Kyra's ornament had some stars and twirls in places that shouldn't have them. Cortlynn was the one that pointed this out.

Check out the "naughty" gingerbread man on the right.

I think I've mentioned in a past blog how Kyra has discovered the cereal cabinet. This is Kyra digging into the Trix box. She will actually move the Pops, and Rice Krispies to get to the Trix.






She spilled the cereal in this picture and the look on her face is hilarious. (I think she also had a mouth full of cereal)

We have a baby swing that Kyra was never interested in until I started watching baby Kloe. Now-she plays with it all the time. She will put her baby doll in the swing and swing it high. Last week I turned around and she had climbed into the swing by herself and started to swing it back and forth. She is such a little stinker but I love her.

Don't you dare sit on your (bleep) ...Oh the Drama!

These last few days I've wondered how people can be so mean to each other-especially little girls. I was 10 once and in 5th grade, but I honestly don't remember being so mean and full of drama. Perhaps I blocked it from my memories and my mom remembers my pre-teen years differently. I don't know-but Cortlynn sure has had a few moments that have caused me to consider never allowing her to leave the house.

A few weeks ago a girl in her class was having a birthday party and invited every girl in the class except Cortlynn and her friend. This is alright-I don't expect her to be invited to all parties but the birthday girl and her "posse" actually went up to Cortlynn and the other girl and made a point to tell them that they were the only ones not invited. I guess the birthday girl and her friend didn't like Cortlynn's friend and were very mean to her at school. They even called her up at home and said horrible things. (not sure why--- caller ID and they left messages; easy to trace) The moms got involved and made the trouble makers apologize. Fast forward a week---now Cortlynn is the odd one out. Her "best" friend is now best friends with the other girls that were so nasty to her. (can anyone say "Heathers"???? a cult classic movie)

I've actually been dragged into the new drama filled blow up. A few nights ago-a dance mom approached me and told me how her daughter was accused of saying a bad word to another dancer and Cortlynn was the "witness". That night I sat down with Cortlynn and asked her the deal between the two girls. She rolled her eyes and told me how they are always being snotty to each other and that she tries to stay out of it. I asked her if she had ever heard either one of them say any bad words and she told me no. (Just the older girls and adults :-0 I talk to the mom again last night at dress rehearsal and told her that Cortlynn has never HEARD any bad words come out of either girls mouths. End of story. Nope--the girl making the accusation actually came up to me and told me that Maddi did say a bad word and that I need to say that. OH no you didn't little missy! I had to explain to her that I wasn't there and Cortlynn didn't hear anything so neither one of us would say anything different. The "funny" thing is the fact this has been going on for a week now and the incident took place 2 months ago. You would think that the word used was the mother of all words or even one of the other words that is used to describe certain women. Nope----the phrase in question is: "All she does is sit on her @$$"

Yep-that is it. Who would have thought WW III would have been started with the word @$$? Don't get me wrong, I don't think it is appropriate for little girls to have potty mouths and the world is full of to many "F" words--but stating that she sits on her butt???? The girl wasn't even called a "butt".... I don't know. I guess some women have to have drama in their lives and if their lives are boring they have to invent something to bitch about. (oh yes-I went there)

Birthday, Thanksgiving, Photos, and Raaawwrrrr

This past week I "celebrated" my 36th birthday. 36!!! I can't believe that I am 36 years old. Just 4 more years before I am 40. I think because of that reason-I had a difficult time with this birthday. The kids were cute-they wanted to make sure they gave me my hugs and kisses, my birthday spanking, and Tristan even thought I should make myself a cake so I could blow out the candles. Devin gave me one of the best gifts I've ever received....a Kitchen Aid mixer. YEAH!!!! I am so excited to finally have a mixer that works. I've had several hand mixers, but unfortunately have burned the motors up. I just can't get over how much I LOVE my mixer. Thank you so much DEVIN!

For Thanksgiving the kids and I went up to Angela and Jeff's house for dinner. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and loved being able to sit back and relax. Devin came up after work: and I ate some more. YUMMY! Thanks guys-for having such a great Thanksgiving dinner!

I tried to take pictures of Tristan and Cortlynn this week and I can't believe how old they look. My little babies are growing up. :-(

A few weeks ago I took Kyra in for her 1 year photo. WOW-I can't believe she will be 1 in a few weeks. Anywhooo- She wasn't very cooperative this time. Most of the photos she was sitting on my lap. Thank goodness the photographer was able to crop me out. The following are just a few of the pictures-I am pretty happy with them. She is just so photogenic.

Several people made comments on Cortlynn's Halloween costume and the resemblance between her and me-so I looked thru my old photo albums and found one of me in the same costume. It's amazing how camera's have improved over the last 17 years---the photo quality has definitely improved.

1994 2011