After weeks and months of planning, purchasing, wrapping, sneaking, and stressing, it was all over in about 30 minutes. Glenn and I had been up in the middle of the night with the fourth and final child to get the stomach flu, so we put the kids off until 8:00. Yes, this is another Christmas miracle. They were patient enough to open their gifts one at a time in order from youngest to oldest as is tradition, but even with that structure, I walked into the kitchen to start the cinnamon rolls at 8:35. And that was that. I was asleep on the couch by about 9:45. We had a nice lazy morning and then headed to the Franklins to open presents with them. Emma only stayed about 20 minutes because she still wasn't feeling well. Glenn and I did a little switcheroo so we were each able to enjoy the yummy dinner. Later that night we headed to the Chattertons to exchange gifts with them. I think everyone was pretty satisfied and happy with what they got from Santa and other gift-givers. Emma has perked up and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the flu is gone for good. It was a fun Christmas, and the party will continue when my parents get here Friday!!

Puzzle Answers

Across-
3. bishopric
6. podcast
7. playoffs
8. leader
10. basketball
11. substitute
13. manager
14. play
15. four

Down-
1. Disneyland
2. kindergarten
4. Wicked
5. helper
9. elected
11. swimming
12. New York

Isn't she lovely?

Oh, and by the way, I got my new camera!! I took this picture of Emma and LOVE IT, so I thought I'd share it with you. What a beauty!

Merry Sickmas

Ah, yes, the most wonderful time of the year has finally arrived, and along with it, the flu bug! This thing is running rampant around here. I swear everyone I have talked to has either had it or someone in the house has. I thought we might be lucky, but Leah came home from school Thursday and told me she has thrown up at school and didn't tell anyone. She stayed home from school Friday, and some tears were shed when she realized she wouldn't even be going into school at noon. By Friday night she was better, and we went from this on Saturday:

to this less than 48 hours later:

Brooke started in around 9 last night and didn't get settled until almost midnight. By that time we had changes her sheets 3 times and had gone through almost every blanket in the house because she just couldn't seem to make it on the towel, let alone to the toilet. So we thought it was over, until we heard Andrew crying at 2:45. I knew his first time wouldn't be his last, so I lay in bed watching the Food Network Challenge from 3 to 4 am, with a few trips to the bathroom thrown in there. (They were making Disney Villans cakes in case you're interested.) We ended up bringing Andrew's mattress into our room--closer to a toilet and easier for us to hear if he needs us.

So, here we are, Christmas Eve, and stuck in the house all day. Luckily for Emma and Leah, Grandma Franklin invited them down to make cookies or something. I felt bad for them. And I might take them over to the Chattertons this afternoon. At this moment Andrew seems fine. His appetite is back (although we are taking it easy) and he was really upset that he didn't get to go to Grandma's. Brooke, however, is still on the couch. She threw up the little applesauce she had this morning and it feels like she has a fever. What a drag to be sick on Christmas!

Well, I should probably do another load of laundry. There are mountains and mountains in the laundry room. I guess we'll never forget this Christmas!

Broadway Bound, Emma (a.k.a. Mother) Style

Last night was the play, as all of you know. Mom made me a wonderful gray fleece skirt. It went well with a white turtleneck shirt Leah and I have. With those two items of clothing I also wore black tights and Sunday shoes. :-) We performed the play twice, one for the school at 12:30, and one for family and friends at 7:00. Both times were really fun. I got a lot of compliments. After school Mom, Leah, Andrew, and I went to Giant Eagle to pick out flowers for Miss Griffin. The bouquet we picked out was gorgous! Mom told Leah and me," You know one of you has to be willing to give these to her," so of course I said that I would. At the evening performance at the end all the 4th graders were mobbing Santa (a.k.a. Mr. Miller) begging for candy canes. I finally got one and sucked on it. Oh! I almost forgot! Santa told all the 4th graders to sit down, and Mom was telling me to go get the bouquet and I said no I can't and she said come and get it so I came and got it and gave it to Miss Griffin. She said," Another one? Thank you, Emma!" Also, Mrs. Szabo liked the skirt and Mrs. Tindall thought it was made out of wool. It was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo fun!! I don't know what my favorite part was; I liked the whooooooooole thing. :-)

Broadway Bound

Last night was the big night! Emma and Leah had two performances of the first ever Holly Lane winter program, one during the day for the students, and one at night. It was a very exciting day. I think I was more nervous/excited/anxious than the girls were! I recorded the afternoon performance, and I was glad that I was by myself in the back, because then no one had to see me wipe the tears from my eyes. You could just see how excited the students were to be putting on the play. I was so proud of all of them. Emma did a terrific job of delivering her lines--lots of expression!! She said she would audition for something else in the future--do we have the next Broadway star here? Watch out, Idina Menzel!! Leah's class performed the "Las Posadas" song, and Leah was up there shaking those maracas! She was not too thrilled about the itchy sombrero, but her costume was cute! We are glad she did not fall off of the risers, since she was on the end of the top row, and we are a little sad that the sombrero of the girl in front of her was huge and blocked Leah in some of the pictures. But we do have the whole 35 minutes on tape, and this proud mother will be showing it to anyone and everyone, so be prepared!!! It was just such a fun time for the kids, and a great day for the fourth grade at Holly Lane.

Here are some pictures from the performance:

Just a note on why this is such a big deal...The former music teacher at Holly Lane has been around a LOOOONG time, in fact, he taught Glenn at Parkside! (now that's OLD!) He was pretty much burnt out and put out because he felt that he and the music program were being squeezed out. So he took a one year "sabbatical" this year and we had the lovely Miss Griffin as the substitute. She has breathed life into the students at the school and is actually teaching them MUSIC. We love what she has done, and love her quirky style. We have learned that the old music teacher has submitted his resignation to the school board and it has been accepted, so we are really hoping that Miss Griffin will be hired on permanently. So you can see that it has been a long time since there has been such enthusiasm around the school. The principal said that it was the first time the stage has been used (as a stage) in the 8 years she has been at the school!

It's the most busiest time of the year!

Ok, not only has winter hit, but we are also getting slammed with a lot of stuff to DO!! Last week, I remember thinking that things weren't really that bad, what are people complaining about? The hustle and bustle of the holiday season isn't that big of a deal. This coming week has changed my outlook on things. We have something going on every night!

Monday- FHE, which will be taking the kids shopping for their "secret Santa" gifts for each other. Walmart or Target, pick your poison.

Tuesday- Activity Days for Emma and Leah, and for some strange reason I volunteered to help.

Wednesday- The big play!!! Two performances, both of which I will be attending, of course.

Thursday- Tithing settlement.

Friday- school Christmas parties (I have to go to Andrew's), pizza and movie night at our house.

Now I need to add to that: piano lessons, 3 class book exchanges and 1 class gift exchange, a school assembly, fashioning some sort of skirt for Emma to wear for the play, and visiting teaching. And the house is in its usual state of disarray, which makes for a very unproductive atmosphere. Also, there is an abundance of junk food laying around, most of which is my fault. Since I am the one responsible for the existence of these unhealthy tidbits, I should be responsible for their disposal as well, and I have been very attentive to this. All of this lends itself to a feeling of laziness and irritablilty, counterproductive when I need to get stuff done! Well, I gotta go pop another pfefferneuse before we head out to piano....