making cookies

Almost 2 weeks ago we decorated the tree and made cut out sugar cookies!  The big kids helped decorate while Eric was napping and he was so thrilled when he woke up!

Caroline showing him an ornament.  He likes to take them off the tree but has gotten better now.

My helpers!  Caroline and Eric decorated a pan and then Will and Eric decorated the second pan.

Cheese!

 Justin tried to get a picture of all 3 looking.  It's a challenge for sure.

Caroline with a chipped tooth!  Caroline was holding a flashlight and Will threw a football that bumped the flashlight into her mouth!  I took her the next day to get it fixed.  Now you can't even tell.

Grandma and Grandpa are almost here!  We will enjoy a week-long visit with them.

Granddaddy and MiMi

Christmas part one!  Granddaddy and Mimi flew in Thursday night (finally made it after several attempts!).  We had such a great time and the kids weren't ready for them to go, and neither were Justin and I!  We celebrated Christmas while they were here too.  Dad downloaded a bunch of pictures and videos but I can't find them on my computer after I restarted it!  

Miles missed his Granddaddy!  And truth be told I think his granddaddy missed him!  Miles was never far away from Dad.

Checking out the helicopter dad got for Christmas.

The big kids had fun decorating the gingerbread house with Mimi while Eric was eating all the candy!

Playing in the big box was better than the gifts!

Still working on the house!

Thanks for coming out to see us!!  We enjoyed having you and can't wait to see you again.

What's going on around here

Last monday I took Will to Children's Mercy hospital in KC to have an endoscopy done.  It didn't happen because he had a cough and still does!  My neighbor was supposed to watch Eric for me but her daughter got sick and she had to take her to the doctor.  So I sent a facebook message to Liz, Justin's college roommates wife, at 1030 Sunday night.  I woke up Monday morning to see a message back from her that she would love to watch him!!  Prayers answered!  So Justin missed his first class and then dropped Eric off.
Will got all prepped and ready and even had his hand marked for the IV.  He was resisting and crying and that made him cough and the nurses and anesthesiologist listened to his lungs and thought he had asthma since he was wheezing so badly!  So no scope.  It was rescheduled for Dec 31 and he has to be symptom free for 2 weeks before the procedure.  So the cut-off for having no symptoms is Friday and he is still coughing.  Oh and Monday afternoon I took him to the doctor on post and they gave up a steroid and an inhaler and set us up to see the asthma specialist here.  I had to wake Eric up from his nap to take Will to the doctor, call the school and let Caroline know to go to the neighbors house when she got home, and then take Will to have a chest xray too!  We finally got home at 430, I whipped up so dinner and then we left for the Nutcracker.  I felt like I was underwater and playing catch up the rest of the week!
Saturday we went to a Christmas tree farm and our neighbor came with us and took pictures for us.  It was a great time and she took some great pictures!  I'll post them soon.  Saturday night the same neighbor watched the kids for us so Justin and I could go to his small groups' Christmas party.  Sunday morning was the last time I taught Sunday school for this year.  School is out for Christmas on Friday and so many leave town they won't have SS until January.  After church we decorated our tree and then went to a different friends house for dinner!  What a fun weekend.
This week brought more busyness as Will has a basketball camp Monday- Thursday from 4-5.  The kids get home from school and 330 and Will has to change clothes and have a snack in about 20 minutes.  That's a pretty tough thing to do when you have lots and lots to say about your day!
Caroline also chipped a tooth.  Or I should say WIll accidentally chipped Caroline's tooth!  She was holding a flashlight and Will threw a ball and hit the flashlight that then hit her tooth.  So Tuesday morning I had an appointment to take Miles tot he vet for his shots and checkup and then had to take Caroline to get her tooth fixed.  It was her front left one and the dentist did a great job.  Her appointment was during Eric's nap time and since he wasn't feeling well and didn't want to wake him so I had my neighbor and her son come and listen out for him!  Worked well and we were able to get back the same time Will got home from school!
Today I took Eric to the doctor and he has croup!  Poor little fellow isn't feeling very good and has a runny, gross nose and a barking cough.
Caroline came downstairs this morning telling me her throat was hurting!  UGH!

It figures we would be sick again since Granddaddy and Mimi fly into town tomorrow!!!  More spraying of Lysol and lots of hand washing.

Tomorrow Will has a kindergarten Christmas program at 2.  Justin is going to that since Eric will be napping.  Friday they both have parties in the afternoon but Granddaddy will be listening out for Eric!  Now to get cupcakes made for Will's class!

Lots of pictures to come.

Nutcracker time!

Well... I started this post last Friday and tried to finish it MOnday and it wouldn't publish and I am finally getting back to finishing it!!!

Last Monday, the 3rd, I took Caroline and Will to see the Moscow ballet perform the Nutcracker on post.  The show started at 6 so even though it was a school night we were home a little after 8.  Perfect!!

They both throughly enjoyed it and I loved taking them.

Ready to go!  

Will's favorite part is the fighting mice!

Caroline and I both had a favorite dancer and when I told her which ballerina was my favorite it was also hers!! 

Advent wreath making

Saturday morning I took the kids (plus Caroline's friend from her class Grace) to the chapel to make an advent wreath.  4 kids and 1 parent.  Justin was doing homework.  

Singing Christmas carols.  They stood like this for all the songs!!  Caroline had spent the night at Grace's house and they had a blast together!

Will isn't so sure how this whole wreath making is going to go!

Caroline and grace made a wreath for Grace's family.  On the long table behind them  is a selection of different live greens, ribbons, bells, and berries to choose from.

Making his silly face!

He had a great time helping push the pins in to hold the branches on.

While Eric had fun decorating his donut!!

So proud!

The girls made theirs pretty fancy.

 I tried to get a picture of all 3 kids.  Eric wasn't very cooperative since it was past his usual lunch time and getting close to nap time.

Siblings

I love my kids and how well they get along with each other.  Especially Will and Caroline.  Will and Eric have their moments and are getting better.  But Eric is still a screamer and not the best at using his words to tell Will to back off!  Eric has started coming up to me and telling me "Will hit me" and of course wants Will to get in trouble, but it happens after Eric has hit Will first!  It's a work in progress with those two!!

Caroline reading out loud while I'm making dinner.  See that look in Eric's eyes?  Right after I took the picture he hit Will!

Then this!!  Caroline's still reading and I'm burning dinner!

Then there are moments like this where Eric is sharing a seat at the table with Will and they are so sweet to each other!!

Eric loves his big brother and would rather have him home than anywhere else.

Figured out how to do a fishtail braid!

On the sidewalk at terminal A

Thanksgiving was a blast and if you haven't checked out Susan's blog post about it you should (she has all the fun pictures!).  We picked Susan and Ryan up from the airport Tuesday at 5pm and came home to have dinner.  Wednesday we went grocery shopping and made some of the food.  Wednesday night Justin and the big kids went to pick Graham up from the airport.  Justin texted me that Caroline just threw up.  I was hoping that she could have avoided it since it had been a few days since I had been sick.  But that wasn't the case and she did throw up on the sidewalk at terminal A.  Which sounds like that name of a song or a book title!  Oh how I was hoping that all the cleaning and spraying of Lysol would stop the germs and the Morris family wouldn't get sick.  AND.... it worked!  They didn't get sick!!

What a sweet cutie pie!  You fall in love with him the instant he walks right up to you and holds his arms up for you to hold him, then lays his sweet little hot head on your shoulder all nestled in!  Boy do I love that boy!!

Didn't think to get a before picture but this was after.

We had: turkey, ham, stuffing, corn casserole, two types of green beans, sweet potato casserole, onion casserole, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet potato yeast rolls, sour dough rolls, pecan pie bars, and chocolate pumpkin pies!!  YUMMY!

The crew minus Graham and Eric.  We ate in the basement at our dining room table!  Our basement is surprisingly very unbasement like since it doesn't smell like a typical basement and it is warm down there!

Did I mention that after they got home picking up Graham, Caroline comes in sits in my lap and then pukes on me?!  Then Will and I both end up getting sick again Friday night and me again Saturday night!  This past week was a healthy one for our family and today (Saturday) marks one of the few in the past month that I haven't been sick!

Cranberry pecan shortbread bars that I made the other day.  Wow are these things good!!

Thanks for coming Susan, Graham, and Ryan!!  We loved having you.