Advent Workshop: 2011

The children’s choirs sang a little song to kick-off Advent Workshop this year, so the first nine thousand pictures in this post are of that.  :)

They’re fuzzy because I cropped the miles of stage and wall out of them.  (Matt needs a little work on framing shots.)  :)

I left all the kiddos in because they are either cute or hilarious or both.  If you see a great one of your kiddo and you want me to email you the original pic, I’d be happy to do that.

Joanna’s moving her hands here but I don’t know why.

They turned on the lights.  Apparently they were burning her retinas.

But she clearly got over it.

I have THE MOST WONDERFUL MOTHER EVER because she came and got James and took him home!!  She got to watch Joanna sing, and I got to get James’ handprint craft done.

James would NOT have had fun at Advent Workshop.  But he DID have fun eating an entire hamburger and snuggling with Gran at her house.  Wahoo!!

I took very few pictures.  I guess even just handling two kiddos and crafts is enough work (and Matt was there!).

They loved the cookie decorating and eating.  I’m not sure what the face is about though.

Natalie and Logan just started jumping for no reason.  It was very cute!

At home, we had to have pictures of the reindeer antlers:

Those kids sure are cute!

We had a wonderful time at Advent Workshop this year.  It was so nice to be one-on-one with the girls and their crafts.  I “got” Joanna, and she was so fun!  She can actually do the crafts now!  (Of course, I had to take my OCD, put it in a box, and shove it under the table, but I did it!)

PAR-TAY!!

Friday after the girls’ haircuts we popped by Lisa’s for a little play date.  Josie had a banana, which is James’ favorite food ever… can you tell?

James was the only boy.  Didn’t bother him!

The next morning we went to Aiden and Seth’s birthday party!

Oh man, if this mower had a weight in the front, James would have been everywhere with it!  He still loved pushing it with Daddy’s help.

I’m looking at the clothes people are wearing in the pictures and it’s just so funny.  A few days later as I’m writing this, it’s 44 degrees outside!

Kimberly and Scott had this cardboard space shuttle set up for the kids to decorate and play in.  I’m LOVING that idea and may steal it for the girls’ birthday party (in just a few weeks – yikes!)

There were lots of stations set up (all space-themed!) in the backyard.  What fun! 

I’m just happy Joanna hasn’t the slightest idea how to hold a gun.  (We don’t do guns of any kind around here.)

This boy is SO CUTE!!

And even though it’s overexposed (or whatever technical term is actually appropriate), I love this face!

There was a piñata, and Natalie actually collected more goodies than her sis – a first!

Scott made the coolest rocket ship cake ever!!

James tried out a walker.  He liked it, but it was too short for him to stand up comfortably.  He loved the concept though.  :)

And now a series of pictures depicting Joanna picking on someone not her own size (try two years younger):

Oh!

Poor Judson.

Happy birthday Seth and Aiden – we love you guys!

That same afternoon, at the same house (!!) we had a baby shower for my friend Kendra, who is expecting Jaxon in January.  Wahoo!!  I took not one single picture, so I’m waiting on some of the ladies who did.  AHEM!

Make-do Push Toy

I used to have one of those push toys with wheels on it that converted into a little ride-on toy.  Much like this one:

My girls didn’t play with it much so I sold it at Baby Daze (for probably the same $5 I bought it at Baby Daze (: ).  They couldn’t ever push it until they were able to walk and then it wasn’t fun. 

I’m kicking myself a little (only a little – we needed the space) because James would LOVE it right now.

As it is, he’s making do with what he’s got.

He’s so sturdy with it.  He can even turn it a little and get over some thresholds.

It isn’t all-terrain though, and he’s frustrated that he can’t go on the carpet.

Anybody have one of those wheelie versions they aren’t using?

Two Cute Girls

This was last Sunday (when it was actually cold enough – just barely! – to wear warmish clothes).  The girls looked so pretty I had to take them outside for a photo shoot.

When I kneel down to take their picture, they kneel down too.  :)

Natalie’s dress is a Vandengirl hand-me-down, and Joanna’s outfit is from her Gran.

Oh that face!!

This was Monday.  Joanna had a follow-up visit with the ENT.  We were waiting for a room to open up and I thought I would entertain myself by taking pictures of Joanna.

This skirt I think came from Joanna’s friend Riley last year; I’m pretty sure the boots did too.  I dug out a pair of tights that really are too small, but in the name of fashion she squeezed into them.  :)

If you didn’t know better, couldn’t she be like 17?!!

(Oh, and FYI Joanna still (or again) has some kind of pressure problem with her ears that is affecting her hearing.)

When we go to enchilada night, Joanna and Natalie always end up watching a movie on Christiana’s iPhone.  :)

They’re just so stinkin’ cute!

I finally got the girls in for haircuts; they’ve been so scraggly! 

After she gave them a trim, Stacey gave the girls pig-tail French braids!

I can do this to my own hair, and theoretically to the girls’, I just don’t think they’d sit so still for me!

I was so amazed at how she could braid Natalie’s hair and make it stay.  Natalie’s hair is so soft and fine.

Love it!

And they woke up the next day with waves!