The Puddles

Merry Christmas, Dad!  We love you!  The Puddles

Daddy wanted to win this white elephant gift in our small group Christmas party.  It was taken away from him but it was salvaged by his wife.  Daddy feels like he won.  Sometimes I have to remind him that it is my chair especially when he keeps taking it to church in order to serve as his throne.  Daddy really likes this chair.  It is certainly one of the better white elephant gifts that we have ever won. We haven’t tried taking it to a soccer game but that is next!  Oh the stories our children will tell one day!

There were contests with Mr. Potato Head.  There were car wrecks in ditches that required surgery at hospitals, ambulance rides, and a man with a sword to ward off the bad guy.  At the end, Gordon got a ride down the street in the wagon/ambulance.  

Christmas parties for the kids were  a little harder this year.  I had three classes at two school (separated by miles) and all of the parties were being held at the same time.  I did make all of them, and managed to bring food and other requested items to all  (Ben’s party didn’t need food because they had won a prize which caused a slight panic on my part).

The younger kids got to wear their pajamas and have a Polar Express Day at school.  Madie was sad she didn’t get to do that.  But she had a good time with her friends in her class eating and playing games.  I managed to forget my camera for her party.  Poor girl.  But I managed it better at the other kids school.  It was a good day!  

Chris was requested by the fourth grade teachers to come back and play the guitar at their Christmas Party again (like he did last year at Madie’s Christmas Party).  He of course said yes.  I said, “What? You know that you have three children and none of them are in that class?”  So . . . the man and his partner (a.k.a. Ryan) became the roving troubadours at Wilkinson Ele. Christmas parties.  I’m not sure how many classes that they ended up at.  Ben and Ainsley did get a visit from the pair.  Songs were song from almost every hallway.  They did a really great job.  Chris loved it.  Ryan looked . . . scared.  I was worried about him.  He assured me that he was fine.  But he met a lot of kids and teachers and parents.  Ben loved the ENTIRE experience.  He was chatting to Ryan and conducting Chris and laughing loudly.  He was all smiles.  Ainsley was happy too and gave Ryan a big hug but then had to be reminded to hug Dad.  Good day.

We gathered after dinner to make ornaments.  So much fun!  Even Ben got into it.  The big kids matched up with a younger one.  Ainsley had Parker as a buddy.  She loved it.  The kids had a good time and we followed it with worship with Dad.

My final picture for 2012.  I have a ton of pictures to catch up on from December, but it is time to go hang with the kids and bring in the new year.  If 2013 can be anything like 2012,  we have nothing but awesomeness coming our way!!!

The girls enjoyed a Christmas Party together.  The moms did a great job of bringing a lot of great things for the girls to do.  Ainsley is playing the game “Stuff the Santa”. The girls see how many balloons that they can stuff in Santa’s shirt!  Ainsley’s group won!!