Surviving Christmas Break

 Christmas break is long!  In order to survive having the kids home that long we had girls nights out, date nights and surprising the kids with a trip to the Dells.

 Some thought we were crazy.  We were 3 moms taking 9 kids to Kalahari.  We were just a tad out numbered.  It ended up working out well.

 These 2 are double trouble.  They also share the common bond of being the third.

 Winding down for the night.

 The 3 girls.  The rest were boys!

 Almost the whole crew.  We had one that didn't want his picture taken

 The kids had a great time together.  They spent a ton of time on the slide with the large tube.  They liked that 3 of them could ride together.

 Enjoying the hot tub before they got kicked out.  The lifeguard on duty when they got in didn't care they were in there.  The next one on duty kicked them out.

 The whole crew ready to go eat dinner

 Evelyn wanted a picture with the big rock

These kids had a great time together.  The moms enjoyed having them occupied and happy for a few days.  All 3 of my kiddos slept on the way home.

Chrsitmas

 Tita Angela and Uncle Brett came down and spent Christmas with us.  We managed to get a group picture.

 Sasha put herself there.  We didn't have to call her over.

 She always supervised the opening of presents.  The kids get to open some presents Christmas Eve night to make room for Santa.

 We miss our furry baby so much!

 More magna-tiles!

 The kids went to bed happy with what they got so far.

With the kids getting older Santa is having to stay up later and later.  The tree was eventually ready for them bright and early in the morning.

 The kids are starting to sleep in but not on Christmas morning.  They were up and ready, trying to be patient for us to wake up.  Evelyn is usually the one they send in to wake me up.

 Digging in

 Lego Magic Kingdom castle!

He has to build and program this robot

 More American Girl items

 mermaid blanket

 They didn't even get dressed for the day before starting to build.

I found Evelyn taking a break under the dining room table

Polar Express/Grinch Day

 The kid's grade school turns the kindergarten-second grade hallway into the Polar Express 

and the Third-fifth grade hallway into the Grinch hallway

 Throughout the month of December the kids were challenged to grow their hearts. They would earn hearts to add to the Grinch by completing acts of kindness.

 Each classroom was a different car of the polar express train.

 They got to rotate through a game car, snack car, dance car, craft, car, etc.

 Carter's class made Christmas cards to send to nursing home residents (I think).

 Evelyn and I took advantage of the last few days before Christmas break to make a couple batches of Katah. I love that she truly enjoys helping me with this tradition.

 I kept finding Sasha chewing her bone under the tree.

 By the time the break came the kids were all worn out to the point of willingly snuggling with me all at the same time.  I'll take it!

Christmas break also means having to entertain the kids all day. We took the kids bowling and out to lunch with friends.

Christmas program

 Mid-December the kids had their Children's Christmas program at church. Audrey was an angel, Evelyn a cow and Carter was a narrator.

 These 2 cows should've been placed in their own stalls.

 Audrey looking angelic

 Carter did a great job narrating

 The animals turn to sing

 And the angels

Seriously, these 2 are trouble together