a walk in the park

Mike and Grampa Wright took Ruby for a walk in the park.  They spread out, and called her back and forth between them to get her to run more.  Mike captured these funny action shots.

Santa Visit 2013

This year was the first year that Josh wasn't really into the mall santa and we weren't even sure if he'd sit up on the jolly man's lap.  But, I think he's a safe gambling guy, and he hopped up there reluctantly. 

 

This was also the first year that I didn't dress them up in special matching outfits and obsessed over the tiny details.  It was Saturday, the day of Luke's birthday party so he was wearing his birthday boy shirt and Josh was just wearing every day clothes. And yet, I love these pictures. Lesson Learned.

Joy to the World -- A Christmas Program

Luke's preschool Christmas Program was last night.  He looked SO handsome in his suit, with his tie outside of his vest so you can see it.

 



Preshow jitters...

 His room is the pre-K kids, ages 4 and 5.  They sang I Believe in Christmas, Joy To The World, and Jingle Bells.  Luke was a little more tentative than last year, but still had a stellar performance.

He was looking at the stage as the preschool kids got up and did their play.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

We had the house decorated for a week or so before we put up the tree -- so Ruby cuddled with Luke on the lonely tree skirt. 

cuddling soon turned to kissing. 

 

We got our tree Saturday and put it up as soon as it thawed out.  It was still bundled in twine, so we had to let it take shape. Luke kept us posted on it's progress -- it's starting to look like an egg -- or, it's very fat now!
Josh got this year's star installing honors. We got such a short tree that he could just ride on daddy's shoulders to place it.

Just getting the final positioning...

 

Luke hanging ornaments -- he was so into it! 

Ruby's first Christmas.  She's not too sure about this tree thing.  She has been good so far, not even knocking ornaments down with her tail, but we know the season is young.

 

And in closing, this random shot of Ruby in her favorite chilling-out spot.

 

Baker Boy

Luke and I made sugar cookies this week. He was kind of distraught about our empty cookie jar. 

The next night we frosted them. He was very artistic, adding more than one color to almost each cookie.  He kept saying "these are so pretty" about every one he completed. 

Sparkles

Sparkles is our elf on the shelf.  This year she came out Dec 1 and she's been up to some shenanigans.

We unanimously decided that this was a warning -- better be good -- instead of encouragement.  And the message was gone before we left for school that morning.  They figured she gave it to them, why not eat it.

This is my shopping list paper, and it says "candy, sugar, candy corn, syrup" -- directly from Elf.

She traded the stockings for socks.  Luke was super worried that the stockings were gone forever, and that Champ's and Ruby's stockings were going tob e gone for Christmas.  He was so relieved when they appeared like normal the next day.

 

She gets tired.

Luke thought she was looking for a kiss, hanging right under the mistletoe.

baby it's cold outside

 

After a week of frigid temperatures and no outside play, we just HAD to get outside.  It was definitely at least -10, if not colder, but we bundled up and tried our best.  It took us 15 minutes to get the three of us bundled, and we were outside for about 10.  Perfect.

The boys tried to make a snow fort.  The snow was way too cold to stick together, so they decided to make snow tunnels for snow ball delivery later. 

This is Josh pretending to attack me saying NO PICTURES

And Luke's version of no pictures.  He looks so happy. 

 



We came inside and wrote letter to Santa while we drank some hot cocoa. I worked on Christmas pillow cases for the boys.  The fabric on the right is Josh's choice.  So mature and fancy.



Ruby found the fabric for Luke's pillow case and decided that was just the right place to cuddle up.  Luke's fabric selection was this juvenile fleece -- much more what I was picturing when we headed off to Joann's.



 

This is Luke's letter.  He decided since he didn't know how to spell, he'd draw a picture for Santa.  And then Josh started dictating for him, and this note says "Dear Santa, 12-7-13, Lego City Undercover, DSI, Air Hogs Bomb Drop"