fun.

Solace invented this new game with Grandpa. Stand on the cooler and jump/plop down next to Grandpa, and then laugh. Repeat. That's how you play. :) Lullaby liked the game a bit too.

 The big boys got lots of Grandpa snuggles in too, while watching movies. I love that even when they can't see their grandparents a lot, they still have strong relationships with each other.

painting

Painting is a new favorite activity around here. I get out paints and paper or little somethings they've created out of salt dough (and baked before painting). I have such busy little kiddies.

Berg circus and Sully skateboarding

Welcome to The Berg Circus! :) So funny. I feel like we are a circus act sometimes. Grandpa got to see first hand how much we use our cul-de-sac. The big boys (including Paul) showed off their FAST bike riding skills. Lullaby played a lot of chase and Sully showed off his skateboarding skills.

I finally compiled a few clips of Sully on his board. He could ride before he could walk. The first clip was from when he was 12 months old, then the others are on up to now. Enjoy.

package!

We got another package from Grandma Stacy (before Christmas - I'm just still catching up) with some fun Christmas-y things. The kids were SUPER excited about them. Thanks!

friends

Solace doesn't love everyone. He usually clings to me or to Paul when there are new faces around. He tolerates some people, but rarely goes to them willingly. My dad is the exception of that rule, and Solace was caught going to him lots of times during his visit. I'm glad they're friends.

drawing

The artists at work. Matix LOVED drawing with Grandpa. So cute.

Christmas party

We went to a friends house for a Christmas party and it was a lot of fun. I really need to be better about taking pictures of food, because there was a lot of it, and it all tasted amazing. I did get pictures of what we brought though. Some Christmas tree cookies. White chocolate in the shape of arrows, pretzel sticks mushed into that, then green candy melts zigzagged over the top and sprinkle decorations made by the kids. Adorable.

At the party, Matix and Hawken both got into a kissy game with Lilliana. She is Matix's age, and was in his preschool last year, and is now in Hawken's church class. So they both really love her. I didn't know HOW MUCH though, until the party.

playing babies

Lullaby and Grandpa were caught playing babies together. They were dancing and giving each other hugs. It was very nice. Grandpa even made a baby doll voice for his. So sweet.

Then Lullaby saw that I was taking a picture, and this is the face I got. Lovely. "I don't want a picture. I just want to play babies with MY grandpa!" This little stinker can be SO stubborn. I don't know where she gets it from... maybe me. Maybe.

Grandpa visits!

It's been a year, and Grandpa has returned! We sure missed him! My dad came for a week and a couple days and it was really nice to see him. He came bearing gifts too! Woohoo! Cards from Alexandra (thanks Ali), and kringle! Yum! We ate it really fast...

operation

My mom got Paul this Operation game for his something to open on Christmas. Little did she know that everyone was going to love it. We have played it several times. All Solace wants to do is make it buzz, and that noise makes me crazy, so I don't let him play very much.

I love all the PUNNY doctor stuff Paul gets now. Ha ha ha. Speaking of Paul, his schedule now in January is supposed to be better than the millions of hours he worked last month, however... He left for work yesterday at 5am, and it's now 12:30pm TODAY, and still no sign of him. He left before the kids were awake yesterday and there's a good chance he won't be home until after they are asleep again tonight. So he saw them on Thursday night and he'll see them again Sunday morning. That just doesn't seem fair.

Christmas 2014 video

Christmas morning was very good to us. Thank you to all of the friends and family who sent presents to us. It was lovely. As usual, I made a video. It took me longer to put together this year, but here it is, along with a few other cute pictures from Christmas morning.  Solace trying out and liking the swing, as long as it was barely moving.

My dad and Sully watching the big kids while they jumped on the trampoline. Sully likes it too, when he is alone on it.

And, as promised, the video. Enjoy. 

not a creature was stirring...

Right after putting the kids to sleep, Paul and my dad and I all went outside to BUILD the trampoline and net. It was quite the project! Thankfully our backyard spotlights are REALLY bright and Paul and my dad are REALLY strong. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. But we got everything in place and ready to go for the morning. I was afraid that one of the kids would catch us, but our only close call was when Lullaby came downstairs and stumbled out the back door because she had gone to the bathroom and couldn't figure out how to get her footie jammies back on by herself. She didn't see anything and I got her settled back down and in bed without our surprise being ruined.

We celebrated inside with pumpkin eggnog. Yum! And stories from my dad's childhood, which were as entertaining as ever.

the pickle game

For dinner on Christmas Eve, I made the kids these darling chocolate milks. They don't love hot chocolate, they only love warm chocolate, so instead of fighting about temperature, I just made them cold chocolate milks. They loved them. Thanks Grandma Stacy for sending the adorable garnishments. We had other, actual dinner, too, FYI. These were just the drinks.

Then we played the pickle game. Another FUN tradition. Hide the pickle (ornament) in the tree, or in the present pile below, the kids hunt for the pickle and the finder gets a gift to open. These gifts were books and a very calming activity to do to wind down for the night.

The finding was hilarious to watch. Each child hunted each round until they were the finder. Matix was first and I didn't even have my camera out, he was so fast. Then Hawk, then Lulli, then Solace, right in order.

They loved the books and we read a couple of them right away. These were some of their books from the last few weeks at the Children's Museum. The last week of November I decided that I would choose their free book and not let them see it, then wrap them up and use them as gifts. They liked the idea and on our way home from the museum, they would try and guess what I chose.

Giving books is SO nice. Although we have a TON of books for the kids, I never feel like it's too many. They love reading and having that quiet time is good for everyone. Matix, by the way, has started reading the Boxcar Children books BY HIMSELF(!) and Hawken has started reading the Bob Books BY HIMSELF... I have the smartest kiddies ever.

cute

Cutest little reindeer around!

traditions

The marketing director from an online shop, Patience Brewster, contacted me to ask that I post about one of our favorite family Christmas traditions. That was easy, since I have a lot of favorites. One of my favorite holiday traditions is hearing my dad recite the Twas The Night Before Christmas poem. He read the story to me when I was little, and has kept it up and now reads it to my own children. Since we did our Christmas a few days late, he got to read it twice. Once for my little sister and her kids on Christmas Eve, and then again for my kids a few days later. Here they are FaceTiming together. Cute.

Then again on our Christmas Eve, reading to my guys.

After that, we watched this version of the Nativity. So beautiful. A perfect way to end the night and have sweet dreams of the gift that our Heavenly Father gave to us all.

Thanks Patience Brewster, for the excuse to blog about one of my favorite things, Christmas. Also, if you have the chance, check out their store, there are TONS of amazing pieces of art there. You'll love it.