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Only waited in line for an hour (worse last year).  My boys love seeing Santa!

2006

And for your viewing enjoyment (I apologize that my scanner doesn’t do the best job on some of these, including this year’s).  2000 – 2005

Greeting cards have all been sent. (Go ahead, sing it like Karen Carpenter, I can’t resist either).

All gifts are bought, wrapped and under the tree.

The meals are planned.

Santa has yet to be seen and sat on, but I am putting Derek in charge of that (sorry, honey).  I know the lines will be minimal at this point. 🙂

The house is clean.

And I just took a long walk (including some jogging) with Jacob to try to induce labor…and let me tell you, it’s been a LOOOOONNNNNGGG time since either of those things have happened (walking and jogging).  

We’ll see what happens…

Had a nice time visiting with my Dad and Christy who came to celebrate a couple of days of Christmas with us.  The big gift from them…this:

(Look at those faces!)  It’s a 15-in-1 game table that has pool, foosball, basketball, air hockey, ping pong, shuffleboard, bowling, etc, etc, etc…

It kept the boys occupied for 3 whole hours this morning and several more this afternoon.  And when they got a little tired of it, what did they do?

They took the box it came in and smashed it to smithereens in the backyard.  I love how simple boys can be…give ’em a box and a bat and let ’em go.

We’ve been enjoying the season, despite me being large in stature and hormonal. 🙂

Christmas books, looking at Christmas lights, Christmas goodies and treats, etc.

Here are a few of my favorites:

A gingerbread house (thanks to the kits you can buy for $7!)

Our neighbors are big practical jokers.  While at their house for a Christmas party this weekend we asked about the SpongeBob blow-up yard art that appeared in their yard last year thanks to a scheming family member.  When we left their house that night we found SBSP in our yard!  We still don’t know how they did it (extension cord, stakes and all), but we know they had another neighbor family’s help.  What makes it even funnier is that I am not a fan of the show and the kids have never seen it.  So we have had several families from church dropping off goodies and complimenting our yard art.  And don’t try to unplug it, or hide the extension cord…everytime we do that we find SB plugged in again, with a new cord, or on our porch close to the outlet.  They are RELENTLESS!  Pretty funny prank.  And we’re staging revenge…we’re stealing their tasteful light-up snowman tonight and trading it for this ugly yellow guy. 

And last night we had two surprise visitors that made my kids eyes light up!  Santa and Mrs. Claus are old friends of ours (of course) and were in the neighborhood on a "Santa for Hire" assignment, so they stopped in for a visit.  The boys were on their way to bed, but were so cute and so excited.  It was priceless!  It doesn’t get any better than a Santa that makes house calls.

I’m feeling a little more PATIENT today than I was yesterday!  After a new haircut and highlight to cover the gray, lots of laundry folded and put away, "hello dollie" cookies made (mmmm…), and a holiday party for me and Derek tonight (first time to go out together in ummm…months), I’m feeling better.  Tired, but better.

One of our baby traditions is to guess the date, weight and length as a family and record our guesses.  We’re rarely, if ever, right.  But it’s fun to do anyway.  Here they are:

Meredith – Dec 22nd (Jacob is 9/22, Caleb is 7/22, wouldn’t it be fun to have them all 22nd babies!), 7 lbs, 10 oz, 19.5 inches long (I cheated and just took the median average of the other two boys!)

Derek – Dec 28th, 7 lbs 4 oz, 19 inches

Jacob – Jan 1st, 7 lbs 2 oz (his original guess was 9 lbs 6 oz…I quickly told him that I DON’T have babies that big and he looked at me and said "Mom, it’s my guess.", but then he changed it), 18.5 inches

Caleb – Jan 3rd, 8 lbs 1 oz, 18 inches ("Caleb those are good guesses", I said.  "Of course, mom…I’m the baby expert.")

Care to take any guesses?!?

Well, so it goes…I go into labor at 27 weeks and we worry about him coming way too early.  I take every precaution necessary (steroid injections, medication, bed rest, no driving, no stairs, etc.) and now when I desperately want him to come…HE WON’T!  I’m still dilated to a 1-2, with no progress.  Technically I’m only 36 weeks, so what makes me think I’d have him now?!  But I hurt everywhere…achy back, achy feet, achy everything.  And I’m hormonal.  And grumpy.  And can’t remember ever being this exhuasted.  I set up an inducement date today just in case.  January 3rd.  Derek’s b’day.  She gave me the option of the 3rd or 4th.  Derek thinks it would be a great b’day gift.  I think…when in doubt, do the earlier date! 🙂  But of course, that’s the day that my mom goes back to work after being off for 2 weeks.  Such is life.

Would someone start praying that he’ll come this year, please?!?!

of Derek and Jacob, taken this weekend.  People are always telling us how much they look alike, and we are beginning to see it more and more.  And they’re so much alike in so many ways.  Two handsome guys…

Jacob performed in his first piano recitals this weekend and we couldn’t be more proud.  He did so well!  There is something so gratifying as a parent to see your kids work hard and then perform at their best.  It was something new for us, and really magical.  And his satisfaction was worth all the money in the world.  I hope for him that his confidence and self worth will continue to grow as he sees the fruits of his labors and as he finds things that he enjoys doing (and doing well).

For those who weren’t there…he played at Willow Bend Mall on Sat night and then at the yearly Christmas recital on Sunday night.  He played "Away in the Manger" and "Jingle Bells" as duets with his teacher (who we adore, by the way) and his personal favorite Christmas carol, "Star Wars", on his own.  Look at that cross-over action!

And last week he came home with a blue "Award of Excellence" ribbon given in the Reflections program for the PTA.  It is an art contest (with various forms of art being accepted) and his drawing of a cruise ship/ocean scene will go on and be judged at the District level.  We were so excited for him! 

Heard the song "Believe" by Josh Groban on the radio today, the theme song for The Polar Express.  Was struck by this line:

Destinations are where we begin again.

Ponder that for a little while and tell me if it doesn’t remind you to appreciate the JOURNEY a little more.  Sometimes I’m so busy getting to the destinations, that I forget that I’m just beginning again when I get there.  Let’s enjoy the ride more.

**almost 10 children among us…EXPENSIVE (but worth it of course).

**lunch at Cheesecake Factory…about $15 each.

**adult conversation with these two girls on a Wednesday with no kids…PRICELESS!

thanks Dana and Shelley!