A Date with Camden and Maris

We didn't get to see Camden and Maris and their family on Christmas, so we were excited they could spend the day with us today.  We had lots of fun!  We always start with pancakes, and this time we had molds of snowmen, gingerbread men, and Christmas trees.  Maris got hot chocolate on her brand new white shirt, but we got it out after three washings.

  While Grandpa and Camden were at the store getting some essential supplies for the day (D batteries, Doritos, and chocolate milk), Maris and I made Play Doh.  Maris exclaimed, "I love your house!"  That's the nicest thing a grandmother can hear!

 Maris stirred up the Play Doh and was able to find all the letters of her name.

 Camden was good at letters and rolling out the dough.  He mixed the beautiful blue color.

 

  Camden got a kit to make all sorts of bugs. (The reason we needed the "D" batteries.)  He and Grandpa figured out how to work it and they made an amazing bug.  Camden is holding the "bug eggs."

 

 After lunch we headed to my school so I could take down the last of the Christmas decorations.  Camden and Maris spend some time on the big toy with Grandpa.

 

 

  Then they came inside and checked out the room.  Camden could read the "Ticket to Read" bulletin board and figured out how I had made it look just like the "Ticket to Ride" game.  Camden is reading really well!  He and Maris helped me hand out papers and remove staples from the flags on the bulletin board.  What helpers!

 

 

Most exciting--there were treats in the treasure box!

Afterward, we came home for an afternoon of games and fun.  Maris won Clue Junior by a landslide.

 

 

Grandpa won "Trouble" with Camden coming in a close second.

 

We settled in to watch a Winnie the Pooh Christmas, but Maris had worked and played hard all day.  Popcorn unfinished, she fell fast asleep.

Meanwhile, Camden decided it was time to build his robot.  With a little help from Grandpa, he did a magnificent job figuring out the pieces and putting them together.  He is quite gifted at doing things with his hands.

 

 We finished the evening with Camden, Grandpa and I playing Ticket to Ride.  Camden does amazingly well for being a first grader.  He loves the game.

What a great day!  We had a lot of fun. 

Christmas Day 2011

This was to be our first Christmas alone.  We've always had children home with us before--even if they were away at college, they always managed to get home for a day or two.  Alicia decided we should not have to be alone on Christmas Eve or Christmas, so she and Erik spent the night.  We watched "Muppet Christmas Carol" in the evening, and then Erik and Alicia made a delicious breakfast for us in the morning.  My favorite part was that they went to church with us as well.  Parents love to show off their children and spouses. 

We opened gifts after church.  This is Alan's "Chicken Dance" chicken.

 Alan and I tried to get a formal Christmas picture in front of the tree, but I guess we're taller than the tree!

  Erik left at 1:00 to work for the afternoon.  Alicia got in the car to go with him, and then headed back into the house.  When I asked if she had forgotten something, she said she was staying to watch "North and South."  We had planned for her to stay in the afternoon and watch it, but then the spouses got permission to go into work with the employees.  Erik knew how much Alicia wanted to watch the movie with me, so he graciously said he'd be okay at work if she wanted to stay.  Here we are, hunkered down in the Christmas blanket ready for one of our favorite activities--watching a period drama.

 We got two hours of the movie completed and it was time to go over the river and through the woods for our annual Christmas get-together at Grandma Hodges' house.  Mom always works hard to make this a yummy gathering.  I love the ribbon sandwiches.

 For once I brought my camera and got some pictures of the extended family.  I was so happy to have Aunt Brenda there.  She is between chemo treatments.

 

 I guess Mark was banished to sit with the stuffed animals.  Halle is sitting with the "big girls," and was taking pictures like crazy with her own personal camera.

 Alicia found the fluffiest blanket in the room and was soon wrapped up in it.  She made the exciting announcement (ta da) that she and Erik are expecting a baby at the end of July.  I think she took everyone by surprise. 

It was fun to see Mark, and Austin who is home from college.

 Andy and Morgan are also expecting a baby this summer.  Blake and Taylor are enjoying their first Christmas together.  (Mike and Gayle, Jeff and Stana were also there, but their pictures turned out blurry.)

 Emily and Dawson (aka Spiderman) were here from Canada.  Shawn and Alec came too, but they were resting at Uncle Mike and Aunt Gayle's.

We watched another hour of North and South when we got home, and then Alicia decided she'd better get to Provo and spend some quality Christmas time with her husband--even if it was at his work.  We took Alicia to Provo, and when we got home at 9 p.m., we were finally empty nesters for an hour.  I'm so glad Alicia and Erik could spend some time with us!

 

Just a note about nativities.  I know some nativity scenes have exotic animals in them, like this one with its giraffes, roosters, and zebras.  We even have one nativity with a musk ox.

 

But have you ever seen one with a bear?  Neither Camden nor Maris will admit they made the addition.  They wondered if Emmaline might have done it.  Poor Emmaline, being accused of rearranging nativity scenes from Minnesota!  

Christmas Party 2011

 I love our Christmas party.  I look forward to it all month.  The only downside is that we miss Nathan, Briana, and Emmaline.  We hope someday they'll live in Utah.

This year we started out with the nativity.  Camden and Maris were Mary and Joseph--and they also serve as casting directors, assigning each person his or her part. They were very busy!

 Grandpa played a dual part--being the donkey and a Wise Man.  He offered to let Mary ride on his back, but we all vetoed this.  (Too soon after shoulder surgery.)  Mary was content to walk beside the donkey.

 The donkey stayed with Mary and Joseph in the stable.

 Aunt Brandy was the angel.  Aunt Alicia was the shepherd.  She visited the stable after she got the message about Jesus from the angel.

Grandpa, Uncle Brian and Uncle Erik were the Wise Men who visited Baby Jesus and brought gifts.  Camden says we need to get a boy baby doll next year because Jesus IS a boy.

 

 

 

 Next we enjoyed a feast of ham and our favorite funeral potatoes.  We had great appetizers, yummy salads, and chex mix, of course.

 I ruined the dessert I was so excited to make.  It included melted candy canes, whipped cream, and oreos.  I failed to get the whipped cream sweet enough so I colored some sugar and sprinkled it on top.  This didn't do the trick.  The dessert went into the disposal at the end of the night.  I hated to waste all those oreos! 

 

 Grandpa organized the games this year and did a great job.  During "Santa Attack"  we had to pull a paper from Santa's hat if we were holding it when the music ended.  It told us an activity we had to do. This is Maris singing a rousing rendition of her favorite Christmas song.  Camden is being restrained from adding his voice to Maris' solo.

 Grandma is a gracious listener.

 Camden and Maris are ready to perform a reindeer dance. Grandpa helped with the choreography. For some reason the antlers have one antler that stands up and one that flops over.

We played a game where each of us picked a present according to our number, and we could take a gift from someone else.  No one cried!

 

 

Of course we sang some carols with the chimes.  Aunt Alicia helped deliver all the chimes and spoons.  Camden was amazing.  He read the words and hit his chime on the right word every time!  Maris hit her chime on the right word every time, too.  She played on every beat. :) 

 

 

 

 

For our final game, Camden and Maris are waiting for the snow to fall at the North Pole.  

Surprise! Surprise!  It isn't just snow that falls at the North Pole!  It snows gum drops!  Camden and Maris had fun popping the balloons (gum drops) after they fell.  Camden got really good at pouncing on the balloons with both feet.  Maris resorted to a fork.

We decide to open Christmas presents at the party this year.  Maris seemed to like her tutu.

 

 

 Brian kept all the wrapping paper picked up.

 

 Camden was very gracious about the rocket he got.  He and his dad are going to launch it.

 Brandy got her traditional Snow Globe piece for her village--a cookie factory.  I got some PEZ dispensers that are the first five presidents.  They are so cute!

 

 Erik got a camera. 

 

Afterward, the clean up.  And to all a good night.