OK, here is the last blog entry before Katy’s fourth Christmas, and Allen’s second. It’s just too exciting! They are at the perfect age to please, I tell ya what. In no time at all Peter and I will be dodging fishing poles and make-up kits as the kids throw our gifts across the room in disgust. Sigh…but for now, we are kings!

The weekend before last I believe I mentioned that we went to see Santa. Katy did GREAT!! Allen was not a fan. It didn’t help that we waited in line for 45 minutes, but every so often we were visited by a giant Christmas mouse or a polar bear and once even Rudolph came along! Allen really liked when were in line outside so he could run circles around the lighting displays and make new friends. I must say that Mrs. Claus only looked about 45 and should have put some baby powder in her hair. C’mon…let’s try for a little consistency here.

We also stopped by Jerry & Kathy’s for some yummy steak to celebrate Jake’s graduation from college. Here is proof. Jake did a great little presentation with framed certificates of thanks and everything. I think snagging Hillary is still his best accomplishment.

Mom got us hooked on orange rolls for breakfast many years ago. I don’t know if we did it in the early days or not. With Dad’s diabetes, maybe not. The kiddos really seem to enjoy this tradition.

Last Thursday was Katy’s school party and we totally partied like rock stars! I was kind of nervous for the first time being in charge of a school party. My team members were not leadership material, so I googled for hours to find just the right activities. Then I made assignments and hoped for the best. I brought stuff for two of the three activities, and assigned cupcakes to the “fresh from China” mom who is sweet as could be. Bless her button heart. She brought frosted muffins…blueberry and strawberry. I am still smiling at that. The kids chunked bean bags through a bell-shaped hole to ring the jingle bells, and even got to keep their own bean bag…cool! Mom came with me for support and it’s a good thing she did because I was snapping photos and working that video camera like I was a Japanese tourist in the Hello Kitty factory. Mom stayed at the table with the little foam Christmas stocking craft. The other mom supervised my ornament craft with glued-on sequins. After the crafting and snacks (don’t forget that we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and pretended to blow out imaginary candles on our muffins) we adjourned to the circle rug for a good Christmas story. And finally, the kids swapped their gifts with one another…books…after drawing names a couple weeks ago. I call the party a huge success!! Hopefully one of many to come! And to top it off, Katy even presented me with a gift and instructed me not to open it until Christmas! Check out that adorable foot print snowman!

Last Thursday night Peter and I attended a party in the home of his boss. Grammy & Papa came over to sit on the kids for us. We are so spoiled. Come to think of it, I guess that means our kids are, too. Our prize at the end of the night? Wineglasses. A lovely set of four.

Then on Friday Peter’s office had their annual Kid’s Day party with a visit from Santa, face painting, games, singing, and yummy snacks. Katy couldn’t wait to get in there. His accounting office won first place in the decorating contest. It was pretty amazing. Then Katy and Allen jumped on Santa (no line this time) and Katy reported that Allen wants a train set. This is something she has been consistent with, and she came up with it on her own. I have it through reliable sources that Aunt Laura is taking care of this particular need. Katy went alone first, and then we plopped Allen down. He didn’t like it any more than the first time. She even gave him an impromptu kiss that brought ohh’s and awww’s from all the on-lookers. Peter chased Allen and then fed him some cookies with green ‘rostings. Katy played a game with about eight other kids sitting in a circle. You pass a present and when the music stops, the person holding it gets to unwrap it. Each gift had at least five layers, so she played for about 15 minutes before actually winning. I couldn’t believe that Katy understood the concept, but she was adorable! After a bit her friend Ava showed up and they both had their face painted. Juice wouldn’t sit still easily so I tried to hold him down long enough for a fast candy cane. He wiped it off as soon as I let go of him. Maybe it’s just a girl thing? Finally they handed out the presents and Katy got the one thing (of two) she’s been asking Santa to bring her – a cute puppy! It’s not the real one she wanted, but she looked so happy in that moment that I don’t think she even cared. It has a little pink bone and Frisbee that magnetically attach to his mouth. She's also been asking for a blue elephant, even though she already has two pretty big ones. I know Marie loves elephants and it must be genetically passing down. Allen received a snail that converts to a drum. Jim and Tara will be happy to hear that. :o) It also lets him put little shapes into different holes in the side. The kids have already been fighting over it, which is a good sign that it’s a well-liked toy.

That night Peter and I attended his official Christmas party at the Hilton. Mom came and sat on the kids. We closed the party down and didn’t get home until after 11pm. Woohoo!! Some younger folks walked out just ahead of us and they totally believed me when I told them we won $100 as a prize for being the last to leave. HAHAHAHAHA!! Then I didn’t have $100 to show them, so that blew it.

OK, I think that catches me up for now. I tried to video Allen saying some of the holiday words that he’s learned (Santa, snowman, snow, HoHoHo, etc…) but he was in the tub and it was just too distracting. He cracks me up! There has been a bug (we called them blood-suckers when I was growing up) trapped between the glass sliding door and the screen. Allen keeps stomping over to it and pointing with a smile saying, “Bug…YUCK!!” He’s a man after my own heart. Lately after his bath since he hates to get out I have been swaddling him in a towel and singing to him like he’s a wee baby. He loves it and just looks up at me with his eyes peeking out and a big grin on his face.

Here are some recent Katy-ism’s before I forget:

*Last night Peter took Katy out for some daddy/daughter Christmas shopping. I wanted to stalk them just to hear them talking. Too cute. So she got to play at the playland in the mall. I was wondering what may have brought them there. I didn’t have to wonder long. Last night and then again several times today Katy told me, “Mommy, we got lotion for you. I’n not sposed to tell you. Dat’s what my daddy said. He said don’t tell her. It’s a aprise.
*Tonight Katy got out of bed and tried to sleep on the sofa. I was working on the computer and thought the noises I heard were from the cats. Then Peter came home around 10pm from his church meeting and made the grand discovery. It helped that she was all decked out in sassy zebra-striped jammies with hot pink trim. He re-tucked her in and reported back that she told him, “Santa’s watching. You need to go to sleep, too.”
*During Katy’s first tucking-in tonight she wanted her new Cute Puppy to sleep with her. It’s becoming her classic delay tactic, sending us traipsing around the mansion looking high and low for a certain, special animal. When I asked her where she last had Cute Puppy, she immediately replied, “In my hands.”
*bo = boy, and to = toy
*don’t see me = don’t look at me
*Katy’s favorite fantasy at bedtime involves a crocodile. It doesn’t matter what story I’m making up to tell her, she always says, “Put a crocodile in it.” She prefers for the crocodile to be bad, taking candy or “someping”
*When playing house with Big Juicy she said, “Allen, you’re my wife.”
*When Katy wants us to make it seem like one of her stuffed animals is alive and carrying on a conversation she firmly tells us, “Show her how to talk.”
*Last week Katy and I were playing with a stuffed animal puppy. I made him tell her that he was hungry. She said, “No, you’re not.” I said, “My tummy’s growling” to which she replied, “No, you’re just purring.”
*A couple days ago I pressed two quarters into Katy’s hand so she could feed the shiny red bucket in front of the Salvation Army Santa. When I was explaining to her that the money would buy food for hungry children, she looked at me and told me she was hungry.
*Katy sings the entire Rudolph song from top to bottom and I love every wrong word in there. I don’t know what “gleep” is but she really makes it sound grand. (…as they shouted out with gleep…)

And in closing, this was taken in a mad dash after church last Sunday. We are smiling but it was a painful process. Hope the kiddos appreciate this someday. HA! Check out my little man in his stylin' three-piece suit, minus the jacket which I forgot to put on. And since I'm closer to the camera, I look big enough to eat my husband. As an appetizer. And ask for more. Finger lickin' good.