This year we were lucky enough to celebrate Christmas multiple times with our different families. Our first celebration started the weekend before Christmas when Reva and Skip (Grandma and Grandaddy) arrived from North Carolina. We enjoyed three days together, and Parker got his first experience with Christmas gifts. Ainsley is a pro by now, and she was more than happy to open everyone's gifts for them. She also thought she should "help" Parker by opening all his gifts and then playing with them, just to make sure they worked.
Parker and Grandaddy
Ainsley, opening up her new doll.
Ainsley showing Grandma and Grandaddy the photo book we made for them.
Helping Parker open his gifts
Not quite sure what he's supposed to do with this box...
Enjoying a new book with Grandma!
Silly bug with her new hat
Grandaddy spent a lot of time helping Ainsley make a beaded bracelet and necklace!
We also attended the live nativity show at the zoo. This is a great event, where they have actors and use animals from the zoo (camels, sheep, goats, etc) to tell the Christmas story. Although we had to wait in line and it was a bit cold outside, we all managed just fine and the kids really enjoyed the show. Parker was fascinated by the lights and animals, and Ainsley really seemed to follow the story since she had spent a lot of time learning about it in preschool.
All bundled up and ready for the show!
Riding the "train" to get to the zoo.
Waiting to see the Christmas Nativity
One of my favorite funny stories from the weekend happened the first night of their visit. Ainsley is at that age where she asks a lot of questions but doesn't always listen to (or understand) the answers. Ainsley commented at the dinner table that Skip and Reva's dogs (Charlie and Annie) were scared of Dixie. Skip spent several minutes explaining that they weren't scared of her, but that they were old dogs and Dixie is a young dog, and they don't have the energy to play with her. He spent a lot of time trying to fully explain the dynamic between the dogs, their ages, sizes, energy levels, and personalities. Ainsley listened very intensely, and was very quiet and polite. When Skip was finished with his explanation, she turned to me and said "Charlie and Annie are scared of Dixie."
Our funny little man, Parker, is at the age where he feels the need to repeat things over and over again. As evidenced with this new toy that he received from Grandma and Grandaddy.
Over three days we spent a lot of time playing, eating, and enjoying each others company. What a great way to start off our Christmas season! Merry Christmas and lots of love to Grandma and Grandaddy!
My baby girl is ELEVEN today!!! She couldn't have a big party, but she sure had a special day. We surprised her with yard signs ( cardmyyard.com ). We released the butterflies into the garden. They hung out on the kids' hands for a while before flying off. Her gift from us was a purple hoverboard - she is so excited! Her neighborhood friends came and secretly decorated the garage for a little party. She was so surprised and loved sharing cake with her best friends. THEN to add even more excitement, two of her best friends from school came for a 'drive-by' socially-distant celebration. She was thrilled to see them drive up - she hasn't seen them in person since March 6, before Spring Break!! Both sets of grandparents gave her a new bike (she will get to go shopping and pick it out herself next week). She has grown so much and is in desperate need of a new bike! My beautiful 11 year old... how time flies!
Things were rolling along quite nicely yesterday (well, not really but let's not get caught up in subtraction regrouping lessons). We were getting ourselves set up for success on this temporary schedule. We were learning things and reading things and writing things and then... the bottom dropped out. The governor announced all schools are closed for the rest of the year. I'm sure all the other parents watching the news conference had the same physical reaction that I did. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. Tears, anger, disbelief... my poor children. ALL these poor children. When they left for spring break they didn't realize it would be the last time they'd see their friends. The last time they'd see their teachers. Ainsley, in particular, is taking it the hardest. She's missing her last Lower School play. Her last Grandparents Day show. No field day. No fifth grade graduation. No class graduation party. She is heartbroken. The next time she sets
School is out. We're still working. There are no camps. What is there to do? Move to the lake! My parents offered to help watch the kids during the day while we worked, and they were ready for some quality grandkid time. We packed up the whole family - kids, dogs and cat - and moved to the guest house for two weeks. This has been such a great change of scenery for all of us. We would eat breakfast at the guest house each morning, and then the kids would get dressed, pack their backpacks, and ride their bikes to the main cabin to spend the day with the grandparents. My DH and I could work peacefully at the guest house, taking a break to have lunch with everyone. Then after work we can sit outside, help with some chores, and all eat dinner together. During the day the kids have been busy helping Nana and Papa with chores. They spend ALL day outside - exploring in the woods, swimming in the lake, kayaking, fishing, riding bikes (thankfully my parents keep everything and had 3 of
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