December's Other Pictures

The extras of December... (and wuldn't you know, they're all of Dayton sleeping...)

Award for Best Present of the Year...

The award for favorite present this year for Dayton, definitely goes to:

This kid is never witouth his tools.  I love it. He's so cute - helping daddy with everything around the house... I think the goggles may be my favorite... 

 Obviously others love the goggles too...

His tools make realistic noises and movements and even have a battery pack to transfer from one tool to the other.  He has a drill, a power-screwdriver, a jigsaw, an industrial type flashlight, goggles, measuring tape, and a level - all Black & Decker brand!!   Even Jersi carries these tools around like she's fixing things.  LOVE it!! Good job grandma!! Perfect gift!!

Kyndi-Loo-Hoo

Kyndi isn't here for her birthday this year - her and Tate headed up to Jeremy's house for Christmas and decided to stay there for the week. 
Sadly, Kyndi has been calling me all day cuz her dad is at work, they are with their 90 year old great-grandma and bored out of their minds.  Sad.
Anywho - a few tidbits on the Loo-hoo.

*  She loves to read - she wants so badly to be able to read chapter books - but when she tries its just too much for her.  She'll get there...
*  She loves learning new things - this year she taught herself how to blow bubbles with her gum - jump rope and write n cursive.  (for the record, i LOVE her cursive!!)
*  Kyndi loves art. paint, markers, clay, craft projects, fancy paper - she loves it all. 
*  Justin Beiber Justin Beiber Justin Beiber
*  She loves making up dance routines with Morrissa.
*  She's getting taller and skinnier all the time - leg length fits size 7 pants - but her butt fits size 4 and 5.  (Makes for lots of bum crack viewing)

Kyndi is just a sweetheart. She gets her feeling hurt easily (many times when Kamron is teasing around with her, she takes it seriously and her eyes tear up). She's very friendly and thoughtful.  She "makes" things all the time for her friends and teachers... (and word has it she has a crush on a boy in her class named Tucker - but don't tell her I told you that!)

Love you Kyndi! We'll party when you get home!!

Eli

So this year we had an elf named Eli join our family for the season.  The idea here was to promote good behavior, cuz Eli was always watching - and reporting back to Santa at nights.  Fail. In fact, Epic Fail.  I am pretty sure they got far worse with Eli in the house! In fact, Eli decided to go back to the north pole for about a week or so cuz they were so naughty.  (I tell you - Kyndi is the ring leader in this naughty-ness)

Anyways, he did eventually come back, and they were better behaved. 

Eli sometimes brought a treat back from the north pole - other times a note.  And many times he could be found doing crazy things the next morning...

(Making 'snow angels' in the sugar)

And as his final hoorah - he left this note Christmas morning... and this mess on all the faces in the pictures on my family room...

Avoid Homework Creations

I had to delay in posting this because many of the creations I have made this month (whilst avoiding homework) were gifts - I didn't wanna give away any secrets - so now, here you go!!  (I was one busy crafter!!)

In no particular order...

Jersi's shirt and tutu outfit for Christmas Eve...

 It's kind of hard to see this - but it is curved glass with nativity vinyl (for Granny)

 This was for Jake and AnnMarie

 Snowmen made from 2x4s -  and gloves for hats!   I made these for Tate and Kyndi's teachers - and then made a boy/girl set for my grandma (Stella)

The wreath for my front door - made with dollar store ornaments and a wire hanger

Pillow mattresses for Kyndi and the Littles - they can use them on the floor in the room - or the floor in the family room on "sleep out" nights...

 I made this for my mom.  I LOVE it!! 

 Washers that I used a metal stamp to add each of my kids' names and birth years... I wanna tie them on ribbon for a necklace...

 Oaklee's tutu - (I made Kyndi one too - I have huge regrets that I didn't get the three of them together (Oaks, Jersi and Kyndi) for a tutu picture)  Oaks is mostly white tulle and white shimmer tulle, some red ribbons and red tied to some of the ends.

A shot of the snowman shirt I made Dayton. cute.

I made this back when I made the jingle bells shadow box - but couldn't post it because it was for my mom's birthday.  She loves snowmen.  I still need to made a little vinyl for the glass that says "Once There Was a Snowman"

I think I may have madde a few other things and forgot to take pictures.  Oops.  Once my homework got done for the semester, I went into panic mode all over again because I had something like 14 craft projects to complete in a week. Whoa. I got them all done thought - with 5 days to spare - and then I was bored.  My brain is constantly in chaos mode or bored mode - there is no middle ground.

Adventures of a "Playa"

Nothin like a crazy pounding on the front door at 3:30 in the morning to jumpstart your day!!

 Be prepared for a long story...The night of December 23rd, some kid, totally drunk and drugged outta his mind thought this was his house - he was so disoriented. Kamron opened the door and the kid just walked right in - almost ran right into Kamron.  It took the kid a few minutes and alot of crazy talk ("playa") before he relized he was at the wrong house... "Oh sorry playa, my bad, my bad.  I just just over excited you know? My bad playa" Then he gave kamron knuckles and left.   He wandered down the street completely lost.
Kamron and I decided to go looking for him to offer him a ride home - cuz it was only 12 degrees outside and he didn't have a coat - apparently while we were gone he back to our house - the doors weren't locked cuz we had just left.  He came in our house and scared the girls to death - Morrissa said he pounded on the door again and then just walked in, said something and left. - While we were oblivious to this fact, we then finally found him on a porch up the road (as opposed to down the road where we watched him walk)  Kamron called out to him, "Hey"  no response.  "Hey" no response.  It looked like he had fallen asleep just sitting there... Finally Kamron tried, "Playa!" and what do you know, the kid suddenly looked left and right and made a bee-line for our car.  
Kamron asked if he needed a ride - he said "No playa, I live over there somewhere. I just needed a breath playa" (What?!)
So we came back home and locked our doors... I was worried about him freezing to death and I kept saying, "he's somebody's kid" - so we went to find him again so I could call the police to get him safely somewhere - but we couldn't find him.... crazy night.

Turns out (from describing him to my kids, and looking in Morrissa's yearbook) this kid is only in 9th grade - so 14 years old.  What?!?  I really wish I would've called the police.  I hate to get him in trouble, but he obviously needs help.  Plus I worried all day long that he was frozen somewhere.  Hmm.  guess I don't think so well in the middle of the night when crazies come pounding on my door...

Christmas Day

Santa came!! (and Tyson is flexing of course)

 All the loot from the night before (Grandma's house, Grandma Stella's house, and Granny)

More of last night's loot on the counter..

 Kyndi and the Littles enjoying their new pillow mattresses I made them.

 Daddy and Jersi enjoying the Littles pillow mattresses

Tyson flexing to show off his fruit snacks (Whenever I pull the camera out Tyson either hides his face or flexes... seriously, go back to previous posts and see for yourself)

Kyndi and Oaks playing with their new treasures

 Took Kamron all two minutes to fall asleep.  (If you ask him though, he wasn't sleeping)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

The Eve of Christmas - Everything Else

All the rest of Christmas Eve at my mom's house

Oaklee and Anna

 Jonah kept trying to steal Jersi's food and she was NOT happy about it. 

 I really tried to get them both looking at the camera at the same time but it just wasn't working...

 Jersi always eating...  (Kyndi in the background. I sadly think this is the only one I got of her)

 Anna was my favorite part of the talent show.  She was so stinkin cute!!

Jersi's quick performance.  Some my kids performed this year - somehow I got no pictures... Tate sang to us, Kyndi and Morrissa copped out at the last minute and just did a quick 10 second dance-y thing.

 Samantha and Sharli had another fabulous talent.  They did a lovely dance for us that they've apparently done since they were little...

Sharli and Dan did a dialogue/skit from Boy Meets World ("War! What is it good for?!"  "Absolutely Nothing say it again" ...) It was hilarious!! I was too busy watching to take pictures.

Also James played Jingle Bells on his guitar - which I think this next picture s Jersi dancing to his music...

 Present time!!!  Morrissa got a Justin Beiber Calendar *Gasp*  Look how excited she is!  She's excited that she can not only use the calendar, but can hang all his pictures up after the months are over!!  Kyndi got a Justin Beiber poster (sorry, no pictures) - and her and Morrissa were rapidly discussing whose present was better.

 Dayton got an amazing tool set from grandma and grandpa.  It is realistic as all get go. It even has a battery pack that you hafta move from tool to tool.  Love it.

 Anna got a microphone and proceeded to perform non-stop for about the next 40 minutes.  She didn't care who was watching she just kept going.

Jersi got a laptop/puter - this is perfect - Dayton and Oaks have one from their birthdays and she always fights them for it.  She was inseparable from her new 'puter the rest of the night!   Jonah came in to try it out and she was so ornery to him - not willing to share at all.

 The three youngest (Anna, Jersi, and Jonah) playing the 'puter together.

Another highlight toy from the evening was the gifts that Santa gave all the boys - BeyBlades - if you are not familiar with these - they are kinda like tops, but they are meant to battle each other to be the longest standing.  There was much noise and craziness surrounding the faux wood floor that night...