here comes pshantvah

 Kids these days have no respect for you'd better watch out, you'd better not cry...words that used to inspire fear and compliance.  Christmas eve at the Raines home saw an even higher than usual degree of bickering and contention, probably because I was trying to force everyone to clean. 

But first this...

Along with Bethany in the Grinch hat, these pictures of Kyle (or so we suspect) and Sophie iconisize the Raines family 2012 Christmas season. I had mentioned before that I had these still packaged Santa costumes left over from Guangzhou, and I was ready for them to take life...well Kyle (or so we suspect) ran with that.  Throughout the month of December we had repeated visits from a character who called himself Pshantvah Klausen and claimed to be the Santa of the Oceanic. Sophie was quite taken by him, as you can see.

And back to Wednesday, December 19, in the evening we enjoyed Grant and William's Christmas presentation at the preschool.

 We celebrated the beginning of Christmas break at one of our favorite places, Pizza Pie Cafe.Then we drove down to the kids banjo, violin, guitar, and cello Christmas performances.  Their teacher, Jessica Knight, held the recital at The Barn in Mapleton, right up against the mountains.  We stepped out of the van and were immediately in awe at the myriad of bright stars we could count above the foothills--glowing white against the blue-black night sky.  The Barn was a wonderful venue-- cozy,comfortable, child friendly, and festive with the fire in the hearth. 

Thursday we were on to Christnas shopping. Bethany had her own agenda for me at Build-a-Bear Workshop.

Friday more shopping--this time Olivia was my partner. It was wonderful to spend time together. The kids were extremely helpful, giving me great ideas about what to get for their siblings.

Sunday morning and Christmas dress.

Sunday afternoon Grandma Martha came over to help us make crafts and decorate gingerbread men and houses. We were grateful to have a visit from Aunt Miriam, Uncle Bryan, and the cousins.

This was Christmas eve. We are blessed with generous neighbors. Christmastime brings a lot of yummy surprises to our door. Monday was last minute stops and blizzard conditions. Grandma Martha invited the little kids over and we got the house ready for Christmas day.  In the evening we all went to the dollar store together to pick out sibling exchange gifts...a great source of humor as hair extentions were in this year for the sisters and brothers.  

I hope you have a wonderful, Merry Christmas too.

up to something

William's always up to something in the kitchen.  Stacking doughnuts now, even sour cream "guh-laazees on Wednesdays" doughnuts.  (Anybody know what movie that's from?)

His lovely little stack could give me a leg up next time I get handed one of those development questionnaires by the pediatrician, those awful instruments of shame.  Fortunately, I'm so often running late that I can simply respond with sorry didn't have time for this instead of how the heck should know when asked how many words, how many steps backward, how many times can she clap for no reason, how many blocks or in this case doughnuts can she stack.  Those doughnuts are looking good to me right now.  We don't mind the floor.

Thursday and Friday the kids were home for Fall break.  Thursday evening we went to BYU.  The kids wanted to split up.  Half went to the art museum with me.  They loved this electronic media exhibit.

The rest of the kids went to the science museum with Sam. 

Holographic Olivia.

We caught up with them before dinner.  That was easy since Grant was screaming. Dinner was Taco Bell at the Wilk.  Remind me never to eat soft tacos in public again.  Lettuce everywhere. Total loss of self-respect.

Friday we took our now traditional trip to Cornbelly's Corn Maze at Thanksgiving Point.

We went on a Friday after dark so the big kids could go in the haunted maze.  Turned out to be too terrifying for all but Sam, who had to turn back to escort his sister out anyway.  And going after dark made it all the more difficult to keep track of Grant who pays the likes of us no never mind these days and would just as soon get lost and taken off to the information booth where they give him a free sucker shaped like a piece of corn no less while I have to come and collect him in shame.

 So by way of evaluation, next year we'll go back to weekdays, which are considerably less expensive, and less crowded.  (We missed the hayride this year due to a too long line and too tired children.  Sam and I were sad about that.) And we'll go in the daylight hours and take at least one more adult along to help keep track of wayward little boys. No more stoicism at Cornbelly's for me.

Saturday we had perfect weather for a picnic lunch at the park with Aunt Judy, Uncle Jeremy and the cousins.  Little Caesars' pizza.  Grant was being helpful and dropped the Hawaiian pizza on the floor of the van, which isn't exceptionally clean, but that didn't stop me because I love pineapple. Sophie's getting more mature looking. Don't you think?

The boys took naps  while Sam was up to something in the garage.  Designing his own haunted house for the siblings.

 Sometimes imagination looks like this.