Merry Christmas 2012

 We had great celebrations Christmas Eve and Christmas day with both sides of the family. Everyone was healthy and together. The kids make Christmas so much fun. We forgot to bring the camera Christmas Day so these are all from Christmas Eve.

 making gingerbread houses with the Kalpakgian cousins... Apparently it was shirts versus skins?

 Mike's parents took the kids shopping to get gifts for each other which I had wanted to do with them but was too lazy I mean tired so it was fun to see their excitement in giving the gifts they had bought to each other.

Sickness

December was pretty much a bust. We have all been sick sick sick for the past week. Keira missed 3 days of school. It was a horrid respiratory illness that  has the kids coughing over a week later. And just  to make me more worried Nairi's fever returned yesterday am after being fever free for 2 days. She was acting lethargic and not drinking so Mike took her to the ER. Four hours later everything was negative ( chest xray, strep swab, influenza A and B, RSV) this am she woke up fever free again and appears to be fine other than a runny nose and cough.  It was a rough week with very little sleep. But its past us now and we are focusing on hosting a Christmas Eve bash for my family and cousins. A much happier post with some cute pictures coming your way tomorrow.

When your kids surprise you

Keira got to pick a prize from the prize box at school yesterday for reading to the class I guess. And she picked a truck for her brother.  Once in a while these types of things give me hope that maybe just maybe my kids will turn out alright after all.

Nairi's artwork?

 Black Sharpie on the desk

 Sharpie all over a brand new book of stamps ( the sharpies were  hidden in the desk, she somehow found them)

 green washable marker on the carpet

 red

 pink

 orange

Lucky for us that carpet has just weeks to live or months at most so I don't really care how gross it gets.  And the washable stuff washes off pretty easy. The sharpie not so much... I know the easiest solution is to just put the markers out of her reach but Keira and Israel spend hours writing and coloring so no matter how much I put the markers out of her reach they always end up back on the art table within minutes. And Nairi herself constantly asks to color so I don't really want to stifle their creativity....

Letters to Santa and trees

 Israel's letter to Santa. I like how he asks for "a Jesus" right there next to pencils and a bulldozer.

 Keira's letter. Her most wanted gift is a make up set.

 Tree #1 in the tv room. This one has all the kids tacky  I mean adorable handmade ornaments on it.

Mike wanted to go nuts this year and a get a tree that would reach up to our 10 foot ceiling. So there you go. Our first real tree of our marriage. Its a beautiful tree but the needles always on the floor thing has the potential to drive me nuts.

Christmas Tree hunt

Bits and Pieces

 First snow! Nothing makes this boy happier than mowing  the lawn or shoveling snow.

 I love when Keira plays dress up with Nairi. The outfits and accessories are interesting... note the cd necklace.

Keira's Thanksgiving program at school. She was beyond excited about the whole thing. I could hear her giggling before I could even see her!

20 weeks

1/2 way there. Yesterday at my appointment I reviewed my u/s results with my midwife. The u/s tech had told me I had somewhat of a previa ( placenta covering the cervix). Yesterday she told me I had complete previa which means the entire cervix is covered by my low lying placenta. However its the edge of the placenta that's covering the cervix and it still has time to be pulled away from my cervix as my uterus grows. Hoping and it praying it does.  Another u/s in 7 weeks to check the location of the placenta.

She is reading!

Or starting to anyways! She is so excited and its fun ( and sometimes frustrating) to see the progress! Saint Benedict Academy rocks!

Mike's parents 40th anniversary party

Congrats to Mike's parents for 40 years of love and faithfulness! This party was a year of planning in the making and all went well minus the fact that the Manchester marathon made getting to the restaurant impossible. Both roads leading to it were closed!