Whew...is it really over?

I can't believe Christmas is actually over. We had SUCH a fun day that it seemed to fly by. It started with Grandma & Grandpa Ringger coming down on Christmas Eve. We surprised them with the fact that Eli was sick and that Jerome and I were going to church and leaving the kids with them. LOL After we got home from church, we put on their new Christmas PJs, sprinkled some Reindeer food for Rudolph, put out some famous Grandma Ringger cookies for Santa and turned off the fireplace so he could make his grand entrance.

I think I was more excited than the kids. I was awake at 4:30 and couldn't go back to sleep. I think Dad & I paced around all morning waiting for the kids to wake up! Finally, the boys were up and after groggily singing happy birthday to Jesus they started to tear into their gifts. I think the favorites were their remote control racecars...however getting them to run was not an easy task. Dad & Jerome worked on them for 30 minutes with no success, but it took me 2 seconds to read the instructions and realize that they didn't have enough batteries in them (there was a second compartment that was not obvious). Mom and I got a good laugh out of that one! LOL

Anyway, the boys had a fun and relaxing day playing with their toys and hanging with Grandma and Grandpa. I am so glad we still have the Ringger Christmas on Saturday because it makes the "day after Christmas" not seem so gloomy! So I guess, it's not really over yet! whoo hooo!

New Christmas PJ's...I actually think Eli was smiling here, although he appears on the verge of a meltdown. Give him a break, he between 101-103 fever all day!

Spreading the Reindeer Food out front...

Grandpa working on the Race Car...what the %$#% is going on with this thing??

Cereal in my new Lightning McQueen bowl...

Mostly for Aunt Micki...

Micki,

I took a video clip of Eli opening his gift yesterday for you and girls to watch, but it was too big to send thru my email....so here it is! He loved his dinosaurs, and they have converted a corner of the playroom into "dinoland". It's funny, because how they did it is strangly famililar to the Barbieland that I used to build in our basement. Caden explained to me that they had an area to give the dinosaurs a bath (with pretend water, much to their dismay), feed them, beds for them to sleep, etc. I guess this is the boy version of Barbies!

Anyway, thank you again...they really do love them!

Lacey

P.S. I just watched this again, and I guess I could have put pants on Eli before his big video debut...but we are potty training and the less layers the better around here! Sorry!

Funny things...

A friend of mine just posted a bunch of little cute things her kids have been saying, and I thought it was such a good idea. I always think I will remember the funny/cute things they say and they are usually gone from my mind by the next morning.

So anyway, Caden had me cracking up just now. I put him down for a nap about an hour ago. Well I have heard them up there for the last hour talking, singing, counting, etc...anything but sleeping. Finally, he started yelling for me and I went up there. As soon as I got in his room, he said "Oh Mommy, I had the most wonderful dream". Trying not to crack up at the new use of the word wonderful, I told him that he wasn't telling the truth because I have heard him talking up here the whole time. He proceeded to tell me that "that wasn't true because he had a wonderful dream about sharks and sea creatures...and that he was a diver swimming with them" HA!

Maybe you had to be there...or maybe I am lacking some adult interaction today, but it was pretty dang funny!

Happy Birthday Eli!

We can't believe it, but our little boy turned 3 yesterday! We had a great party at a place called My Gym, where Eli goes to gymnastics once a week. We had 17 little ones running around the place. The instructors were awesome and had all the kids had a blast!

Basketball birthday cake

All the kids lined up for pizza & cake

The Birthday Boy!

Eli sat on the trapeze swing as all the kids sang happy birthday!

Eli on the zip cord, his reaction sums up the whole party...he was just a wild man and loving it!

Pizza Time! Here are the kids marching to the pizza & cake area...of course after getting a little hand sanitizer...LOL

Here is Caden going down the zip cord...I loved his feet in this picture, he was kicking 100 miles per hour!

Merry Christmas!

Alright, I have am going to cover a couple updates in one blog...time is getting short around here, so this is the best I can do!

First we have pictures of our annual Gingerbread house making contest. This year the boys both got to do one by themselves and it was quite an adventure. Never in the past has either boy ever actually tried to eat the candy, but for some reason this year Caden was obsessed with it. I think he ate a pound of candy that night and I finally have had to place the completed houses on top of the kitchen cabinets because he keeps picking pieces off the house...yuck! It was a very fun (and messy) night though!

Next we have our Breakfast with Santa. Our chuch hosted a great event and the boys could not wait to go meet santa this morning. They were a little frustrated to find out that "Breakfast with Santa" actually included an eating portion of the event, but overall they were great. Both boys told Santa they wanted a Race Car with a remote control and Eli added that it needed to go "super fast".

At the house before we left...we can't wait!!

At breakfast...so excited!!

"Bring the big guy out, or it's going to get ugly in here!"

Finally, we get to have some face time!

What a great weekend!

Having a beer at Nick's in Bloomington between the wedding & the reception...

At the reception...

Jerome and the groom, Joe...

Jerome and I just had the BEST weekend ever! We went to an old med school classmates wedding down in Bloomington. The couple and their friends were awesome, and the reception was the biggest party I have ever been too. They had a huge live band, open bar, etc. Here are some photos from the night. Oh, and the best part is that the kids spent the weekend with Grandma & Grandpa Ringger...Thanks Mom & Dad!!!

This little boy was hysterical at the reception, and he was GOOD. I had to take a quick video of him getting low, low, low