Christmas, Part 1

What better way to start the New Year off by a blog post?! Blogging something I plan on improving upon (despite Erik thinking I blog too much!) this year.  I'm way behind of course, but I'll tackle the Christmas posts before the memories fade into oblivion and I never get around to it!

Part 1 of our Christmas was spent in the comforts of our own home.  We were leaving for LA/Disneyland later that day (the 19th), so Erik and I decided to let the kids open presents before we left.  Our mini-Christmas at home--no sense in dragging Christmas present halfway across the nation just haul them all back.  Not that that was possible anyway, those spoiled silly kids got ginormous presents that could barely fit through the door, let alone a suitcase! Erik got me a nice present too--a steam cleaner for the kitchen floor!  It was on my Christmas list last year, so I was happy to get it this year, and it has been so wonderful to use!  I guess I'm spoiled too!

 The set-up

 Erik setting up Gabe's train table

 Elisa and her kitty

 Gabe's stocking stuffers

 Elisa loves opening presents now that she knows what they're all about!

 

Yes, the videos are correct, Gabe did get a train table and a bike.  And a big 'ole bin of trains and tracks, making for one elaborate train table complete with sound effects, lights, and endless fun! Elisa got a princess chair (I always find her sitting in Gabe's Thomas chair so I thought it would only be fair to get her one), a stuffed Hello Kitty, a dolly, and many other random fun things.  Erik and I enjoyed setting up their little Christmas while they were asleep and watching them open their presents.  I love the "OooOoohhh!!" Gabe let out when he saw his train table, but I was really hoping to get something like a happy shriek on camera, but so long as he likes it, I'm happy! 

Some Cute Videos

Here are some random videos exhibiting the immense cuteness of my kids. 

Gabe loves singing to his Thomas song.  He knows all the words.  And if he doesn't, he makes them up.  For example: "Thomas! He's the chicken one".  Gabe doesn't know what "cheeky" means, so he substitutes a word that he knows and is phonetically similar.

A spin-y chair is cheap, thrilling entertainment for kids.  It allows them to get plenty dizzy while I remain un-dizzy.  Er....not dizzy.

Gabe's Chalk Drawing

I think we may have a little artist!  Here is Gabe's chalk drawing, done all by himself last week! Zero help from mommy, in fact, I didn't even know he drew it until he came up to me and told me that he "Dah-wew Mommy dancing".  He told me that the round things are the music (I think it's supposed to be my iPod stereo and the filled in square is the iPod).  What a silly boy.  I NEVER dance, so he must have quite the imagination!  We are beginning to think that Gabe is a very creative child--he is always trying to make and build things. We love Gabe!! But then again, how could you not?!

Happy Thanksgiving!

For Thanksgiving we didn't do to much but it was nice to have Erik home instead of working!  Since we don't have family that lives close, we were on our own this year.  I didn't really want to attempt to cook a turkey and all the other bazillion side dishes that went with it--and I would have settled for turkey sandwiches or even going out to eat so someone else could cook the meal--but luckily for us some friends from church invited us over for Thanksgiving dinner.  Erik made his traditional frog-eye salad and even made the sweet potato casserole!  It was a good meal with good company, and the kids sure had fun!  Here are the pics:

First Present of the Season

 I saw this little train kit at Walmart and thought it would be perfect for Gabe! How could it not...a train (which Gabe loves) made out of cookies and candy (which Gabe also loves)!  I thought it would be fun to wrap it up and put it under the tree as a precursor to Christmas.  Gabe was so very excited to open it.  He still talks about it to this day:  "When I woked up, dere waz a prwesent under da trwee and I opwened it"  Haha, I love the Gabie-twang.

 Anyway, here is a cute video of him opening his present:
 

With (a lot of) help from Mommy, Gabe put together and decorated his train and obsessed over it ALLLLLLL day long:

He looked and looked at it until he figured out he could eat the candy off of it.  So he ate all the candy, looked and looked at it some more, until he then figured out that the train was make of gingerbread cookies, and this is what we have left of the train Gabie and I made together:

Happy Halloween!

 The older the kids get, the more fun Halloween is becoming!  We had lots of fun this year.  I think Gabe is grasping the concept of Halloween just fine--at least the costume wearing and candy getting--Elisa just likes the candy part.  Both are terrified of anything remotely scary, so needless to say their outfits and our Halloween decor is very tame. 

Gabe went as...who else, but Thomas the Train!! I found his costume at Goodwill for $5! Good thing, I seriously would have shelled out the $25 at Party City for this costume, that's how perfect it is for Gabe!

Erik carved this AMAZING Thomas the Train into a pumpkin.  He spent a lot of time on it; more impressively, he did it between studying and taking his step 3 board exam!

Gabe had preschool on Halloween day and got a TON of candy! Seriously a 5-pound bag, not just cheap nasty candy, but GOOD candy like full snickers bars, swedish fish, ring pops, etc.  He cried and cried when I dropped him off because I didn't bring his pumpkin pail.  I'm sure getting all that candy helped him get over it :)

After picking up Gabe from preschool, we headed to the library for their Halloween "party".  LAME.  So lame.  The kids got 3 peices of candy each, and there was absolutely nothing else to do there!  No crafts or anything!  Waste of time, and here is how Gabe felt about it:

I have much better pictures of Elisa in her costume than this, but unfortunately I am unable to access them until who knows how long, so, in order for me to EVER get around to publishing this post I will have to forgo them and you'll just have to deal with these sad pics:
 

This is the only picture I have of them two together with their costumes on.

 Elisa was a flower fairy.  I actually had this costume last year for her to wear but it didn't work out.  I worked great for this year though!  She was adorable in her fairy wings, the picture fails to show how cute and adorable she really was in her costume!

Some friends invited us over for a little Halloween party/get together.  It was fun to line up all the cute kids in their cute costumes and take pictures! We enjoyed the pizza, and of course the company!

The kids and I went trick-or-treating in our own neighborhood, for the first time EVER.  I really just wanted to see who was who on our street, go to a couple houses, get some candy (I was hoping for mostly things like MilkyWays and Reeces for me), but we ended up going through our street and the one behind us as well.  Not too mention pounds and pounds of candy! Gabe still talks about going trick-or-treating!  He had a lot of fun.  I wish I had pictures of the kiddos trick-or-treating, but it was too dark anyway. Elisa liked walking around, seeing things and people, and just hanging out with big bro and mommy.  I don't think she understands the trick-or-treating concept yet, but once she does I'm sure she'll talk endlessly about it like Gabe!  She looked adorable (of course) in her fairy costume and got lots and lots of attention!  Attention from doggies too...I had her wear her squeaky shoes and it made all the dogs go crazy when she walked! It was the funniest thing!

Halloween was over and it sure was fun, but the candy isn't over yet! Arrggghhh they still have a whole bag left, and it's already been picked over by yours truly, so I am just dealing with the begging and pleading for candy the best I can!

Family Portraits 2012

 Today we got our family portraits taken (yes, I am posting this the very same day!).  They we super last minute, I meant to get these taken a month ago.  We got them taken at JCPenny.  They are inexpensive as far as photos go, but unfortunately it shows.  I am sorry to say we don't have $300 to shell out for those on-site fancy pics, so this is what we have to settle for 'till then.  
Yeesh, not a good session at all! The kids (namely Elisa) refused to cooperate, so here is the most tolerable, I won't even bother posting all of them because they are just BAD:

 We didn't get a printout of this one, but I really like it!

 The only good one of Elisa, and she isn't even looking at the camera or smiling!

 A cute one of my cute Gabe

 

 Family portrait.  We got a printout of this for our wall, it's---tolerable.

 Our portrait for the Christmas cards

 Too bad Gabe wasn't looking at the camera, this is such a cute pic of Elisa!

And last but not least, this gem, I just had to post it:

See what I mean??! Bad!! So bad, it's funny! LOL