Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2019

Here are the pictures and videos of Christmas Eve and Christmas day.  We were fortunate to have both sets of Grandparents come down for Christmas! On Christmas eve, the kids sang in front of the tree (see previous post), and after they sang, they were allowed to open one gift from Grandma (Marsha). 

Christmas Eve 2019:

Getting in some (much-needed) practice time before the performance. 

In case you missed the last post, here is another angle of the kids singing their Christmas song.

The kids opening their gifts.  They got Christmas books, stuffed animals, and I know they opened some Christmas blankets (that they especially liked) but I don't see them in the picture.

Cookies and milk for Santa!

Christmas day 2019

The kids woke up early (no surprise there) and begged to open presents as soon as humanly possible (also no surprise). Everyone was up by 8:00 much to the delight of the kids, and we started opening the gifts immediately.

I didn't get pictures of everyone opening every single gift, but I took enough so you get the idea. We opened them in order of age--youngest to oldest. I ended up with the most gifts, like I do every year haha!  

7: 30 am. Elisa and her Santa gift, a huge RainbowCorn surprise egg (they keep coming up with new toys these days, I can hardly keep up, but the joy of these is in the opening). Gabe's Santa gift was a Mario Maker game for the Nintendo Switch, and Ian's Santa gift was an 800-piece Lego truck from the Lego Movie 2.

 

"Is it time to opening presents yet, Daddy?"

Opening the stockings

Ian opening his Super Mario Bros. bath set (towel and scrubbie) from Grandma Julie 

 

Elisa opening her LOL glitter kit from Aunt Lisa

 

Grandpa Ron opening his gift from me and Erik and the kids

 

Elisa opening her headband kit from Gabe. He picked it out for her and bought it with his own money.

 

Gabe, opening a box of science kits and the like

 

Elisa opening her Disney on Ice Tickets from Daddy. He put boxes within boxes and that's why she is laughing here.

A Harry Potter figure from Aunt Makayla.  He wasn't into it, but Ian liked it.

 

Gabe opening his big huge hot wheels track from Daddy

Grandma (Marsha) got the kids cute sparkly Beanie-Boos and they loved them!

 I didn't get many pictures of the rest of Christmas day.  It mainly consisted of cleaning up the present mess, the kids playing with their new toys, and the adults preparing Christmas dinner (which I guess I didn't get a picture of).  Dinner was delicious.  It was a fun Christmas 2019!

Elisa and her happy, goofy grin. I think she liked her Santa gift. 

The first toy Elisa opened and played with is the glittler LOL doll kit from Aunt Lisa.

Christmas Video 2019

December 24

This video deserves its very own post! It is our annual Christmas video where the kids choose a song and sing it in front of the tree and we record it. We got a late start in picking out and practicing a song, but with the help of Erik's coaching, the kids sang loud and proud and new [most of] the words. Erik filmed, I played (I practiced it super last minute, so hopefully my screw-ups aren't audible for the untrained ear), my dad was my page-turner, Grandma Julie filmed from another angle (oh how I wish I knew how to work video editing software--if we actually even have it--it would have been neat to have two different angles in one video spliced neatly together), and Grandma and Grandpa Nelson were there for moral support and encouragement. This year the kids chose "Jingle Bell Rock". As you can see, they sang great! I only have two things that I would have liked changed in the video: One, they didn't smile as much as they should have, and two, Gabe really should have stuck his ears in his hat.

Christmas Piano Recital

December 21st 2019

I decided to have my Christmas piano recital at a retirement home, for a couple of reasons: so my students aren't always performing at the same place, and to give them an opportunity to serve the community. Variety and new faces and places are always good for a performer. I found the closest retirement home that I could find that actually responded (surprisingly quickly, I am grateful to add) to my inquires about having a piano recital there. I typically have my students get to work on their recital songs approximately 6 weeks before the recital. I am pleased to say that all of my students worked hard this last recital on all of their songs, even the 1 students that wasn't able to make it.

The day finally came, I was of course rushed and flushed and overall mildly panicky.  I had prepared a couple pieces from The Nutcracker to play because I enjoy playing for my own recitals, it forces me to keep up on my piano learning, playing, and performing skills. Plus I believe its good for the students to hear their teacher play. So knowing I had to perform and conduct (i.e. speaking in front of people) made me a little anxious, but this wasn't the first time and certainly not the last, that I would have to do that stuff so I sucked it up and did what I needed to do.  As if performing and conducting weren't stressful enough, I had to delay the start time of the recital (even though I adamantly told everybody to be there 15 minutes early so we could start on time) because there were no residents there for us to play for.  I wasn't going to start until there were at least a few.  What would be the point of holding a recital at a retirement home if there were no residents there to hear it? I might as well just hold it at my own home if that's the case.  So I waited for 15 minutes past before we finally started, as we had a few residents that eventually trickled in.  Turns out, they were at a Bingo game.  If the activities director would have warned me that the residents would possibly still be in a bingo game at the start of the recital, I would have told everyone to come later and started at 2:30 instead.  And, much to my annoyance, the activities director didn't even show her face until 2:13 for a few seconds and then promptly left.  The only redeeming act of the activities director is that she did have everything I requested set up.  I do believe that will be the last time we perform there.

The recital itself went smoothly enough, except Ian decided to play every Christmas song in his entire book, even the ones that he had never laid eyes on. Ian kept playing, and playing, and playing. I could feel myself start to sweat by the time he was going on song number 6 and I was worried that the audience was getting impatient. But there was not much to be done other than wait it out (honestly I did try to get him off the bench), I didn't want to wrestle the poor, sweet kid of the piano in front of everybody, that would have looked even worse. He finally finished with a hearty applause.  Next time I'll plan a little more carefully--I'll limit Ian to 2 or 3 songs and he'll know ahead of time exactly which songs he'll be playing. I just did not expect him to play the entire book at the recital! The rest of the students played well, we had a couple boys refuse to bow, other than that it went just fine.  I played at the end like I always do.  My performance was good but not great. I was just so glad to have the recital and my performance done and out of the way so I could enjoy my Christmas break! After the recital we all enjoyed some treats that the families brought (I also brought some sugar cookies that everyone assumed were lemon because I drizzled them with a faintly yellow frosting Dec. 21

Ian and his many, many performances

Allison

Lydia

My Elisa.  She is usually pretty good about getting her songs performance-ready, but this year she just didn't seem to care as much.

Grant.  I forgot to get a picture of his brother, Carson, who played next.

Camden

My Gabe.  He worked hard and did a great job!

Hannah

Dance of the Reed Flutes and Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

My and my students.

Random December Happenings, Part II

Here are more fun things we did in December:

Dec. 9

Ian working hard at the piano

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Dec. 12

Elisa at her painting class. She painted an owl, and I helped her with the last couple strokes.

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Dec. 13

I finally finished Gabe's Mario Bros. quilt. It's not perfect, not by any stretch of the imagination. Its a little wonky in some parts and the quilting itself is ridiculously uneven, but it still turned out pretty neat-looking.

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Dec. 14

I set up my December piano recital at a care facility. I went a week early just to check things out and meet the activities director.  There was a little party there, complete with ponies, Santa, carolers, treats, and my favorite--a free taco truck.  Later that evening we went to see the Nutcracker at Thunderbird Highschool, put on by the Backers of Ballet dance school.  It was only $5 a ticket, plus a toy to donate to kids in the Military.  It was pretty decent for what we paid.  I think Elisa liked it, Gabe was bored, and Ian liked it until he feel asleep.

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Dec. 15 

Sunday--our very kind neighbors dropped this yummy treat plate by

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Dec. 15-16

Ugly sweater day was Monday and Elisa couldn't find an ugly sweater in her closet (I tend to get rid of those). Nevertheless, Elisa insisted on finding an ugly sweater to wear.  Around Christmas time, "ugly sweater" doesn't necessarily mean ugly--more tacky.  So I decided we had enough time (Sunday afternoon), fabric (thanks to Goodwill and leftover quilt backing), and a quick pattern (raglan shirt). The part that took the longest was decorating it, but that was also the most fun. Elisa chose to paint a Christmas tree on the shirt.  We used lots of fabric paint and lots and lots of glitter! I also sewed on a bunch of bells, but they fell off during the school day.  It wasn't my knot tying--it was because the metal cut into the string.  I think it turned out cute/ugly/tacky, and was really surprised that she didn't win the ugly sweater contest in her class. Well, its plenty big she can try again next year!

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Dec. 16

Erik got into a little accident while dropping off something at the post office. It was his fault. Nothing too serious, but it did need to be repaired.  

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Dec. 18

Another fun day at gymnastics

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Dec. 19

This is Elisa's "How to Cook a Turkey.  It cracks me up! 

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Dec. 19

Ian's socks matched the shirt I made him almost perfectly! 

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Dec. 20

Me and my crazy frizzy morning hair

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Throwback: All three of my babies on their first Christmas!
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Christmas 2019's Christmas card.  Everytime Christmastime comes around, I debate with myself whether or not to send out Christmas cards, but I always ending sending them out it.

Fun with the Guinea Pigs

December 8: Here are some silly pictures of the Guinea pigs that I took with the kids.  We all (minus Erik) had a good time playing with these cute little balls of fluff. Elisa found a doll-sized Santa hat to pose them with, and I had fun captioning the pictures on my phone. It was pretty much impossible to get all 4 piggys holding still and looking at the camera.  Good thing they aren't required to smile! They're as bad a the kids when it comes to getting group photos:

 

 

 

 

I tried using food as a means to get them to hold still, as you can see it only worked for half of them.

 

 

 

Dec. 15

More picture of my baby piggy

Random December Happenings, Part I

December is such a fun yet busy month! Here are some fun things we did in December:

Dec. 2

Ian was still in Thanksgiving-mode.  He made all of us turkey placemats like the one he made in school.  He even insisted that we use them! Silly boy!

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Dec. 4

Gabe's first day of "Activity Boys".  All the boys made gingerbread houses.  Here is Gabe with his, you can see that he still likes trains!

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Dec. 6

This looked way cooler in person. The picture doesn't do it justice.  I was turning into Fry's when I saw a hot air balloon practically landing in the middle of the road. I really hope they didn't land in the middle of the road, but it was neat to see one up close like that. 

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Same day-Dec.6

Fry's Food store had their 50% off Christmas sale.  That includes sale items too! I always make sure I go to these, the deals are screamin' good! I good allllll of the Christmas candy for everyone, plus a foam gingerbread house for Ian to put together, and of course this here shirt for myself! I got it for under $10. Its so cute and so soft, although I wish I would have gone up a size, because it fits a little smaller than I would like it to. But its still wearable.

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Dec. 6

Elisa playing the last song of level 1!

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Dec. 6

I found a few yards of some knit Christmas fabric at Goodwill in the months prior for a dollar or too.  I made Elisa a dress.  She decided she didn't like it so I told my sister Lisa that I would be sending Aaliyah a Christmas dress. Elisa then decided that she really, really wanted the dress.  So I gave in and let her keep it, and instead sent Aaliyah a Santa shirt that Elisa refused to wear and another Christmas shirt of Ian's (for Cal) that was too small.  Elisa wore the dress for one evening and refused to wear it for the rest of the month. That's the last time I'll let that happen. I also made Ian a raglan shirt out of the same fabric, as shown in the pictures below. 

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What a mess!

 

Dec. 7

Erik went back with me to the Fry's 50% off Christmas sale, and we got a few other things including gingerbread house kits for Ian and Elisa. They had a fun, yet very messy, time putting those housed together.  They ate some of the candy off the houses, but mostly the houses just dat on my countertop till I threw them away after Christmas.

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Ian wants Legos for Christmas

Do you want Santa to bring you Barbie Dolls, Gabe?

Also December 7

Ward Christmas Party. It was okay.  It was in the backyard of someone's house.  It was the most okay-est a ward Christmas Party could be.  It might have been a little bit better than okay if it weren't raining and I didn't have to sit in a puddle of water to eat my soup or chili or whatever I grabbed.  It was a soup potluck, with a hot chocolate bar.  Of course I was the only one to bring something other than soup--I brought a buffalo chicken dip with some chips, and I guess people liked it because it went pretty fast. The kids got to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what they want for Christmas. 

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Still Dec. 7

That ward Christmas party wore Ian out! He has the prettiest little face, especially for a boy!

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Dec. 8

That shower wore Gabe out! Either that, or he was faking...

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