School Party and other videos

Last Thursday was Drew's Preschool Christmas Party. Each class had their own party in their classrooms. They had brownie santa treats, and Drew (I) brought gingerbread cookies for everyone. (And while Drew was handing them out to his friends, I saw Emma swipe his and eat part of it!! haha) And they made a craft to leave out for Santa. Emma wanted to help - and Drew actually let her scribble on it some too! It was very sweet how he wanted to walk Emma around the room and show her everything. The teachers even sent home a wrapped present for each child, which was a very cute book. And there was a bag for the parents that held 6 ornaments he'd made over the past few weeks. Those are definitely keepers and are hanging proudly on our tree!

Then they played some weird game where they all pulled on these paper things and they were supposed to pop open and find a surprise. But of course they pulled everyone on top of each other!

And the best part - they sang a song to all the parents! Drew had been practicing this song at home...a bunch!!

In the video, you can hear Emma yell, "Dreeeew!" in the middle of their song!

Drew is nearly obsessed with the Fresh Beat Band show...he gets upset when we don't get to watch it! And it usually falls right around dinnertime, so we rarely miss it. At the end of each episode, they sing and dance to the same song...and he knows all the words and all the moves! I caught the end of the dance on video! LOL

Emma finally got a turn at the Wii! I didn't think she'd know what to do, but I guess when you watch everyone else play, you figure it out! I wish I got on video when Chad told her to "run!" and she ran right off the board and into the bench! haha

My parents didn't want us to have to fly home with their gift to the kids, so they had it sent to our house. It arrived yesterday, and the kids HAD to have it put together - they were so excited! So, Chad got to work on it when he got home - and they love it!

Santa and some random pictures

We met Santa at the Huntersville Christmas event...and this is as close to Santa as Emma would get! Drew, of course, sat down and told him all kinds of things!

Emma gave Rudolf probably 5 hugs! Every time we'd get her back in line to meet Santa, she'd escape and run over to Rudolf again!

Here's Emma modeling her red coat and Santa hat!

We made snowmen with all things that the kids love - marshmallows, graham crackers, icing, craisins, pretzels, oreos... but they wouldn't eat them! I guess b/c they all had touched each other?? Or maybe b/c they are a little scary looking...

Here's two silly kids on the couch!

Here's Emma posing in front of the Christmas tree. I was attempting to get some cute pictures for Christmas cards, but I didn't end up using these...maybe I should have - they're pretty cute!

And here's Drew with his Christmas-card pose that I ended up not using.

I love this one! I might have to print it and frame it!!

We discovered some gingerbread cookie mix that Drew can have so we made lots of them!! I think we'll make them again for Drew's Christmas party at school this week!

Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving Day we went to the parade in downtown Charlotte. It was great weather (in past years, it's been freezing or rainy). We thought Drew's reaction to the marching bands was pretty funny... (sigh of relief!)

CHEESE!!


Emma wanted to get down and run around, so it was a little hard to just sit and watch. She's at that tough age where she doesn't want to be in a stroller, but she is a really fast runner and just takes off if we set her down.

Then we came back home and I got our turkey in the oven. I even got to run to Old Navy and score some great deals while our dinner was cooking. Then I hit up several stores at midnight and didn't get home until around 2am or so! On Friday, we went and picked out our Christmas tree - the first time we've had a real one!! We decorated it while Emma was napping (just too risky to have TWO helpers! We only lost one ornament with one helper - not sure we'd have any with two!) Do you like how Drew did a candy cane display right in the center of the tree? =)

And the finished product!

Then on Saturday we celebrated Thanksgiving with Chad's family. Poor baby Owen wasn't feeling the best and was giving Grant and Sherry quite a scare, so it was just us and Chad's parents and Nana. After eating, we headed outside to play. Here's the kids with Granddad and Grandmom and Nana.

And here's our family of four! (it's black and white from something else, and I just forgot to switch it back...)

This picture is so sweet or Emma and Nana.

Emma LOVED the four wheeler and cried when it was Drew's turn!


We ran out of time to make Drew's muffins on Friday, so we brought the ingredients and made them there.

The week after Thanksgiving, IU played NC State - which rarely happens!! Here are the kids wearing their NC State gear as we are heading out to go to the Y.

This was Olivia's dress, and it looked really cute on Emma!