The Old Schoolhouse

We have discovered this wonderful old place in Idaho, not too far from Lava Hot Springs called the Old Schoolhouse.  Someone has converted this old schoolhouse into a lodging.  We rent out the whole thing and have room for my entire extended family (parents, brother and sisters and their families).  We all have an individual room for our family to sleep in with enough beds for everyone.  There is a gym, which makes a perfect place for all the kids to run around in without disturbing everyone else, a really large kitchen with room for everyone to sit and eat, and a family room of decent size for us to play games or watch T.V. or whatever else we wanted to do.  This place is perfect.  Unfortunately my camera ran out of batteries so I didn't get too many pictures but I did get a few.

I think this little toy belonged to Leah?  Anyways, all the cousins had a ton of fun playing with it and they all shared relatively well. 

We had a cousin present exchange that turned out really great. My kids also got to open their presents from grandma Sylvia and grandpa Randy since we didn't see them on Christmas day.  Grandma Sylvia know her grandsons.  Dalin and Braden got light sabers or life savers, or light savers which ever you prefer to call them...hahaha.  I thought it was so funny that my brother's daughter Bailey saw theses and cried and cried because she wanted one so bad.  It made me chuckle because kids always want what everyone else has.

Dalin wielding his light saber while Landon opens a present on my lap.  He got a cash register from grandma and grandpa that all the grand kids had fun with.  The younger group of grandkids each got one and it was a hit.

Braden opening his light saber.

Look at those cute kids playing together.  Korbin, Kyla, and Landon.

Dalin watching Leah open her present from him. 

And don't forget to have a snack when you're all done.  It's hard work opening all those presents.

Christmas Day

I love Christmas.  We had a really good Christmas this year, but my camera was acting up so I didn't get all the pictures I wanted.  My video camera pooped out too so I couldn't take any footage.  What a bum deal.  But here's the fun stuff...

Coming down the stairs.  Landon is curious, Braden was quiet, and Dalin could barely contain himself. 

All they wanted this year for Christmas was bow and arrows.  Obviously I couldn't get them real bow and arrows for safety reasons.  I don't really need one of them speared, although Dan and I had a couple of arguments over this.  He seemed to think it would be perfectly safe.  It wasn't until I had him talk to the store clerk about it that he finally agreed real ones were a bad idea.  Maybe when they're a tad bit older and know not to shoot each other or neighbor children just for fun.  I can totally see this happening.  Anywho, I searched and searched.  There were crappy cheep ones at Walmart with suction cups, but they were cheep plastic and I knew would last all of five seconds.  Thanks to Santa however, the boys got good quality nerf-type bows and arrows that are easy for them to set the arrows and pull back on without much of a fuss.  Even Landon can do it.  They shoot really far, but have soft foam arrows that don't hurt when you get drilled with them.  Trust me, I was drilled with some minutes after they were discovered.  The tips are round and rather fat too so that they won't poke your eye out, although I'm sure getting hit in the eye wouldn't feel great, these bad boys can really go.

Landon loves tractors and has since last summer when we watched a real one digging out a place for a new play ground.  I think you could safely say he is obsessed with them...and trains.  It's a boy thing I guess.  He was very excited to see that Santa had brought him a tractor.  It drives forward and backward and moves it's digger up and down.  He still loves it a month later and plays with it daily.  Good job Santa!

Dalin with his bow and arrow.

Landon also got a "choo choo" as he calls it.  This one puffs and choo choos when you shake it and then moves when you put it down.  He likes it almost as much as his tractor.

Braden with his sling shot.  Again these are nerf-like and well suited for younger users.  The foam balls are placed in between two prongs where the ball is held until whacked.  These are a lot of fun and easy for little fingers to manage.

Loves it!

Santa also knew how much Braden loves popsicles and put a package of freezer pop makers in his stocking.  Braden will go through these things like crazy, but this way mom gets to decide what they're made out of so we aren't getting too much sugar and crap.  We've even made some out of milk at Braden's request.

Finally, he looked at the camera.  Too bad the picture isn't great.

Now it's time for the presents. 

What could they possibly be?

Just what we wanted ever since our friends brought theirs over last summer and we had to feud over who got to ride them.

Dan and I debated on whether or not to get Landon a scooter too because he's still a little young for one. But I knew if the older boys had one he would be constantly trying to ride one too and it would result in many battles over sharing and his ability to manage a two wheeled one.  So I figured that if he couldn't do it or wasn't interested in it that he would eventually grow into it.  I was right, though.  He definitely needed his own so we're glad we got it. 

Braden trying his out.

They rode and rode all over our little space of tile in the kitchen and entryway.  Wish we could've gone outside but the snow and 20 below temperatures prevented that.

Landon jumped on and took off and I was very surprised at how he knew right what to do.  I guess that's what having older brothers does to a kid.

Overall, our Christmas was a merry one!

Motherhood

This just about sums it all up! This seriously made my day.  It's great to see the humor in what you do.  This is my life.

Pink Eye

I have never had pink eye, but a couple weeks before Christmas I got the worst case of it.  I realize I look like a zombie in this picture, but I really felt like crap.  Plus I didn't have a drop of makeup on.  Other than pink eye there wasn't much else wrong with me, but it was awful.  Now I know what other people go through when they have it and I really feel for them because it really sucked.  My whole left eye was so puffy when I woke up in the morning I couldn't open it for about half an hour.  Finally some green slime would drain out and the swelling would go down a little  bit so I could at least open it.  It gave me the worst headaches and my ear and jaw hurt as well.  I think I got it because Braden had it really bad.  He gets pink eye almost every time he has a bad cold. He's had it probably 10 times in his short little life. The doctor told me he might be prone to it like other kids are prone to ear infections. Ya think?  He's had it twice this year already.  Anyways back to how I got it.  Braden came up to me to ask for something and spit right in my eye as he was talking.  My thoughts were "geeze grandpa Dan, now I'm going to get pink eye".  At the time I was just kidding but the next day proved me right.  It was a full two weeks before I was back to normal.