Christmas-y Swing of Things

It's the holiday season -- with the whoop-de-do and hickory dock!  The kids have been out of school for a couple of days now, and we've been doing our best to have fun and keep the fighting to a minimum.  And we've been sort of successful!  Haha.  We've filled our time with movies, games, and lots and lots of treats, which is usually a pretty winning formula for happiness and cheer.  ;)

 This year -- instead of putting a straw in the manger each night for acts of service -- we've been "lighting up the sky" with acts of service or other kindness as we help to #LightTheWorld this season.  I found some sparkly crystal star stickers at Michael's a few weeks ago, and the kids have been super excited to stick them on this Bethlehem mural I painted last year for the ward Christmas party.

For our first day of vacation on Thursday, I laid down the hammer and forced all of the kids to get the house cleaned up before we did anything "fun."  They LOVED that.  Hahahaha.  J/K.  They totally didn't, and we almost had a mutiny on our hands.  Especially since hardly anyone agreed with the idea that going as a family to see "Coco" qualified as a fun activity.  Eventually, though, everyone gave in and got their chores done, and to sweeten the deal and convince them that "Coco" was going to happen (whether they liked it or not, dang it!), I offered to take Grace, Sophie, and Alex secret Santa stocking stuffer shopping at Target beforehand.  After throwing in some Wendy's for lunch before the movie, voila -- everyone was a happy camper!  Hahaha.  And as an added bonus, we ALL ended up enjoying the movie.  It was so good!  :)

Last night we decided to give the screens a rest and declared it a family game night.  Surprisingly, it went over a LOT better than I expected it would. Even Grace -- who is typically our one holdout for any kind of board gaming -- hopped on board for a rousing game of Monopoly.  It was actually a lot of fun, but is there any other game in the history of games that causes the shedding of more blood or tears than Monopoly???  Hahaha.

 (Jane is actually hilarious to play games with.)

 This tablecloth from Target was equal parts a hit and a miss this afternoon after setting it out for the kids to color.  It was a hit because they were super excited to have a Christmas-themed one like the Thanksgiving one we did at my sister Sarah's house last month, but it was a super miss because it caused more contention and fighting over who had which markers and who got to color what, than anything you'd ever believe.

And finally, as of today, I am FINALLY finished with all of my behind-the-scenes Christmas magic!  Now, all that's left to do is kick back, relax, and enjoy some more movies, games, and treats.  Next up? Gingerbread Houses!  ;)

Grace finally beat Scott's winning streak tonight. It was a real victory for all of us!  Hahaha.

{My early Christmas present -- a poem from Sophie.  She is quite a writer!  Although, is it possible to have CPS services called on you based on your child's writing exercise?  Because the first few lines had me a little worried.  Hahahaha.}

Where I'm From
-- by Sophie

I am from shoes strewn around the main floor,
from carpet stains and broken doors.

I am from a house that stands out with a jungle of a yard,
And inside, an even bigger mess,
With the smell of Febreeze, a taste of love, and a feeling of chaos.

I am from overgrown bushes planted near my house,
With rich soil that keep them alive, but really, how much bigger can they get?

I'm from Freespace Fridays and Marcos Mondays,
And believing that we can do anything.
From sisters who make me giggle and parents that love me ever so much.

I'm from chewed-on nails and un-organized notes,
And from a lack of patience.

I'm from a place where I am told to "never give up" and to "always follow your dreams,"
And endless theme songs to kid shows, such as "Bubble Guppies."

I'm from Christmas Eve Gumbo and Secret Stocking Stuffers, too.

I'm from Provo, Utah,
And from The Land of the Free and The Home of the Brave,
From Leftovers Tuesdays and Movie Night Friday.

I'm from a passion to sing and dance,
From asthma, eczema, rashes, oh my!
With socks on my hands to keep me from itching.

I'm from photo albums and blog books that my mom puts lots of effort into.

Most importantly, though, I'm from a family that loves me!