christmas yo.

I blinked...and it was Christmas Eve.

Here's a whirlwind of festivities we fit in before the big day.

All 24 days that we get before the big day.

And I was away in NYC for 8 of them.

And we were all sick for at least 6 of them.

And my real camera was broken for almost all of them.

December kills me...every year.

I always just need like 4 more days...okay 7...okay 14.

There really needs to be 48 days in December.

Starting the season off right...turkey and 10% IPA's.  

The next day hurt a little.

Skyping the big man.

Awaiting their fate.

Making 'bird houses'...as Carson called it.

Cougan dinner....7 littles...and another on the way.

Notes from Max.

Enjoying the view.

Enjoying our cousins.

Enjoying these guys...and our fifth annual xmas dinner.

Decorating.  Wrapping.  Sorting.

A continual mess.

Snowflake Lane with 5 kids, 3 adults, and some tall Red Robin beers.

3rd year and counting...and only one year we've actually seen the show.

Sick days.

Happy days.

Sleepy days.

Christmas Eve reading with the man he claims he is going to marry.

Baking cookies for St. Nick.

A lot of tasting going on.

Being in awe of the 'village.'

...and often destroying it.

Making sure she is still on the nice list.

She is.

Cheering on the Seahawks...

...just like dad.

Stocking up.

Playing games.

Rare photo ops.

Remembering to hide this little mo fo.

Loving school projects she would come home with.

Did I mention the view?

the stand-off.

Carson is good at many things.

Like making messes.

Especially making messes in his bedroom.

This boy can clutter 200 square feet in no time flat.

(He can clutter 2000 square feet in no time flat too).

And the other day...he did.

 (As he often does).

And I politely asked him to clean it up.

And he defiantly said 'NO'.

So he was sent to his tiny, messy little room, so he could think about that answer.

(Because it was the wrong one).  

But, apparently all he thought about while he was in his room, was how to make it messier.

And, five minutes later when I went back up to his room, I saw that he had pulled every single book off  of his shelves, he had pulled every single blanket off of his bed, and he had pulled every single shirt off its hanger.

I told him he would stay in his room until it was cleaned up.

(I didn't really expect this 3 year old to actually 'clean', but he needed to make an attempt).

He folded his arms, put down his head, and growled at me.

So I left...for about 30 minutes.

Went back upstairs, opened his door, and asked him again.

This time he threw a toy at me.

So I left...for an hour.

Went back up stairs, opened his door, and asked him again.

Another growl, another arm folded pout, another flung toy.

Another hour went by.

Went upstairs, opened his door...and he was asleep.

And stayed in his room two more hours.

Great, he will wake up refreshed, and be a 'happy guy' as he would put it.

Often heard from his little mouth, 'Mama I gonna be a happy guy now, I am not gonna be a mean guy anymore'). 

He woke up, came downstairs, I held him a bit to get his shakiness out, and then said, "Lets go get that room picked up pal."

And then he lost his little mind again, and started crying, and declared he was not ever, ever, ever going to clean his room...ever.

So that's where he spent the next hour...again...in his room.

We are going on hour 5.5 of this stubborn little sh*t being locked in there.

And I've got things to do.

(Luckily, Hads was home sick...so we had nowhere to go...which didn't bode well for him).

It's getting to be dinner time and I call Ryan (whose in San Diego) and ask him what the hell to do.

Let's just say, Ry had no empathy for the little dude.

I called my mom...and she said "Give him dinner in his room.  You can't back down now."

So I gave him another chance to make things right...and he, not so, politely declined.

I served him dinner in his room.

He ate, and I thought maybe that would give him the energy to do the right thing.

I was wrong.

He still refused to clean.

Another hour went by.

He got a bath.

Went directly back to his room.

I gave him one last chance.

Nope.

No book.  No snuggles.  No cleaning.

And he recorded the longest time-out in Prentice Family history...

7.5 hours.

I am not sure who won that battle.

But by Thursday morning...he had no problem helping put his books away and all the toys in his baskets.

So I am putting a dash mark in the win column for me.

And to this day, he still says, "Mama, if we don't clean our rooms, we have to eat dinner in our rooms.  And that is very, very sad."

grandpa fred.

Grandpa Fred spoils these kids rotten.

When he comes to town at Christmas time they get to go to Target and pick ANYTHING they want (or anything in the $35 range).

To a kid...this is heaven.

You can literally see them shake with excitement.

And it usually takes them about 3 hours to finally settle on something.

gingerbread houses.

Each year, after Thanksgiving, my Mom makes Gingerbread houses with all of the cousins.

And this year was no different.

Except for maybe the fact that the kids actually put more candy on their houses, than in their mouths.

Well everyone except Carson.

I remember growing up my mom would make the most elaborate gingerbread houses.

I mean seriously, they were amazing.

(Like should have been displayed at the Sheraton Hotel quality houses).

These kids have a ways to go.

But they're getting there.

And my mom has the patience of a saint.

I can just picture her now making an entire housing development when these kids are in their teens.

cruzin'.

There's a new little pal to love.

Baby Cruz was born the weekend after Thanksgiving (so nice of him to wait until the holiday was over...I like him already).

So we popped over for a meet and greet.

To say Hadley was in heaven is an understatement.

She never stopped smiling.

He is so sweet.

So tiny.

So perfect.

And on the way home I had Ryan make an appointment to get his vasectomy reversed.

He made my arms literally ache.

Welcome to the team little dude.

And be nice to your Mama...who has

THREE BOYS!

(On second thought, why don't you cancel that appointment Ry).

homework.

She gets home.

She grabs a snack.

She sharpens her pencil.

She grabs her homework.

She sits down.

And she gets busy.

Every single day.

This gal LOVES having homework.

(I am going to love it while it lasts).

getting cozy.

We are warming up to this idea of December.

These two are the best little snuggle-bugs.

I wish they would stay here all month.

I could get so much done.