And here we are… at our final 2010 Xmas celebration at Grandma Diane’s house in Monticello. Again, the boys were adamant that they wanted to take along their precious Harold and Diesel 10, so again they clutched onto them during the ride there and almost the entire time at Gma Diane’s. The kids had a blast with their cousins there (Rachel, Tyler, Brandon, Kelly and Devin) …. Watching movies, playing with toys, jumping on Gma's spare bed (unnnghh). They particularly loved watching Tyler and Brandon try to fly a remote control helicopter. For some reason they found it completely hilarious every time it would crash or hit something or someone as it was pretty hard to control. MacKay was laying hysterically to the point he had tears in his eyes while Oscar kept chanting “Again… Again… Again…. Let Me try…” And MacKay was also particularly interested in watching Devin play his Nintendo DS… asking what all the buttons were for and what was on the screen etc. They really had a good time. And Evie was in better spirits as well, feeling right at home running around Gma's house and playing with her bigger cousins. Any time cousin Kelly (Ke-YEEE) is around, Evie is showered with enormous amounts of love and attention – so she just basked in that.
We decided to get gifts/stockings out of the way, so we immediately dug into that. Again…. I am just going to list some highlights as there is NO WAY I can even begin to keep straight all that they got and from whom etc. The boys each got a talking Dinosaur Train character. Oscar got Tiny Pteranadon and MacKay got Buddy the TRex. They are pretty funny cuz they will talk to each other (they have sensors) if placed near each other. They also got $ to go toward their new dresser for their room, some more games (thanks to Dani and family) and Dinosaur puzzles. Evie got an Etcha-Sketch/DoodlePro sort of thing that she gets a kick out of, and a Little Mommy Rocking Horse for her dolls. She also got the Fisher Price pink dog that sings etc from Dani and family - which she mainly loves to kiss on (like everything else). And all the kids got personalized luggage – I can’t wait to have them help me pack next time we go somewhere, I think they will get a kick out of that.
As per usual routine at Gma Diane’s at Xmas time, we just pretty much grazed on all there was to eat – it was a nice spread ….. AND the big hit every year: BINGO! This year the boys even got into it. They played a couple games (with our help), and that was when it became apparent what MacKay's true calling is …. To become a BINGO caller. No matter who was calling the numbers, MacKay would parrot them out again right after they were called. He was quite the helper. So we decided to put him to work and he sat with Gma Diane and got to turn the BINGO cage to get the balls out, and Gma Diane would tell him what to call out for the letters/numbers. He did quite a good job too. Then, of course, lil Mister Oscar had to get in on it as well and wanted his turn to be the BINGO caller, so he sat with Uncle John who helped him to call out the letters/numbers… but he really liked turning the BINGO cage. We played enough rounds so that each of them got to win once ….. they each won $5 and were excited “This is MONEY!”
Evie again wasn't eating when we all sat down to chow, and started feeling a little warm ….. so we put her down for a nap and she pretty much conked right out. After we ate, Tyler and Brandon helped the boys put together their Dinosaur puzzle pieces which made up a Spinosaurus and a Stegosaurus. Both the boys loved these and ran around with them for the remainder of our stay there. We took some family pictures for use in next year’s 2011 Calendar we’ll make for Diane again – we made 2011 Photo Calendars for all the grandparents this year, I had a lot of fun doing that and I think we’ll continue to do that yearly as all of them really treasured it – who wouldn't?, tons of pictures of your grandchildren. Of course our kids had to be the difficult ones again though, as when it came time for our family picture (taken by Uncle John), Evie got crabby, MacKay became defiant and didn't want to be photographed, and Oscar wouldn't put down his dinosaur, which he put directly in front of his face for the picture. Oh well …. Every picture has to have its story right? And we were able to also nab a few “decent” (Evie was crabby) pictures of Gma Diane with all her grandkids too.
We left shortly before 5pm so that we could still get home in time for some dinner (got home around 6:30) …. And Chris fed the kids dinner – pizza, which thankfully Evie REALLY dug into and finally ate – while I emptied our suburban of all the Xmas presents we had accumulated over the weekend. It was quite a haul and filled our mud room. Slowly throughout that night I took more and more presents out and tried to organize what we had. I had to start making a pile of things we are ready to get rid of (mainly baby toys and things they no longer play with or are broken/missing parts etc) …. But I think that pile needs to get quite a bit bigger to make room for all this other stuff. I cannot wait to get the boys’ room redone (new beds/bedding, paint, decorating etc) so we can move a lot of their stuff into their room … and possibly even into Evie’s as well. We’re throwing around ideas and time lines on when we can get to that, but the goal is to have their new room done by the end of the month – at least that is my goal.
So, that pretty much wraps up our 2010 Xmas. I have a lot of other details and info to share on what the kids are doing and up to, but I’ll save that for another post…. Probably sometime after the new year as right now I am “blog posted out.” Here are some pictures depicting the fun we had at our 5th, and final, Xmas celebration for 2010 with Gma Diane. Enjoy.
The boys taking turns crawling into Gma Diane's toy box ... something they enjoy doing at home too. I guess they don't realize that the toys belong IN the toy box .... not strewn out all over the floor.
Oscar with his Ke-YEE (Kelly) and Gma Diane with her little "mini Chris" (MacKay)
The boys with their new Dinosaur Train toys ...
BINGO! ! !
MacKay (with Gma Diane) and Oscar (with Uncle John) helping to turn the Bingo cage
MacKay and Oscar helping to do the Bingo calling ....
Devin & Kelly and Brandon & Tyler
MacKay playing Bingo... and his winning card.
Silly Evie kissing on Gma's hide and seek doll ..... and NOT eating her lunch.
Grandma Diane's slew of stockings and holders
MacKay wearing cousin Brandon's new hat he got for Xmas this year. I think we need to get him one of these.
Cousin Fun
Tyler and Brandon helping the boys to put together their Dinosaur puzzles
Devin showing MacKay a think or two on his Nintendo DS - Oscar and Kelly coloring - and MacKay laughing hysterically at his older cousins trying to fly the remote control helicopter
Kelly loving up her little Evie doll .... and the younger boys jumping on Gma's bed [sigh]
Family Pictures
The siblings .... Jolene, Chris and Dani
Gma Diane with her children
The Hehir Family - Kelly, Jolene, John and Brandon
The Barthel / Ridgeway Family - Rachel, Tyler, Devin and Dani
The Hoglund Family ... and the Hoglund gals
Grandma's pride and joy
Oh MY .... am I seriously done blogging my Xmas 2010 now? I feel so relieved.
I probably won't be back on before 2011 hits ...... so everyone, have a very safe and happy new year, and good luck in 2011. Come back next year, we always have more to share.
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