Winter fun

 Ho! Ho! Ho!

We have a fun ritual every night after dinner where Piper says "Let's play Duck, Duck, Goose!"  And the initial start to the game looks pretty close to Duck, Duck, Goose.  In fact every one sits on the floor, Piper "Ducks" everyone until she comes to Dave.  He is the "Goose" every time and from here the game turns into chase, where one by one Dave gets one of the kids, hangs them upside down before flopping them on the couch to tickle them.   This gets the before bed time crazies out and everyone loves it.  Actually in the last week we have switched to Hide and Seek, and even though there are only so many hiding places, it never gets old.

These Santa pictures of the kids happened from an idea of Piper who turned her napkin into a beard and said "Ho Ho Ho!"  Everyone had to have one, and it added to the fun for our nightly game of chase and tickles.

 

Oh the buddy boys!  I can't say enough how fun it is to have two of these guys.  Once again these sweet twinsy pj's came from the Shaw boys (Thanks Tricie).  We don't dress them alike very often, but I have to admit it is darn cute when we do.

Calvin and Jett gave me a run for my money this week showing off two recently acquired skills they have learned.  First off, they have figured out how to take their clothes and diaper off on their own.  It wasn't that big of deal, we would see them do it, then put the diaper right back on...well one nap time they decided to try their luck and stripped down with out me knowing it and we had a surprise (read: BIG LOG OF POOP) in Jetts bed when nap was over.  Yuck!

From now on they don't go to bed without duct tape on their diapers, which has worked just fine.  Ha, take that buddies!

Well, not so fast mommy, they must have thought because during another nap they were up to antics again...this time climbing out of their crib was the new victory.  I was surprised, and curious how this happened without anyone getting hurt, but I guess they learned from Piper who goes in every morning and climbs in and out of both of their cribs.  Keeping them entertained while Dave and I cherish a few more minutes of shut eye before the day begins.

Anyway, I could hear walking around upstairs, so I went up to investigate and sure enough Jett was out of his crib and pushing over a stool  to help Calvin get down.  Ahhhhh!  I put them back in their cribs 4 or 5 times, but they kept climbing out.  Not sure what else to do, I just laid out 2 blankets on the floor,  locked their door and let them have at it, thinking that they would eventually conk out.  I was wrong, I guess they were just too stoked on their new freedom that there was no need for sleep.  They were quiet, no crying, so I just left them in until 3pm the normal time they get up.  Well, I found out then the reason it was so quiet....they were busy destroying their room.  Everything was out of their drawers, probably 300 wipes scattered across the room, all books off the bookshelf...a big mess and two big smiles were there to greet me.  BUT thanks to the duct tape, their diapers were still on!

We solved this problem quickly by putting their travel tents inside their cribs.  Thankfully they love crib camping, so it wasn't a big deal.  So for now we are keeping them on lock down.  Hopefully we can put off the bunk bed purchase for at least another 6 months or year if we are lucky!  

How could these sweet boys ever cause us any trouble?!  =-)

 

Piper's school had a winter solstice performance and cookie making party to start off the winter break.  Piper was so excited, it was super cute to see her and the whole school squished together singing songs for the packed house of parents.  Such a fun community of people, we love River Song Montessori School.

Quinn and Piper did a fine job frosting the cookies.  Quinn saved hers for after dinner, but Piper gobbled hers right up and licked the frosting container clean too!

Then it was off to see Santa at the Old Mill.  A funny story from the weekend before...Piper and I were down at the Old Mill picking up a present at REI when I thought it would be a good idea for Piper to get a preview of what the Santa meeting would be about the following weekend when we planned to go.  So we walked in to check it out and I ran into a friend and started chatting away, Piper couldn't see Santa, so I told here to walk up the side and take a peak (thinking that she would indeed just look).  Well, it happened to be in between families coming and going and she walked right up to Santa.  I was quickly on her heals, yelling "Piper, wait" and Santa must have heard me call her name and he addressed her, "Oh, Hi Piper..." before I snatched her out of there.  No harm done, except for a cross Piper telling me she had something important to tell Santa.  I convinced her she needed to wait until the following weekend when we would officially have the chance to sit on his lap.

I totally called it, that Calvin and Piper would be all over sitting on Santa's lap and Jett would have nothing to do with him.  Jett was interested in the candy cane Santa had to offer, but would not go near his lap.  The funny compromise was having Dave hold Jett above Santa on the edge of the top of the chair.

We joked that Jett looks like a little angel floating  and over looking Piper and Calvin with Santa.
 

No tears and Piper got her practiced speech in about wanting a doll stroller with TWO seats for Christmas.  She spoke up for the boys stating that Jett would like a car and Calvin would like a truck.   Santa said, "What a good big sister you are Piper!"  She just smiled!  

Sister and Brotherly LOVE!