Christmas Festivites 2009: Christmas with Rob's Family

One word to describe this Christmas: CHAOS!!!

Let's see who is at this one:
Great Grandma Marie
Rob's parents, Sophia and Matthew's grandma and grandpa

Rob's sister and her husband, Aunt Jenny and Uncle Damion
Their four kids:
Liam (11 yrs old), Katie (5 yrs old) , Mathurin (7 yrs old), Tristan (13 mos old)

Rob's brother and his wife, Uncle Tim and Aunt Kourtney
Their two kids:Tyler (5 yrs old) and Kylea (4 yrs old)

Of course us with Sophia (2 1/2 yrs old) and Matthew (4 mos).

That is eight kids, six of which were running around all day and night long!

Grandma made these huge stockings in which we all contribute to. Look for yourself. So big!

We open our stockings first, from youngest to oldest.While the kids were playing, the adults open our presents from each other. We also played a white elephant game too. The rule was to bring something that you already had from home. Rob ended up with a living room mantle. I have no idea where to put it.Then we brought the kids in - craaazy!! Between Rob handing out the gifts and me, feeding Matthew, I have no idea what present Sophia and Matthew got from which family people.

Sophia did get a piano from Grandma and Grandpa which she loves to play. She also likes to put on a dance beat and dance around the living room.

The Goodheart clan

Sophia sporting her new snowman pants!

Princess nails - oh boy!

Grandma and Grandpa opening a present from Sophia.

Spy gear!

The girls in their matching dresses made with love by grandma.

Matthew had quite a conversation with Great grandma Marie while everyone opened their stockings.

A Visit with Great Grandma

On Christmas day after Sophia's nap, my mom, Sophia, Matthew and I went to visit my Grandma. Sophia loves to visit her Great Grandma. We passed by her school on the way there and Sophia said "Hey, not a school day, visit Great grandma!!" She was very adamant about this. Sophia is somehow very in tune to my grandma every since Sophia was a baby. Sophia gives her lots of love pats and kisses every time she visits. This visit, Sophia helped Great grandma open her presents and told her what they were. She, along, with two other people helped Great Grandma to the table. It is so cute, how Sophia just jumps right in there to help.

What did Santa bring?

A conversation I had with Sophia, a few days before the train ride.

"Sophia, what do you want Santa to bring you"

A few minutes past and she says "food".

Me - "What kind of food?"

Her - "Papa cakes"

Papacakes are pancakes that my step dad makes. If Sophia could eat pancakes every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner she would.

A couple weeks after that I mentioned that Santa might bring her an art kit, like the one cousin Autumn got for her birthday. She told me, "No, Santa is bringing papacakes!".

So Christmas morning, Santa put papa cakes under the tree for Sophia. Sophia was nice enough to share with us and this was our first breakfast of the day.

What did Santa bring Matthew? uuh, I guess Matthew was not on the good list. Better luck next year, my dear sweet Matthew.

Christmas Festivites 2009: Christmas with Mom

Rob, Sophia and I had an early breakfast courtesy of Sophia's present from Santa. My mom, my step-dad, my , and our good friend Rebecca came over around 9 to have brunch. My mom made homemade quiches, cinnamon rolls, and ricotta balls sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, along with bacon and mimosa's. Everything was delicious!

We open our stocking that "Santa" brought us. Sophia was really jazzed about the Santa pez candy toy she got. I didn't realize how weird eating pez candy is until I was explaining to Sophia that you have to tilt Santa's head back and take the candy from his neck.

The adults played our annual white elephant game. It is so fun. My brother ended up with a very fluffy, very orange bathrobe.

We open our presents. Sophia was very patient, she wanted to big present that Noni and Papa had gotten. Every year, I like to get some kind of gadget. In years past, they have been, ice tea maker, digital photo frame, hot chocolate maker, etc. This year was no different, I got an apple slicer-corer-peeler.

Sophia loved her new trike and art easel. She also loved the Dora phone Uncle Clarkie got for her. However, Sophia does not like Dora when it is close to nap time since Dora asks her to play with her. On many occasions, Sophia says "Nooooo!" and hangs up the phone. When Dora calls back she ignores the call or puts the phone in a kitchen drawer. I am hoping phone manners with come later.

Later, we had homemade Lasagna that Jim, my step-dad made. He makes the best lasagna ever!

Noni with Matthew and Sophia

Opening stockings

White elephant present time!

Sophia helping Papa out with his white elephant choice.

Uncle Clarkie sporting his super cool orange bath robe.

Matthew is glad he is finally getting some presents today.

Mommy looking a little dazed in all the Christmas fun.

Sophia's first masterpiece on her new art easel. Thank you Noni and Papa!

Are you noticing all of the matching Christmas jammies? Every year, my mom gives us matching jammie bottoms and sweatshirts. Below is a pic of the 2007 jammies.

2007 Christmas jammies

Aunt Lindsay and Uncle John are in this pic too. We missed you this year!!

Christmas Festivities 2009: Christmas with Dad

Like all great things that are carefully planned, the reality turns out better or worse that what you have planned. It turned out much better than what we had planned. We hosted Christmas with my dad, step-mom, brother, sister, brother-in-law, niece, aunt, uncle and cousin on Christmas Eve day. The plan was to eat brunch at 10, dinner at 4 and Christmas eve service at 7. Brunch was ready at 11ish and people came between 10 and 1 to eat. We had my dad's amazing hash browns, cheesy eggs, little quiches, cinnamon rolls, bacon, Italian sausage, and a "winter" fruit salad. After everybody was done with brunch, we were going to open presents, except little Sophia was melting down. So she had to have a nap, right about the time we were going to open presents and everyone was gracious enough to wait for her to wake up. I have the best family!

When Sophia got up from her nap, the amount of presents had quadrupled in size. Uncle Keith said, "look Sophia, what I brought you". So on Christmas morning, I told Sophia that Santa might of brought her a present. She replied with, "Noo, Uncle Keith!" [brought presents]. Apparently all presents come from Uncle Keith now.

We were supposed to have this nice honey baked ham dinner with all the fixings around 4 except no one was really that hungry. Instead, we brought out the ham, dinner rolls, and cheese for ham sandwiches along with the appetizers. Everyone could snack at their leisure. We spent the whole day just hanging out talking, watching movies, and sleeping. Sophia, my sister Jess, and my niece (her daughter), Autumn and myself made and decorated sugar cookies. Sophia had to taste test every single frosting and multiple times too - good thing it's family!

Sophia did great playing with her cousin "Aubum" except when they were "sharing" the same toy which consequently led to her nap earlier that day. Matthew was amazing. He slept all during brunch and present opening which allowed me to enjoy breakfast and watch Sophia open her presents.

It was so great to have Uncle Keith, Aunt Murry and cousin Stephanie here for Christmas!!

Uncle Keith and Dad making breakfast

11 is a little early for Uncle Clarkie

Autumn checking on breakfast

Bacon Stealer!!

Uncle Keith, Cantie (cousin - aunt) Stephanie, Uncle Clarkie and Sophia

Clarkie with two set of Kings tickets

My dad in his normal happy state

Cookie decorating and tasting. Thank you Aunt Jess for overseeing the process!

Ma-ma-ma and Sophia

Christmas Festivities 2009: Christmas Lights

What is the best way to kill a half hour before the bedtime routine? Christmas lights! About once a week, starting in mid-November, we pack the kids in the car, with chocolate juice (hot chocolate), and look at Christmas lights. Before Thanksgiving, it was more about looking for Christmas light than actually looking at the lights, but it was still fun. One night, we brought Sophia's homework assignment with us. (Homework for a two year old - it starts early!) Her homework was to do something her "golden" bear and then have mommy or daddy write what she did. We finished this season with a grand finale of walking Dovewood Court. See the pics below of Dovewood Court. It is absolutely amazing.

Oh! That's what they are there for.

In the past couple weeks, Matthew has found his hands. He likes to grab on to his first love, the giraffe. He also like tasting his fingers except they never stick around too long. He doesn't have total control yet of where his hands move.

Christmas Festivites 2009: Christmas school pageant and Santa Claus

Sophia's school put on a Christmas program. Sophia who likes to come home everyday after school and change clothes into something cozy, did not want to get back into her Christmas dress again. The church service was Sunday night and the school program was the very next night. It took some coaxing but she finally put on her Christmas dress. She did great singing with the other kids in her class. The three year old class was hilarious during their songs. There was a girl in front, covering her face the whole time, one little boy, sobbing, during the songs, and one little boy doing the robot/vogue dance.

She also got to meet Santa. She did not want to meet him, so while we waiting in line, I kept her back to Santa the whole time. When we got to the front, she saw that kids were getting candy canes after they saw Santa, so she was okay with it after that. Matthew was great and slept the whole time.

One of Sophia's songs:

Christmas Festivities 2009: Christmas church service

Our church put on an amazing Christmas service. It was so fun to see Sophia singing with the other kids on the stage. She had a great time singing and making crafts after wards.

Poor Matthew, way past his bedtime.