So a couple of weekends ago we all headed out on a BRRRRY Saturday morning to find the perfect tree. We drove to IL to a field only to realize that I didn't have my purse ( oops…) and that actually this particular field was closed. After driving around a bit more, stopping for gas, and listening to the kids get cranky and hot in the backseat all bundled up in their car seats we decided to scrap the idea and go home for much needed naps!! But after naps we re-grouped and I had the kids shouting 'Team Kies' as we all loaded up once again into Sienna and struck out for another field to find the perfect tree :) And that we did…in seriously record time!! We drove to the farm, picked out, chopped down, paid for the tree, and had the it loaded onto the van ( by the fabulous workers!!…I gave them a $20 tip…tis the season) in under 35 minutes all in time to get it unloaded at home and get to church just in time to take our duty in the nursery!! It is NOT a fir but a pine. I am generally a fir girl…but I'll have to say that I"ll need to be more open next year. This pine has nice soft needles and just looks great. I think it smells a bit more than the firs do as well, but it could be my imagination. The kids had fun decorating the tree the next morning and with the arrival of the tree came Chippy our Elf on the shelf. I found Maddox talking to Chippy the next morning as he sat in the tree…his inaugural spot for the year. I haven't heard her talking to him much more since that day but both kids are generally ecstatic to see where Chippy is each morning. Today he was in the middle of the bowl of Hugs candy and had helped himself to a few treats:)
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| Maddox kinda has the pose from that nun cheerleader girl from Saturday Night Live…can't remember her name :) But that particular episode always has me cracking up. |
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| I know I shouldn't write this but Kennon looks like he is thinking 'I have to pee could we hurry this along mom! ' In his defense it was freezing that weekend!! |
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| Maddox and her homemade donuts using the donut machine she got from Aunt Diane for her birthday. I have to admit they were fabulously good and super easy. Leave it to Aunt Diane to find cool things!! |
So it is Maddox and I's tradition to make Christmas cookies every year. This past weekend was the designated time. Kennon, Maddox and I prepped on Saturday and then baked and decorated on Sunday. This year she and I decided to share our tradition with Kim and Maddie our neighbors up the road. The girls had a great time. Decorating cookies is such a form of ART, something BOTH girls are really into these days. As last year most of the cookies had a little frosting and A LOT of sprinkles. I am really happy with the cookie and frosting recipe I found this year. I think they turned out looking beautiful and tasting pretty darn yummy as well. Thanks to the Millages for joining us….. maybe a new tradition Kim? :)
The kids and I mixed up some truffles on Saturday and both were happy to lick the chocolaty spoons. Unfortunately the mixture turned as hard as a rock over night and we were unable to actually spoon the truffles out on Sunday as I had planned. It killed me to put all that chocolate down the drain. But I would have needed a backhoe to get them out of the bowl. I'll have to find a new recipe for those next year.
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| Maddie and Maddox decorating their sugar cookies. |
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| So there is just a smidge of green frosting in Maddox's hair. Like 3 hours after the cookie decorating fun I was upstairs and looked in the mirror and what did I see….frosting in my hair too!! |
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| The finished product. I think she turned out beautiful this year. |
So today was Kennon and Maddox's Christmas program at Church School. They both did soooo well!! Last year when Maddox was in the 2 year old class like Kennon is this year she didn't utter a word up on stage….!! This year she sang every word and did all the actions AND Kennon joined right in too. Both kids did really well. Then we celebrated Jesus' Birthday in the gym with brownies. As usual I thought the program was great and am always impressed with how Our Savior makes everything happen. Grandpa Jim was even able to come over and watch the kids perform. They were very excited to see him in the audience as well as tell their teachers their 'Grandpa Jim would be there to watch them'!! Thanks for making the trip over Dad. So nice to have you there.
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| Eric took this shot with the iPhone!! Aside from the legs in the background it is a perfect picture!! |
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| Maddox and Kennon in Bethlehem giving each other a little sibling love. |
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| Would have been nice to have his shirt tail tucked in but hey he's two :)… let's just be happy his pants were DRY!!! He has actually been doing very well with the potty lately. Mostly dry days and still using the pull up at night but that's ok. We are proud of you buddy. |
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| Would have been the perfect shot but he was just moving a little to quickly for the camera |
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| Bethlehem must be a fun town :) |
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| Maddox and Kennon playing around the Happy Birthday Jesus Birthday Cake |
So after the Christmas program we went to McDonalds for a special lunch with Grandpa Jim!! The kids would eat McDonald's every lunch if I let them, but then again what toddler wouldn't. We were happy to have Grandpa Jim join us and the extra set of hands as Eric went back to work after the program.
A couple of kiddo updates and then some quick videos from the Christmas program. Maddox has basically mastered the words to ALL the Christmas songs on Mix 96.1, the radio station that has been playing Christmas music since Thanksgiving. I am starting to get slightly tired of Rudolph but it is music to my ears to hear HER sing it as well as hear Kennon chime in every word or two that I"m willing to keep the Christmas songs a playin'. Kennon is enthralled with Christmas lights and yells out emphatically at every house we pass that has them. He says 'Christmas Lights' in this really cute comical voice from the back seat. So I think on the way home from church the other night he must have yelled it out like 20 times between our church and Judge Road. Too funny. Maddox is really into putting on 'shows' as she calls them. She says to Eric and I 'ok its time for the show put on your listening ears' ( hmmmm wonder where she has heard that before). Last week both Kennon and Maddox did a show for us on her bed. It was the funniest thing. Eric and I were both rolling with laughter. She said ' Can I hear from the audience who's in the audience, shout it out!' So Eric said 'Eric Kies' and I then said 'Laura Kies'. Kennon came right out on stage ( walked forward on the bed) and said pointing his finger at me 'No….Mommy' as if to say your name is NOT Laura Kies it is Mommy. I know it is not nearly as funny reading this as it was in person. They are so funny together when they put on these 'shows' . In fact I forgot to mention there were several shows including Carter at the Knowles residence in Madison at Thanksgiving. Aunt Brooke and Uncle Tyler have a great 'stage'….the fireplace hearth!! Maddox's imagination is getting brighter and brighter. So fun!! And she is bringing her brother right along. The last couple of days he has managed to figure out how to open the utensil drawer, snatch up the metal salad tongs and the use the tongs to pick up random objects…. Using them kind of like a backhoe as Grandpa Jim enlightened me today :) I hadn't really thought about it that way. He picks em up from the toy box and then carries them in the tongs over to the counter. Funny!!
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| Maddox Grandpa Jim and Kennon…notice the tongs!! |
Congrats by the way to Grandpa Jim for shooting a buck yesterday during deer hunting season!! Way to go Dad….
So I just watched these videos for the first time with Maddox and I pointed her out on the screen and she said 'that's not me!!' That's when you know your video quality is very poor when your 4 year old can't recognize herself. I like watching both Maddox and Kennon's arms movements during Away in a Manger and Mary/Joseph went to Bethlehem.
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