Merry Christmas, again

Saturday, Dec. 27th was the day of the Alexander family Christmas celebration. In the morning, before everyone arrived, Wes spread a thick layer of sand over the skating rink of a driveway. When I say skating rink, I mean it literally. The day before, Wayne had been skating (yes, with ice skate, not just sliding around on his boots) in the driveway. We'd had some rain, which had iced over the snow.

Joanie, Sarah, Emily, and Anna arrived in the morning to help set things up and then there was some time, before everyone else came, to go sliding with the kids. Just as we were all done and coming in, it started to rain like crazy.

Here's Heather looking like a child runway model in her Christmas dress.

People began to arrive and sort of hang out, waiting for everyone else to come, when we got a call that Chris and Martha, who were also driving Grammie, could not make it up the icy Perron Hill. Wes and I think Cedric, went with their 4 wheel drive trucks to the rescue.

Lots of seating in the basement. Everyone enjoying lots of food. I do mean LOTS of food.

Elijah enjoying a horsey ride.

Sara and Jesse...

Amy and Tyler...

The outlaws held a meeting...

There were Christmas carols...

Cousins galore... looks like Heather is giving them the two thumbs up.

And my favorite picture of the day, Heather taking her nap in Katie's lap. Have you ever seen anything sweeter?

At some point we received another call that Maura and Connor were having trouble on the icy Perron Hill, so the 4 wheel drive brothers went to the rescue again.

I'm sorry to say that some people escaped my camera - the very important Grammie, the ever elusive Jacob, the delayed Maura and Connor, and their gracious mother Laura, the busy and helpful Lisa, the camera defiant Jeanne, and probably several more, I'm sure. Maybe Sandy got some people that I missed.

We had the pleasure of having Laura, Paul, Connor, and Maura stay with us for the night, which was great because they are the ones we see less often.

Merry Christmas everyone, and Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas!

Wes has taken Wayne and Cole to the 11:00 a.m. Mass, so I thought I would take advantage of the relative quiet and upload a few pictures so you could all share a little in our Christmas morning.

As of now, we haven't opened any of our gifts under the tree, but first thing this morning, Wayne, Cole, and Heather dove into their stockings. See those giant stockings? It takes a lot of gifts from Santa to fill those babies. I think we need to downsize a little.

When I was a kid, Santa never wrapped my stocking presents. Now I can see why. It's a maddening job to wrap all those things.

Heather tries to figure out how to unwrap.

Wayne is an expert.

Heather models her crown and accessories.

This scene shows the extent of the devastation.

And here she is again in a pretty little dress from Gramma and Grampa, still wearing her glamorous earrings.

Peter, Jeanne and the girls may or may not come over this afternoon. Jeanne called this morning and said that they are pretty iced in over there, so we'll see what happens.

We had a happy visit to Maine last weekend with my side of the family and we look forward to celebrating an Alexander Christmas this coming weekend.

Merry Christmas, one and all!

Happy Birthday Heather!

The Princess turns 2 today!

Two years ago today, in the wee hours of the morning, Heather Renee arrived.

Gifts a day early from Aunt Joanie.

Happy Birthday Heather!

And this birthday originally belonged to Heather's cousin Jacob, who is 11 today.Happy Birthday Jacob!

We're headed to Maine today for Christmas with Gramma and Grampa.

Santa Came To Town

Yes, Santa did come to the fire house Saturday night, but I didn't get any pictures of him to show you.

Kids were lined up waiting to get on the fire engine. It was rigged up somehow so kids rode on top of the engine and Santa was up there in a throne type of chair. They had to climb up a ladder to get on. I know it sounds dangerous, but I'm sure it was made safe, somehow. Not that I would actually know, because I never did get to go up there. The firemen had put some sides on the top of the engine to keep anyone from falling over.

I know I'm not writing this so it makes sense, but I'm really tired right now.

Rather than wait in line out in the cold, we waited inside the firehouse where there were goodies and refreshents. Tables were set up with coloring pages and crayons for the little kids.

This is Anya from up the road a little further from us. She's 3 months older than Heather.

As you cans see from the evidence around his mouth, Cole enjoyed a cup of hot cocoa before going for a ride with Santa. Heather was busy coloring. I had considered staying home with her and letting Wes take the boys because she had been a bear all afternoon with a miserable cold and stuffy runny nose, but then I thought it might be good for her to get out of the house and have a little fun. About 4 minutes after I took this picture, I looked down at her and thought, "Poor Heather." Her eyes were all read and she was pale. "I shouldn't have brought her here." I felt bad for her so I pulled her into my lap to give her a hug and she immediately threw up all over herself and me.

I sat there in shock hollering to Wes for some help. It took a while to get his attention because he was apparently very involved in some humorous conversation with Jason, Anya's dad.

While he went to find napkins or towels, Heather threw up all over herself and me a second time. None of my kids have ever thrown up in public before.

So Wes brought Heather and me home while Cole and Wayne stayed at ther fire station with Jason and Johanna. Then Wes went right back and rode on the fire truck with them. It sounded like they had a great time and they did not fall off.

Heather was sick again in the night. I was up with her a lot. Today she's had a high fever, but has been able to keep down some juice and food - crackers, applesauce, bland stuff I've been giving her.

In brighter news, Wes took the boys out to cut down a tree today. Here they are decorating it.

And here it is, all done. I looks like it was decorated by a 4 year old and a 7 year old with a sick (almost) 2 year old getting in on it too.
It's only a matter of time before Wayne and Cole get sick too. Let's just hope it's not on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. We're going to Maine for an early Christmas.

Gingerbread House Part 3

Well, here is our finished product which was entered in the contest last night. Cute isn't it?

Cole's friend, Fintan, was also at the party. Here he poses with Cole and Wayne in front of their creation.

When we were making our gingerbread house, I kept thinking how much work this all was - making the dough, cutting it out, baking it, making tons of royal icing, buying the candy,refereeing three young kids who all wanted to get their hands in it at the same time - and wondering how many people would actually go to all the trouble to make gingerbread houses for this contest. We didn't go for some reason last year, but two years ago when Joanie and Wayne made a house, I remember there being several houses, but not an overwhelming amount.

This year, however, I was pleasantly surprised, not only by the number of people who entered, but by the fun and clever ideas some kids had. Cute as our house was, I felt like it was a little boring compared to some of the others.

Check these out.

I'm sure you remember Wayne's friend Dante (brother to Fintan, above). Well Dante made this beautiful, glittery, colorful gingerbread treasure chest. Why didn't we think of something like that? Dante and Fintan's older sister, Sophia, a horse lover, made this gingerbread stable. Very cool.
A first grade classmate of Wayne's, named Lilly, made Currier's Store.

And here is the first prize winner. Do you remember Asom from Wayne's Batman Birthday party? Well, his family made this gingerbread replica of Fasilides Castle in Ethiopia. Asom wasn't actually present, or I would have gotten his picture.

After everyone had a chance to mill around and enjoy the entries, it was time to sing Christmas carols. The singing was led by Jim Currier.

In addition to everything else Sylvia does, she teaches her 4 kids to play musical instruments. Well, so far maybe just the two oldest. Sophia played Gloria in Excelsis Deo and Jingle bells on the violin.

Every kid who enters the gingerbread contest gets a prize. Wayne, Cole, and Heather each got one of these cute little stockings filled with candy canes, stickers, pencils and Christmas shaped erasers.

Check in tomorrow for scenes of tonight's Christmas activity - Santa comes to the fire house and gives kids a ride on the fire engine.

You gotta love life in a small town!

Gingerbread House Part 2

Chapter two of the Gingerbread Saga:

Cole constructs his house. His is made not of gingerbread, but graham crackers. I forgot to take pictures of Wayne putting his house together...

but here they both are, eating...oh, I mean decorating... with candy and frosting.

While her brothers worked on their houses, Heather colored some gingerbread men.

Wayne gets very detailed with his patterns.

More to come - final touches and the contest on Friday.

Wayne was supposed to have in "winter concert" tonight but they postponed it until next Tuesday because they thought the roads might be bad tonight.

Gingerbread House

Christmas is all over the place around here.

In honor of the season, we attempt a gingerbread house. Two years ago, Wayne, Cole, and Joanie made one and entered it in the annual contest sponsored by the Glover library. If ours is done by Friday, and if it's halfway respectable, maybe we'll enter this year, too.

Wayne combines the ingredients.
Mixes 'em up.

And uses the template we made from cardboard to cut the dough. Heather hates to be left out.

While Wayne was cutting out the house pieces, Cole cut out some gingerbread people, snowmen, and trees.

Cole discovered, with disappointment, that construction gingerbread dough is not as sweet and tasty as regular gingerbread dough.

Here are some of the pieces, ready to go into the oven.

Stay tuned for the next step: constructing and decorating.

By the way, Bing sends his regards to Grammie.