Keeping up With the Youngers

It seems that we're trying to pack all kinds of fun stuff into this Christmas break!  The week before Christmas was busy of course, just because it's the week before Christmas and there was plenty of shopping and wrapping to do.  We also got to see the Balletmet Nutcracker at the Ohio Theater on the 22nd.  I had planned to buy tickets but kept putting it off and then - I won tickets from KidsLinked.com!!!   I was so excited - they gave us 5 tickets so that our family could all go.  The only downside was that it was pure chaos picking them up at Will Call!

Since this is one of the few times that we were all gussied up, I set up the tripod and managed to get a family photo before we headed out.

I LOVE the Ohio Theater!  Ella loved it too - she said "it's SO fancy!!"

The kids really enjoyed the performance - well, Mason maybe not so much...I only saw his eyes open for about 10 minutes of the show, but Ella and Silas enjoyed most of it.  Si got a little bored at the end and it was a late evening.  All in all, a great family evening!

Christmas Eve was packed with last minute preparations, our usual Christmas Eve festivities (a drink or two and wrapping!) and making everything perfect for Santa's arrival. Cookies and milk for Santa, carrots and yummies for the reindeer.  The house finally looked magical by about midnight!

Christmas morning, Ella was the first to wake us up at 8:20am.  She ran into our room asking if she could wake up the boys.  She ran to Si's room first.  He JUMPED up on his bed, yelling "Oh My Gosh, Oh my GOSH!!!  I forgot that it's Christmas!!!!"  That woke Mason up and down the stairs we went. 

I was still pretty sleepy and did not get a very good or focused picture of the kids on Christmas morning.
Ella was thrilled that Santa brought her a Squier Mini guitar, but Silas cried when he didn't get the remote control gorilla that he'd apparently been hoping for. Santa must not have known...Santa did bring the family a nice new big TV to go with our new digital cable, so it's kinda fun to watch TV now!

I think Mason looked pretty dapper in his Christmas t-shirt :)

I got my birthday drink hour in with Jodi and Joyce and then, after spending Christmas evening with the family at Mom's and Dad's (where Tracy gave me a wine glass bigger than my head!), we got up on the 26th and celebrated some more...

We had a Campbell Christmas party and then came home to open Si's birthday presents and have some cake and ice cream!

I still can't believe that my little man is 5 years old!  Makes me sad that he's getting so grown up!

When we were in New York, the kids were disappointed when we didn't have time to go ice skating, so we promised to take them over Christmas break.  Yesterday, we did just that - we went to the Chiller and had some ice skating fun!  It had been at least 20+ years since either Justin or I had been on ice skates, and this was the first time for Ella and Silas.  They did a really great job! 

We had a super fun time and plan to go back again soon.  Next time maybe we can drag Mason with us...though it looked like the older kids were having a harder time on the ice than the young ones.  I've never seen so many gawky arms and legs go flying as when the teenage boys fell down.  Ella had new jean with a fleece lining and boy, those came in handy for ice skating and falling down - I was jealous (though, happily, I did not fall :)

Tonight we are going to see the Harlem Globetrotters and tomorrow night, the Zoo Lights (if the weather cooperates).  Need to get the Christmas decorations down, go to some New Year's Eve parties and then - Phew! - hopefully sit and do nothing (accept remember to pick up Aunt Amanda at the airport) on New Year's day!