December highlights

We went to the Ione Christmas Parade this year. We were worried it would get rained out but Mother Nature decided to be kind. There was only a light sprinkle the whole time. Unfortunately it made some of the floats opt out. This year Alexis decided she wanted to be in the parade with Daddy on the firetruck instead of watching it. Russ said last minute she changed her mind and wanted off the Engine but it was too late. Needless to say I didn't get any photos of her on the Truck because when she came by she was crying so I was trying to communicate with the kid next to her to see what was the matter. By the time I realised she was okay and just sad it was too late to get a picture. She had fun playing in the rain at the Fire Station afterward. It was also her birthday.
Leland loved watching the Firetrucks go by, other than that the parade pretty much bored him. Thank goodness they toss candy at you. That kept him occupied.

The only shot of a firetruck I got. At least it was the one with Santa.

This December Alexis lost her first tooth. I had all these grand ideas of the Tooth Fairy sprinkling glitter around her bed and leaving her a tiny note with her money but when it came time to get her up for school and I realized the Tooth Fairy had forgotten to come I had to be sly and slip the dollar under her pillow while waking her up. I'm sure many of you can relate.

It snowed in Placerville this year. It dumped almost a foot. We went to see the snow at Grandma's house and the kids had a blast. Unfortunately I wasn't there to take pictures but this moment I couldn't resist. The snow was too thick to get up the 1/4 mile long dirt driveway so we had to park at the end and walk up, after attempting to drive it and getting the jeep stuck and then unstuck, thanks to Dan, later that day. I had borrowed a sled from a friend to pull Leland so I wouldn't have to carry my 35 lb. 18 month old, 2 bags of wet clothes, and a port-a-crib the whole way. On the way back to the car that night he didn't want to ride on the sled and it was dark and colder than early that day. He actually doesn't have a heavy jacket so we bundled him up in three sweaters with his snow clothes. Alexis had decided she didn't want her jacket so we put it on Leland. In the end he reminded us of the kid from "A Christmas Story" who couldn't put his arms down because his clothes were too thick. We probably could have just rolled him to the car and saved my arms.

One of our Christmas traditions is to sprinkle reindeer food out on the back lawn to help attract the reindeer to our house. Thank goodness the kids don't ask why we don't put it on the roof.

I hate when the only picture you get of the kids with Santa is a terrible one. I think they got to see Santa 5 time this year and this is the only shot we got. Their favorite visit from Santa would have to be at the Fire station party. It's a smaller crowd which means less competition for his lap, not to mention he gives gifts at that party. Leland was so cute this year. He looooved Santa. He wanted to stay with him the whole time Santa was around. At the ward party I had to keep getting him off the stage after he would get up there while I wasn't looking. He kept getting in the way of the other kids pictures. When I would bring him down he would scream and cry saying "Santa lap, Santa lap".

Every year we help decorate the Pharmacy which is not a fast easy task. This year Russ brought the kids up on the roof for a minute to help put up the lights. Not something a Mother should know about.

This year we made rice krispy treat trains instead of gingerbread houses. This is Alexis's train. Notice the tall chimney with smoke coming out. The middle section has a gummy bear with a frosting blanket. She said he got tired of being in the parade and had to take a nap. Funny.