Made everyone file out this morning to enjoy the sunrise... seems like the only time we really notice them is when we are out camping... it's always rush... rush... rush in the morning.

Yesterday Walker headed to school in his jammies for Pajamma Day... this week it's been all about the letter P. I wish jammie day was everyday... he was quick to get up and get dressed for the day... without any reminding!!! Today he is off from school, Ainsley gets out before lunchtime and then they both have Monday off. Crazy schedules the school board comes up with.

After taking a picture every single day of 2009... I got a little burnt out with taking pictures this month... so sorry that the pictures and blog posts lately are few and far between.

However I do have a picture taken just last night. We took the kiddos to the Lab at the Library where the subject was all about the skeletal system and our bones. The kids seriously dig this stuff, which is so fun to see them excited about learning.  Here was one of the projects that they did... they had a blank body and then had to put the bones and labels in the correct areas.

Walker is currently obsessed with the solar system we've checked out just about every kid age solar system book and I'm debating about making a model with him or just buying a model kit that you just snap together... haven't found the right solution yet. Next week's library trip we will head up to the second floor... to check out the non fiction adult books on the solar system.

Ainsley's all of a sudden taken a huge step in reading... before it wasn't necessarily a struggle to have her read but she had to be reminded to get in her 30 minutes of reading. But lately she's reading every chance she can get and reading more in depth chapter books. Last night she picked out a longer chapter book and Walker says, "Hey that looks like a Mommy/Daddy size book." She was just tested on her reading level and she averages reading at a high 3rd grade level and can check out books from the school library into the 4th grade level... which makes her almost giddy because as she says, "They have way better books in 4th grade."

Tonight it was time for Little Bug to get his haircut (he was waay past due for a haircut)...he hates to have his hair cut... he hides... he complains... he says owie with each pass of the clippers.

So I decided to just cut it short and be done with it. As I did one pass on the shorter than usual clipper setting... he looks in the mirror and says, "I don't want my hair like that I want it normal!" (he's now crying). So yeah I feel horrible and tell him," It will be fine when it's all done... I like it short bug... it looks great!"

Ainsley looks up from her book and says, "It's okay Bug... it just looks like your bald now." I give her the "you're so not helping look." Through sobs we finish and get him in the shower... he gets dressed in his jammies and says,"I want to look in the mirror again." Thankfully it was a, "I think it's okay... but let's not cut it this short again!"

Yep we are here... have been keeping busy the last week playing with the kiddos, putting Christmas away and enjoying the rest of the school vacation.

During the last week there has been many things put together...

Crafts galore...

Many games of Sorry sliders and Battleship played...

New games learned... Cat's cradle..

Snow was thrown and then hot cocoa with lots of marshmallows was consumed...

We had one very giddy Daddy who was happy with our most recent purchase...

had lots of laughs watching this New Years Eve...

And finally watched the really... really good Fiesta Bowl last night... Yeah Boise State!

It's back to the grind now... we all love getting back on a schedule though. Up for school on Monday and out the door by 8 was a little hard yesterday... especially since we had long days last week of wearing jammies all day.  Excited about the new year and new decade!

Here are a few of my favorite photos from this year...

All of us... Christmas Eve..

Kiddos..

Outside... leaving some reindeer food...

Searching for the special Christmas Eve presents...

The thrill of Santa leaving you exactly what you wanted...

Ainsley asking "Techie Daddy" how to play her new DSi...

The cat who was obsessed with watching the Christmas craziness through the lens of the camcorder...

Mulan in her festive collar...

Lastly... the kiddos who can share a quiet moment..

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas as well. Looking forward to the new year... new beginnings... and untold stories.

Each Christmas morning we round up the kiddos in our room while Stewart heads downstairs to turn on the lights... turn on the Christmas tree... and start the coffee. This kids are always bursting at the seams with excitement like this morning..

and every year when Daddy has the camcorder in hand and gives the all clear I snap 1 picture of the kiddos in our doorway before we start down the stairs to see what Santa has brought. Feeling sentimental and a wee bit of deja vu today..

Even at 5 and 7 a box is still the best entertainment...

For hours they played... it was an alien spaceship... it was a refuge for wild animals... it was a house with a line drawn for each one to have a side.

Santa cookies are frosted and decorated... Walker picked out that Santa in the back with blue eyes he decorated for him and Ainsley made the large tree filled with sprinkles for Santa. Those have been put away so that they don't get eaten by mistake.

Only thing left on the baking list is pies and the Christmas donut.

My little cookie bakers were hard at work yesterday...

We made 3 batches... 1 traditional batch of cut out cookies and 2 new recipes that Ainsley picked out... Surprise Crinkles... which have milky way or snickers inside of them..

The other new recipe was called strawberry cream cookies which were a big flop... oh well that's why we make our favorites each year along with trying a new one. Walker had the best time playing will all the extra dough..

Today's agenda is frosting Santa's cookies.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here...

I love all the decorations the kiddos did at school this year. Speaking of school we are done.. for two whole weeks! Yesterday was the Christmas school party mania... so very glad to be done with one more school party... just Valentine's left to plan! The kindergartners loved eating these reindeer cookies and making "magic reindeer food" the best.

Ainsley and Walker finally got their letters to Santa mailed... love the smile on little bug...

Walker also had his Christmas Program during the week... was so proud/glad that he said his line... "S is for snow that's surely on it's way" without being nervous or scared.

We all remember this tear stained performance from last year's Christmas program... it still makes my heart ache.

We went and did all our grocery shopping early this morning... just need to get my produce later next week. So glad that I don't have to hit Walmart until next year!!! The holiday baking will start on Monday... Ainsley's too excited to wait we might have to whip up something tomorrow.