Christmas, Cousins, and Exhaustion

Here is a random sampling of pictures taken over the past few days for Christmas celebrations.  The kids spent a LOT of time with cousins and had SO MUCH FUN.  

The first celebration was at Grandma and Papa's house.  After a few days there, Eric brought the kids home where we spent December 23 with the Hilley's.  We opened presents and played.  On Christmas Eve, we went to the Christmas Eve service and then had a bday party for Lauren and Twins.  On Christmas Day, we all woke up at our individual houses for a fun morning and then met at mom and dad's for Christmas lunch and an afternoon of playing, laughing, and talking.  Good memories.  

 These two are pretty inseparable!  (Eve 4, Reagan 3)

 such a cheeser!!

 sweets ...

 loves to smile for the camera!

Man!  He's cute. 

Ellie walks around with her hands in her pockets while rockin the dancing shoes! 

The newest member of the Hilley Clan.  Welcome, Chris and Katy! 

One part of our Christmas lunch ... 

 part two ... 

 part 3 (minus Miley, who was in the bathroom)

 Roasting Marshmallows with Poppa

caught her mid-giggle! 

 sucking off the icing :)  or replacing her pacy!!

Messy Face 

Trouble 

 My dainty soccer player!

But she doesn't really understand the rules!!

 The Little Girls (Clara's escaping)

 Duck Duck Goose with the best dads on the planet! 

 The crew (minus Katy who was with her mama)!

 Mimi and Poppa with the young ins!

Cue EXHAUSTION ... :)

The Terrific Two's ...

... or at least that's what I'm going to claim over these next 12 months at the Lairsey house :)

We've made it two WHOLE years with our precious twins and it just keeps getting better!   I just saw a picture on facebook of brand new triplets.  The picture was adorable!!  The kids were stuffed into stockings and laying so peacefully there on a bed... but that brought back TOUGH memories of SLEEPLESS nights and REALLY LONG days with screaming infants and feeding infants and holding infants and diapering infants ... and I'm SO glad that is not me right now!!  I am so content and happy with my 4, 2, 2, and almost 1 year old!

Back to the reason of the post :)  The girls enjoyed two birthday parties this year, and had a blast.  Minnie Mouse was the theme (because that is their favorite character).  Too cute.  Grandma made cakes and sent us home with a banner, Minnie Mouse dolls, and toys.

Uncle Scott got the girls these fun ladybug chairs!

 Sweet Girls ... 

 Sharing a birthday party with Yaya ... her 32nd!

 A family pic :)

 cutie pies ... 

Both girls are wearing 2T clothes (right on target).  They weigh about 28 pounds each.  Ellie is inching away from Clara in the height department, but not by too much.  The girls wear size 5 diapers, but maybe not for long.  Clara is obsessed with "potty talk" (much more than Eve was at her age).  Clara will say just about anything she wants to and MOST OF THE TIME, we understand her.  Ellie can say a good many words, but those are rarely heard if a pacy is nearby OR if her older sisters are doing all of the talking.  Ellie is quick to tell the girls and Coleman "no no" while pointing that finger or to tell the girls to "SHOP, SHOP, SHOP" (stop, stop, stop) if it gets too loud.  Ellie calls Clara "Air-a", Eve "Ebe", and Coleman "nan nan".  Clara loves to talk about anything and everything, and usually answers correctly if you ask her a question.  Clara still squeals often, when happy or mad.  Ellie still cries easily if someone has done something to hurt her feelings or make her angry.  

Christmas is Coming

...and the Lairsey's are excited!  The girls and Coleman are at such a fun age for opening presents and looking at Christmas lights.  Clara loves to look for "see-ta" and "no-man".  Eve has been obsessed with the houses we see with a manger decoration because "those people MUST have Jesus in their heart!"  One of the houses down the street from us has a manger in the front yard, but baby Jesus is missing from his bed and that REALLY disturbs Eve.  Everytime we pass, she looks and says, "mom, baby Jesus is STILL not in there.  They MUST have broken baby Jesus' head off.  If we had a manger and broke baby Jesus' head, we would just glue it back on and put him back out there in his bed."

Eric took all the kids to Blackshear this weekend (he's superman, what can i tell ya??) to have Christmas with his family.  I had to stay behind to give my math exam this morning.  They got there last night in time for a Minnie Mouse birthday party for the twins (at which Uncle Scott gave the girls ADORABLE lady bug chairs), Christmas dinner, and opening Christmas gifts.  Eve got "ten thousand dollars, and a princess tent".  I'm not sure exactly how much money she got, but I'm pretty sure her math was a little bit off :).  While they are gone, MiMi and I are riding to Anderson, SC to spend some time with Baba (until Sunday).  Since her stroke the day after Thanksgiving, she needs constant care and this weekend is mom's turn.  They have cancelled our traditional "Day After Christmas" get-together at her house in an attempt to keep visitors (particularly a lot of kids --- not quite sure who they were referring to!) to a minimum.

Since Eric and the kids have been gone since 2pm yesterday (Thursday), I have had a TON of free time..  It feels REALLY strange.  I called my mom, and she asked if I felt like I was playing hooky!  That's EXACTLY how I feel.  I was out shopping at nap time, I turned on the bedroom light while getting ready for school in the morning, I stayed late at school to get grades in with NO regard to picking up kids from Mother's Day Out.  It has been quite strange.  I do NOT like it.  I mean, I do like the mini-vacation for a few days...but I know my real life should have snotty noses to clean, dirty hineys to wipe, tiny (and not-so-tiny) hands to hold, shoes to put on, dinner to make, sippy cups to scrub, and pacies to find.  Even sitting here at the computer to type, I am hearing phantom kids calling my name :)  Last night we had a TERRIBLE wind storm...and I am NOT a scaredy-cat...but I got a little worried.  I heard knocks at the door and something fell in the kitchen, dogs were barking and trees were whistling.  I was pretty unsettled.  I called Eric just to talk for a minute and told him what was going on.  He told me to call 911 if I didn't feel safe, but I really knew it was all in my head.  I didn't know Eve was still awake and standing right there by daddy on the phone.  She got on the phone to ask about calling 911.  "Why do you have to call 911, momma.  Is there an emergency?"  "Momma just hears funny noises."  "Oh yeah?  Do they make you scared?"  "A little bit."  "Momma...you know that the shepherds and wisemen were afraid when the angels came to talk to them?  That's what you are afraid of too.  Those funny noises are probably just angels coming to talk to you."  Seriously?  I am being consoled by my 4 year old.  I.love.her.  After school today, I called to chat with them and Eve got on the phone.  The first thing she did was ask if I was ok and if the funny noises were gone.  Precious, tender-hearted girl.

      

Praisin' Jesus and Buggy Ridin'

Eve: "The only boy I'm praisin' is Jesus!"
Me: "Oh, good.  Eve, that's a good choice."
Eve: "Not praisin' God, just Jesus."
Me: "uhhhh...well....God and Jesus are the same person."
Eve: "Well, do they have on the same clothes?"
Me: "........ yes....... ?"
Eve: "Well, do they have the same beard and hair?"
Me: "....... yes ........?"
Eve is sitting in the back seat of the van in silence and after a few seconds, I hear her whisper to herself, "How does she know this stuff?"

Eve loves to pitch a fit about taking medicine.  Sometimes she loves it, sometimes she hates it.  She tries to physically get as far away from it as possible.  This weekend she was sick with a BAD cough and a high fever.  So, naturally, I had to give her medicine.  One night, when she was in and out of sleep, I sat beside her with the medicine and when she put it to her lips she said, "This tastes like monkey poop!!!  I mean, banana cherry!"

Clara's vocabulary has really taken off.  She talks all of the time...and I'm finally starting to put some of her words/phrases together.  Today, on the way home from school, we passed a grocery store.  She shouts out, "Momma.  Buggy.  Ridin!"  I said, "Clara, do you wanna ride in the buggy?" "Ridin buggy!" she says.  "Ellie, you wanna ride in the buggy?"  "Yea (mumbled under her pacy)."  That's about all I get from Ellie unless I am asking her to repeat something :)  I do love the way the girls call Eve ... Ebe... makes me smile.  Grandma is Manma, Juice is Deuce, Pacy is Pappy.  They love pointing to playgrounds and saying, "Play. Slide. Swing. Run. Walk."

family photo shoot

I wanted to continue our tradition of a family photo Christmas card this year, so I asked Carla Gay if she'd take them for us.  She agreed, and we went to Hammond's Ferry.  It was a beautiful place, and the kids were SOMEWHAT happy... but i guess in all the chaos, we did not get exactly what we were hoping for.  Round two took place a week later at River Island.  A combination of good shots from both places were used.  ONE DAY I am hoping to have the PERFECT picture. :)

Christmas Presents

Eve skipped a nap one day this week and helped me wrap Christmas presents.  She was so excited to get to write everyone's name on the wrapping paper so that I could then go back and put a label on them.  I took some pictures of my favorite ones she wrote :)

Long Time...

So... in the last month an a half, our hard drive on our "old faithful" mac-mini died.  Really died.  We have lost all of our old pictures and videos ... and have had to buy a new computer.  Eric is going to try one more last attempt at recovering all of our stuff before we throw it in the trash :( sad.

Also in the last month and a half, I have missed blogging about tons of fun things with the kids, and funny (and sweet) things that Eve says.

Eve was devastated that we did not decorate for Halloween .. she thought our house did not look pretty when it wasn't fancy for the holidays.  She seemed to accept the fact that we will only decorate our house for the "Jesus" holidays.  Birthdays, Christmas, and Easter.  After telling her that, she and I became much more eager to decorate for Christmas -- especially since I didn't decorate AT ALL last year because Coleman was almost here and I didn't have the energy to keep Clara and Ellie out of my tree/decor :)  I was able to talk Eric into decorating right before we left to go to Blackshear for Thanksgiving break.  Pictures will come soon.  Eve has requested that we go with colored lights on the outside of our house so that it will be "as pretty as the others", so I have given in and put them up myself.  I was rather proud of myself for that accomplishment!!!

A few weeks back, Eve got a pretty good fever ... like a 24 hour bug.  I was alternating tylenol and motrin to try to get it to go down.  She was pretty pitiful.  In bed that night, I hear her tossing and turning, so I listen to see if she was going to wake up.  I hear, "How hot do you want me to get, God?  I'm really, really, really hot!!"  It brought tears to my eyes.  I run up the stairs to see just how hot she was, and I find her asleep and her fever had broken.  Pitiful.  She was literally crying out to God in her sleep.  I LOVE that she knows where to turn.  And I LOVE that he hears her precious whispers to him.

Eric and I were getting ready to leave for a youth event one night, when Eve says, "Who's keeping us tonight?"  "Mrs. Eliza."  I tell her.  "Well, does she know how to work our TV?" "Is that all you care about, Eve?"  "yes." "Yes, Mrs. Eliza knows how to work our TV."  "Good.  Then we'll rock and roll!"

Clara and Ellie are ALMOST 2.  I can hardly believe it.  They are talking up a storm...and continue to be loud.  Clara is a parrot and repeats EVERYTHING she hears.  And if there is ever silence, she loves to fill it by saying, "daddy, lights.  daddy, lights.  daddy, horse.  daddy, cow.  momma, lights.  momma, cow.  momma, eve.  eve, momma.  man man, lights.  daddy, lights.  daddy, that?"  She.Does.Not.Stop. Seriously.  I thought Eve was a talker (and SHE IS).  But Clara.  She is eager to get in on the conversations, and is already giving Eve a run for her money.  Ellie can say a lot of words, "Min Mouse" is her favorite, but she keeps them to herself usually.  She grins from ear to ear, showing you all of her 16 teeth and says, "no" when you tell her to say something :)  It has been interesting to watch the twin-bond develop between them.  They love each other, but are also known to fuss.  Clara has been quite a biter, and Ellie is her prime target.  Ellie is quite an annoyer, and Eve and Clara are her prime targets.  Especially in the van.  Ellie LOVES to put her feet and hands and toys and cup all over her sisters just to hear them scream.  When I get on to her, she just squints and grins, as if to tell me she is pleased with herself.  These girls.

Manny.  Manna.  Man-Man.  Coley-Man.  Booda Budda.  He continues to be a doll.  He's gotten quite a few bumps and bruises over the past few months of being mobile.  He is a fast crawler, and loves to scoot all around to follow the girls.  He LOVES food, and you can tell.  His chubby cheeks and round belly give that away.  Coleman is happy.  And easy.  I love him.  So does everyone that meets him.  He is already putting things together, and can say "dada", "momma", and "bye bye".  He claps left handed (which thrills Eric) and is a loud babbler.  He's grown right out of 12 month clothes and baby shoes.  Coleman is a great sleeper and can scarf down just about any food you put in front of him with his 6 teeth.  Just the sound of his name makes me smile.  God has been so good to me.