christmas 2010

So, this particular Christmas post is a work in progress. I'm just now including a picture, and it's...um...May 14th. Oh geez. It seems even worse when you actually type out the words. May 14th. Well, as always with the Burp Cloth, I'm hoping that late is better than never.

This Christmas was a big deal. The kids are getting older, and they are better able to understand the wonderment of our Savior's birth. I love hearing their questions and watching their eyes grow wide as we talk about baby Jesus and the manger. And I love to hear them sing...Sam this year was especially funny with his own rendition of "Jingle Bells."

And, it was a big deal for one more reason -- we celebrated Christmas for the very first time EVER in our home. Well, our Christmas morning was actually Christmas Eve morning, but, hey, close enough. I even had presents under our tree (this was a first). It was pure joy to watch the kids sleepily work their way downstairs, rubbing their eyes while trying to be the first to spy what Santa had left for them. Kate and Sam received a leapster and a mobigo (respectively) and Benjamin became the proud owner of a very cool pirate ship. We had cinnamon rolls and played Christmas music...it was perfect.

Then it was time to pile into the van and head north. We made it to NC in time to play with Avery and open the NBCs (pajamas, of course). I know full well that my children will very soon have very strong opinions concerning what they will and will not wear, so I had to seize the opportunity this year to do this:


I know...so cute, right? Avery wore the same PJs as Kate...it was adorable.

The next morning was wonderful, just as it always is. After all the presents were opened, Kate and Sam started an impromptu "snowball" fight by throwing wads of wrapping paper at the unsuspecting. So, just to paint a picture, we had 4 kiddos 5 and under simultaneously throwing and dodging wrapping paper wads, while Pops - trash bag in hand - tried to contain the chaos, and everyone else passed around the bowl of sausage balls. In short, it was Christmas perfection.

Just a day later - the day after Christmas - a real snowball fight ensued...

Although I was a little disappointed that we just missed a White Christmas, we were all thrilled to have snow at all. We heaped on the clothes (poor Sam could barely walk), and hurried to make fresh tracks in Nana and Pop's backyard. There were snow angles, snow cream, snow balls, and of course, a snow man:

Yes, those are the Green Lantern's shades. And if you know the boys in my family, you know that anything belonging to super hero would be perfectly befitting for a Burton-made snowman.

Christmas has always been one of my most favorite times of year. And, as a mom, it's even better. So much better :)

a mixed bag (a smodge podge of fall photos and a bit of commentary)

Once again, I've totally neglected Halloween. I wish I could say it's because I'm super holy, but we all know that's not true. Yes, we Burtons allow our children to dress in costumes and partake of the neighborhood loot. Please don't judge me.

And, when your daughter is Kate B., Halloween is a complicated affair. For the last few years, we have had to accommodate several costume changes. This year was a bit more streamlined with just two: Fairy Princess and Rapunzel.

(Side note: I have since vowed to NEVER buy another dress-up wig. Not only was Rapunzel's hair impossible to manage, it wound up everywhere in my house. I'm talking on the carpet, between couch cushions, in the dryer, all tangled up in everyone's toys, etc. In a word...AWFUL!).

Sam, drum roll please......was Woody. Was there ever any doubt? Never. He certainly made for one cute cowboy...and a funny one, too. As we trick-and-treated (or tricked-and-treated?) around our neighborhood, Sam embodied Sheriff Woody and threatened each and every monster or otherwise creepy kiddo we encountered with an authoritative "Get outta here!" Kate, for one, was very much appreciative of his efforts.

At a Halloween party hosted by a preschool friend, our Woody sang a different tune. Left all alone on the swings, he reminded me of Desperado. Poor guy...

And then there was Benjamin. Brace yourselves, friends. The cuteness you're about to behold may prove too much...

Humpty Dumpty, or, a.k.a., The Cutest Halloween Costume Known to Man. If Benjamin fights the urge to puke one day as I gush over this costume, so be it. It was adorable. It may not have been comfortable, but definitely adorable. And it's not like I made him wear it all night. He and I headed in early and waited for Kate and Sam to return home with all the goods:


And here's where I find myself in a sticky situation. We allow our kids - encourage them, really - to gather up as much candy as they possibly can. And then we spend the next two weeks telling them "no" every time they ask to eat some of that candy. I don't need my UNC degrees to know that this makes no sense, and they know it. Oh, if only the fun of the hunt was enough, but, no. They really do intend to finish the job and eat ALL of the candy. Duh. Silly mom.

A few other Halloween pics that deserve to be shared:

It really must be said that Stephen's pumpkin-carving skills get better and better each year. Wish I could say the same for my roasted pumpkin seeds which are always a little hit or miss.

My apple cider, on the other hand, is pretty darn good. We'll pretend it's homemade.

I'll end on this sweet photo of my three loves. Each Halloween, I wonder what they'll want to be the next year. For now, I'm betting that Woody makes a second appearance and may even be partnered up. And for my girl, who knows? I'm sure she'll have a list of characters come October. But none with wigs. Absolutely no wigs.