Christmas Eve Tradition

This is the third year in a row that we've had Chinese food for dinner on Christmas Eve. Well, technically the first year it wasn't Christmas Eve, but we were stranded in a hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina and we ordered Chinese and then last year we were in a hotel at the airport in Boston and thought we might as well make it a tradition. This year we branched out a bit and got Japanese, but it's close enough and so fun to have a little tradition.

Our day was so great. We spent the morning lazing about, watching Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure and doing Christmas crafts including decorating some bags to put cookies in that we delivered to neighbors. After Lennon's nap we played out in the snow and followed some animal tracks through the woods in the snow. After dinner we bundled up and went to sprinkle the Reindeer food we made on our front lawn so Santa wouldn't miss our house then we hopped in the car with our hot chocolate to go look at Christmas lights. Mia and I did this last year while Shelby stayed home with sleeping Lennon. The kids both had a blast, especially Lennon. Once home, the kids put out cookies, milk and water for Santa and carrots for his reindeer. Mia also left him a nice home made glittery card then we read The Night Before Christmas and the kids went to sleep - both in Lennon's room. They were very excited to sleep in the same room and to get to sleep as soon as possible so that Santa could come.

Lennon usually makes some kind of demand as we're leaving his room at night for another animal or something. Tonight this was how it went.

"Mommy? ARe you going to bed too?"

"Yes."

"Close my door."

Super easy. Super fun. I am sooo excited that Santa is coming!!!

Love and Marriage

Mia and Mateus are often discussing their possible nuptials, but never as in depth as they did yesterday. They decided that when Mateus turns 16 (Mia will be 18) he will move down to Texas, where she will already live obviously. Once they are both in Texas and married they will go to The Great Wolf Lodge all the time, and possibly get jobs there. They also settled the whole children topic.

Mia: "We've decided we're not going to have our own children, we're going to adopt."

Me: "Well that's interesting. Why did you decide on that?"

Mia: "I just don't really want to be in pain for a whole day like that.

Me: "And what about Mateus?"

Mateus: " I just don't really want to listen to Mia being in pain all day."

Spoken like a true man, uh, er...friend.

Elf Killa

We just overhead a piece of a conversation between Mia and Mateus in the kitchen:

MIA: If you kill one of Santa's elves, you're definitely not going to get any presents.

On Elf

If you are familiar with the Will Farrell movie Elf, you will appreciate this tid bit. We were watching Elf with the Lima kids last night and when it showed Will Farrell looking at the lingerie with the sign that said, "for that special someone," Lennon said "Oh my gosh! He's gonna buy that for his dad?!!"

At The Lima's Christmas party Friday, Lennon insisted that it must be a birthday party. Being the indulgent parents we are, we found some candles, stuck them in a meatball and let him go to town singing and blowing them out a couple of times.

"Lennon, whose birthday is it?"

"Mine."

"Isn't it Jesus' birthday, Lennon?" asked Mia

"NO! It's mine birthday!"

A Horsey Named Gonna...

We have this little rocking horse that both kids really like. Lennon gets more use riding him and Mia uses him more as a location for her polly pockets to play on and such. Lennon has decided that his name is Gonna, while Mia insists that she already named him Patches, just like the horse she rode with Gaga a couple of years ago in Texas.

"Lennon, his name is already Patches."

"No, no, his name not Pates, his name Gonna! Come on Gonna."

It's Christmas Already

Ever since people started decorating for Christmas, Lennon has asked occasionally, "It's Christmas already?" "Not yet, almost, it's just the holiday season." I say. "It's Christmas at the zoo." He informs me. There is a holiday event at the zoo every night between thanksgiving and Christmas called Zoo Lights and everything is decked out for Christmas.

Anytime a present is placed under the tree he of course, wants to open it right away. He just doesn't understand waiting yet. Mia has wrapped a few of her toys to give to him and let him open them up early, which he has completely loved.

This weekend Nana and Papa were with us. Yay! They bought a few things to put in the kids stockings, so this morning we told Lennon to call up the stairs to Mia because they had some presents in their stockings that they could open now.

"Miiiiiaaaaaaa!!!!! Eee have pehinks in our tockings! It's Christmas already!!"

Translation: Mia, we have presents in our stockings!

Mia said in the car on the way home from school the other day,

"I wish instead of trick or treating, we could go 'treat or giving' and at Christmas time walk from house to house giving gifts to our neighbors."

In response to that, Claire and I are going to take the kids caroling in the neighborhood and bring along something small like little bundles of cookies or small votive candles to give away to neighbors.

When we opened up all the kids presents from Nana and Papa, Lennon opened these fuzzy, red Elmo hands that make noise when you clap them together. As we tried to convince him to put them on and play with them, he held his hands up to us and said, "No, I like mine hands dat color."

Mia's First Dance Recital

Mia is in the front row on the far right (as you look at the stage.) She has a red scarf and red headband on. You could also just look for the most precious little seven year old in existence!

Mia's dance school had their Christmas show tonight. Mia's hip hop class did a cute little dance to a version of Twas The Night Before Christmas. She was so precious! She knew all the steps and was in the front row for a good amount of the dance. She had a really good time, and we were so proud of her. We got her a little bouquet of flowers that made her day too. It was extra special because Papa and Nana got to be there to see her first recital.

Mia, having just danced came back to sit with us and we gave her the flowers

Nana got the shot as we were leaving the auditorium. Mia is still glowing. Not to mention covered in make up. They asked that we put foundation, blush, red lipstick and blue eye shadow on the girls. I did the foundation and blush...

She is so darn sweet!

Mia and Chloe, best of friends. I think this picture caught Chloe mid blink, but they're still so cute together

Jaclyn's Visit So Far

I am completely behind on here, but I had a second and thought I'd at least put a bit about Jaclyn's first and most likely only visit to us up here in Boston. It's been SOO fun so far. The kids are all getting along SOO well. It's been amazing actually. Emma is 4 1/2 so she's almost right in the middle of Mia and Lennon. They've been playing this game they are calling "poisonous baby," where Lennon chases them around and they laugh and scream and hide. Another favorite has been baby birds, which is Lennon's new favorite game all the time. Each person gets their own nest (a blanket) and we sit on them and chirp and eat pretend food. Sometimes the birds get sick and need the doctor. There are always lots of shots involved in doctor visits which is particularly funny to me seeing as how Lennon and Emma are both unvaccinated. When it's timr for the birdies to go to sleep Lennon asks you to lay down and then he "tuggles" you in. He combines the words "tuck" and "snuggle." It's so stinkin' cute! Emma says "Yay!" about everything and has really warmed up to me for the first time and is being very sweet to Lennon too.

Jaclyn and Emma got in last Wednesday afternoon. Thursday we went into Boston for the tree lighting but we all forgot our cameras so we don't have any pictures of that. Friday we let Mia stay home from school and we went out to Nahant Beach. Our intention was for everyone to wear flip flops so we could stick our toes in the sand, but the kids ended up fully getting in the water. Lennon insisted on bringing his swim suit and wore that the whole time, but did not get in the water past his feet. Saturday during naptime Jaclyn and I went out to Cambridge and checked out Harvard and Harvard Square then that night all the girls went out to see Chloe in The Nutcracker. The girls had a really good time. It was Emma's first ballet and it also started snowing on our way to the theatre. Sunday morning we woke up to piles and piles of snow. My camera was lost in the snow early, so I didn't get any pics of all the sledding fun, but we all had a great time. Sunday night we had a "slumber party." We rented a live action Snow White, painted our toe nails and had Coconut and Pumpkin ice cream we had bought earlier at Jordan's after watching the water fireworks and climbing all over the bunk beds. Monday we froze to death as we did about 1/4 of the Freedom Trail in Boston. We made it to Fanueil Hall, Quincy Market, Paul Revere's House and The Old North Church before returning home for the day. We went to the Stone Zoo today while Mia was at school and the kids had a blast. A surprising number of animals were out and about on such a chilly day.

Emma and Mia excited to eat their Gingerbread cookies Gaga sent with Jaclyn. They were watching Home Alone during Lennon's nap and laughing hysterically.

Anticipating the waves crashing into the trench they dug with Jaclyn

The weather was nice for December, but the water was still ICE cold!

Crazy girls!

The Best of Friends

Lennon hamming up his smile while the kids have all their feet buried in the sand

"Where'd my feet go?"

Christmas in July? Summer in December? What's that saying?

Nice outfits

Walking past the Public Gardens in Boston

Pretending to be Mermaids

Mia is being such a good "big sister" to Emma

Exploring the woods in our back yard

Rock climbing behind the house

up in the fort after checkin' out the tree house

The weather was so nice on Thursday we all walked down to pick Mia up from school. She was not to thrilled to have to go to school yesterday or today while Emma stayed home. The kids are all going to be so sad when Emma and Jaclyn have to go home. Maybe we'll get them back up here sometime in the next couple of years.