Matching Christmas (Elf on the Shelf) Pajamas (and nightgown)

Those of you on Facebook with me, already know this little humorous story from this evening, but for those who do not, here it is:

Funny moment tonight at our household.  The boys first experience with nightgowns (oh what we learn from our sister!). Sarah has only worn pajamas, so Donovan and Aaron have not had any experience with nightgowns previously. (I didn't dare mention or pull out the photos of Donovan as a newborn wearing those gown nightgown things that newborn boys and girls wear.) Anyhow, tonight the kids opened an early Christmas package from their Godmother, Aunt Candice. Sarah opened hers first - a nightgown. We put it on her and she twirled all around in it and we told her how cute she looked. I told the boys that Aunt Candice was sending them very special matching pajamas, "just like Sarah's" was apparently my wording. I went on to tell them they would wear them tonight after baths, and many times this Christmas season, and especially on Christmas Eve and Christmas night. Somewhere along the way I seemed to have lost them. They were staring at me in ABSOLUTE DISBELIEF. Then the questions started, Why would she send us DRESSES to wear to bed?" and "We are BOYS. Boys don't wear THOSE. Well in the olden days they did, but not NOW. Not US." It was hilarious. I mentioned we should be thankful for the gifts we receive and just wear them! The boys opened their packages, thinking they were nightgowns! Only once they were fully opened did they see the pajama PANTS in their package. "Phew! It's only the PICTURES that match," announced Aaron. "They are not DRESSES!"  Here are photos of our 3 kids in MATCHING Elf on the Shelf PAJAMAS (note: note 3 matching Nightgowns - phew!)

Thanksgiving and Cutting our Christmas Tree

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! Sarah shouted, "TURKEY," and dug right in.
So much to be thankful for! (namely, these 3 kids!)

Donovan with a turkey art project.

Aaron's turkey

Sarah's first art project.

The day after Thanksgiving, we headed out to cut our Christmas tree. The boys had fun pulling Sarah in her sled.

 (Note: They are not standing in front of our tree. Our tree is about 12 feet tall...) 

Donovan in front of our tree.

Donovan and Aaron

Sarah isn't so sure why there's a tree in our house!

Grandma gave the boys these cute shirts - very appropriate for tree-cutting day!

Sarah in front of the tree with "pretty" lights on it.

Touching an ornament Grandma gave her.

Feeling a little more comfortable with the tree now.

Playing with the angel (before she was put on top of the tree)

gingerbread family 

Donovan, Sarah, Aaron in front of the tree

Donovan was my biggest helper this year. Getting to climb on a ladder to put decorations up high appealed to him! 

All 3 kids in front of he decorated tree.

 It's a little hard to get the top of a 12 foot tree in a picture with 3 kids.

 

 2 silly boys and Santa

The only Santa we are attempting with Sarah this year. (We took the boys to Santa's Village in NH in September, and they told Santa what they are hoping for, and told him they have a new sister and she'd like dolls. So we are all set.)

probable Christmas card photo...

Donovan Turns 7

The poster his class created with adjectives about him (one for each letter of his name)

Daring, Outstanding, Nice, Original, Vibrant, Athletic, Neat (as in cool)

before the party

Transformer Cake

May all your dreams come true!

Sarah's First Halloween

This year we had two ninjas AND A MINNIE MOUSE. 

 The boys actually wore the same exact costumes as last year, since they still fit. They did get new weapons though, which they were thrilled about (these fancy, double sword things).

After school, we went to Grandma's house in Shelburne for dinner and trick-or-treating in her neighborhood. There are about 25 houses (just the perfect size for the boys right now - we've done this the past two years) and they get to pass out candy to her trick-or-treaters afterwards. (Right now we like it this way because Rupert and I can both go with the kids, instead of one of us having to stay home and pass out candy. And Grandma gets to see the kids in their costumes.)  After the third house, Donovan (my SHY/QUIET/RESERVED son), screamed, "Halloween is AWESOME!! Look at all the candy we are getting." (Okay, so there were probably 10 pieces of candy in his bag...He has no idea that in a couple years when he goes to a big neighborhood, he's going to need a pillowcase...For now he's happy and satisfied with the 45 pieces he got tonight!)

SARAH DID GREAT! (We weren't sure if she'd be too scared.) We carried her (Minnie Mouse) and she was only scared at one house where the homeowner had a scary mask on (that even Donovan backed away from). She was trying to say "trick-or-treat" by about the third house. She showed us again she likes to take charge and organize things (hmm...wonder who she's learning that from...could it be from Mommy and from Donovan perhaps...). We have the boys alternate who rings the doorbell/knocks on the door as we trick-or-treat. She was keeping track and as we approached each house she'd shout out the name of the brother who was supposed to go up first. Also, if her brother forgot to get a piece of candy from the bowl and put it in her bag, she was quick to remind him!

The moment to melt my heart was when we got home and the boys took out all of their candy to sort it and count it and put it in a Ziplock bag for each of them. Sarah was being put to bed at that time. The boys took out all of their Hershey Kisses (about 12 from each boy) and set them on Sarah's placemat at the table. (Hershey Kisses were a candy I mentioned would be perfect for Sarah this year.) They wanted her to have their Hershey Kisses. I took some of the candy from her bag and gave it to them. Their response was, "Wow! We get even more candy when we have a sister!" I told them to enjoy it now because next year she'll be eating it all herself.

Sarah with the new Minnie Mouse slippers Grandma gave her tonight. (She wore them with her costume since she was being carried.)

Sarah with the pumpkin Daddy painted Minnie Mouse on for her.

We did have a casualty this evening. I was so careful watching out for Aaron, who didn't wear his glasses with his ninja mask, but it was ME with the problem. I stepped off my mom's front walkway and rolled my ankle. OUCH! Oh and that was just as we were heading out to get started trick-or-treating! I carried Sarah halfway around the neighborhood and then passed her on to Rupert, not because she was too heavy (though she is a hefty 25 pounds), but because it was killing my ankle to carry her. By the time we got home it was all swollen up. Clearly sprained it. UGH! Those of you who know I started running in June as soon as school got out...this is killing me. Today was the first day I was up to 6 miles (in 63 minutes, so 10 1/2 minute miles which is good for me), up from 5 miles which I'd been at for about 3-4 weeks now. Needless to say I have several "rest" days ahead of me while this darn ankle heals up (fast I hope). Also, both boys have colds, so except for hockey Saturday morning, we weren't planning to go ice skating or hiking or anything.

The Girl Can EAT (and I mean EAT!)

After all my talk about how MUCH Sarah eats, I thought a visual was in order. This is a typical breakfast for her. What is not clear in the front view photo is that there is an ADDITIONAL white bowl near her that contains a hardboiled egg. That's in addition to 10 grapes, 6 strawberries, 1/2 a kiwi, a full banana, a breakfast sausage, and 4 big pieces of homemade banana bread. 15 minutes from now, she'll have packed it away. Where I have no idea. This girl loves to eat!