Santa, cookies and pictures

I know it's January.  I'm a little slow.  We got to see Santa at our Ward Christmas party.  It's been years since I've taken my kids to see Santa.  I took Brady once to my sister-in-law's elementary school when he was 18 months old.  He screamed.  The girls saw him one year at the Legacy Center here, and that's the extent of our visits with Santa.  I hardly see the point in waiting in long lines to force my kids to sit on a stranger's lap just so they can tell him what they want for Christmas.  I know some people love that tradition, but I'm ok if it doesn't happen.  Although, I love what my friend Cathy  did.  She had pictures taken of her kids with her dressed up as Santa!  Genius.  She's got a really good blog too.  I check it almost every day in hopes she's updated it.  And sometimes she even mentions me.  I'm so famous.  Anyway, Santa.

I think Brady should probably have had Santa sit on his lap.  Lance thought he was more of a miniature Santa. 

Chloe was very snuggly with Santa and really enjoyed telling him her list.  She keeps asking me if she'll get the things she didn't get that she wanted, next year.  She got plenty of stuff, but there were a couple of items that were purposely omitted from her list.  I always have veto power.

Mia was also very happy to sit with Santa.  She had a shorter list, so I think she got pretty much what she wanted.

Tyler thought it was a little more awkward, but he had no problems telling Santa he wanted Buzz Lightyear.  Santa delivered.  He got some Buzz Lightyear pj's on Christmas Eve.  He was a little disappointed.  He told me, "But I wanted a big Buzz Lightyear toy."  I reassured him that Christmas wasn't over yet.  It was pretty cute.

Isaac on the other hand thought this was one of the cruelest forms of torture.  Lately, he's been pretty much attached to my hip, so to have to sit on some strange guys lap was just about more than he could take.

We made sugar cookies.

Nothing says Christmas like an Easter duck, a horse, a heart,a flower or a seahorse.  We have some random cookie cutters.  The seahorse and horse are actually play-doh cookie cutters.  I promise I washed them first.  The girls liked the way the heart and circle ones went together.  They thought it looked like a butterfly.  We'll have to make that our new tradition, Christmas butterflies.

And here they are frosting them.  The making of the cookies and the frosting was a three-day ordeal.  I couldn't wait for those to be off of my counter!  Brady decorated some cookies at Scouts the night before so he left the decorating to everyone else.

I saw a really cute idea on some crafty blog somewhere.  Sorry, I don't Pinterest so I have no idea where it is.  Anyway, the blogger made snowballs out of some textured white fabric.  It's just a six-panel ball if any of you ever want to make any of your own.  Since my brother and his family live in Hawaii, I thought it would be fun to send them a bunch.  I made a few samples that my kids had a great time throwing all over.  Rumor has it my brother and his family loved them.  We didn't even end up with a white Christmas here.  In fact we've hardly had any snow at all.  It's a little disconcerting.

One day in November I made my kids get their Christmas colored church clothes on to capture a perfect family picture.  After a few arguments about how it wasn't Sunday and why did they have to get church clothes on etc. they finally cooperated, kind of.

 

Brady was being goofy as usual, which made everyone else a little goofy.

This one was close, if only Mia's rainbow striped tights weren't exposed.

Isaac didn't want to look at me and smile, so this is as close as I got to a good picture.

After a little editing with Picnik, it looks a little better.  Not quite the perfect picture I had envisioned.

If only Isaac had been making this cute face.

Look how cute he and Brady are cropped and edited a little.  I really need some photoshop or something.  It's so frustrating trying to get one good family picture.  They all take turns looking and smiling. 

And then they start to unravel. Mia's getting grumpy. Isaac's looking for his escape route.  Tyler's adorable though.

We're definitely losing Isaac.

And he's done.

Mia wanted a turn holding Isaac.  He wanted nothing of that.

Someday my kids will all smile and look at the camera at the same time while sitting patiently.  I'm not holding my breath though, and you probably shouldn't either.