So what it boiled down to was

go thru my photos or catch up on five days of laundry
that's a no brainer

Here's some outtakes from our past week.  Also, while I'm thinking of it, I'd like some groovy new frames - the ones I use are bolder than what I like - but I don't know where to look - point me in the right direction if you're so inclined

Also also...other answers as I tend to get sidetracked
Yes...my brother was sewing up his gift at Sew Crazy.  He had my mother's name and we were approx 13 miles from her house.  'Bout time to get it done, I figure.  As it turned out, he finished the final details the following day and I forgot to take a picture...but it was a mural in pillow format of the Breakies.  Very cool.

And yes Callie, that is a helicopter in the previous post.  It used to be in our backyard for quite a few years in fact, but this past year it up and took off on a long flight and ended up in my friend Marne's yard.  She'll have to answer the other question about the background apparatus.  ;)

Okay...pics of the week

I love this one because it makes me smile.  I totally lived on the threat of, "you better shape up, Santa Claus is watching you" for the past few weeks (don't know WHAT I'm going to do now) and it took me a bit to catch on, but everytime I said that, Brian would cast his eye over to the side door.  Where Santa was hanging.  This particular moment he had been standing there for quite some time studying and wondering about this whole watching thing.  Nightmare material for sure. 

I'm sorry Marne.

While I was at the (shhhh...) tuba concert, someone had built a wet sloppy snowman while listening.  I knelt down in a puddle and caught a picture of that too.  Because I thought it was cool.  Then I noticed the time and scrambled home because I had much to do

Because that night was the extended Pennala party (Pa's side).  Brian actually sat on Santa's lap at this party.  I was surprised.  I think Santa's name was Gary, but I'm not positive.

The next day we went to The Henry Ford straight from church in order to see this Santa, who's name is, most definitely, Santa.  I was a little disappointed this year because Wendy was the only one of our four who would sit on his lap.  Allan was above all that, and the little boys were scared, which really surprised me when Brian had sat on his lap just the night before. Altho, now that I think of it that may be exactly why he didn't sit on  his lap, figured he'd already done that, no sense doing it again. 

Wendy had intentions (that I had just learned of that morning) of asking Santa for high heels and a cut in half swimsuit (her words) but thankfully she switched it to an American Girl doll when she actually sat on his lap.  She received none of those things.

It was heck of a windy outside, so we didn't tour the village - but did enjoy walking about the museum for a bit.  We were pleasantly surprised to have run across this gem - a large model train set up for the holidays.  We don't remember having seen this before.

Even Markie was fired up on it!

And then, after that, we wandered over to the kids hands on table - Wendy wanted to make a hat.  And because Wendy wanted to make a hat, Brian wanted to make a hat.  Wendy chose polar bears and stars but Brian - Brian's been pretty hung up on ding dongs this month.  Ding Dong cookies, and a ding dong hat. 

The bear is a gift from Santa...all four kids got them regardless of if they sat on his lap or not. 

And I already shared Christmas Eve photos, so that brings us right up to Christmas morning chaos.  This is it. 

And this photo also makes me smile - I love that Allan is all dressed for the day.  He's done that every year except for the one that I worked hard to persuade him to go ahead and stay in his jams.  But that's not Al.  To be Al is to get half way down the stairs, realize it's Christmas Day and then go back up to get dressed.

Now I really can't procrastinate on the laundry any longer....   

Comments

[Jan Connair]

Love that picture of Brian with the Christmas-tree hat on. A classic, and it should be great for his senior slide show in about 16 years.

[Amanda H]

A cut-in-half swimsuit, gotta love it!

[sue]

Awesome photos Sharyn! Derek keeps asking if I have been checking your blog...pictures from Christmas night?!

[Susan]

hahahaha...cut in half swim suit:)

[marne]

Was she going to wear the cut in half suit with the high heels? Just wondering. And I really can't bear many more pictures of your tuba-ing adventure. I guess there really was 35 or however many you said. Waaaaah!

[Callie Ann]

Thanks for sharing. Wow, Brian is really changing in his facial expressions. He is looking more grown up and I really notice it in this picture.

[~ Junkyard Jennifer]

Fun pictures! The Christmas morning one looks so cozy.

Happy New Year!!