Christmas Eve 2018

Per our usual Christmas Eve Feast tradition, each kid got to pick a side to go with the pop-in-the-hiney chicken that Brooks grills.

No surprise here, Iris picked Jell-o ("with NO fruit")

Aleeya wanted a mango/strawberry fruit salad which has become her go-to as well on Christmas Eve.

Since Everly did NOT like the grape experiment from last year, she played it safe and asked for chips and dip. I'm game with that.

Royce with his KRAFT Mac-N-Cheese

Bronson asked for some herbed rolls that I make.....while Camden stares me down.

THIS kid asked for muddy-buddies. haha. Something I could make ahead....oh yea.

We had the Sisters over this year and Sister Jones' tradition was green bean casserole.

And pumpkin pie for Sister Anderson. So we had the options of strawberry/kiwi pies along with this.... which is a GOOD thing because I completely forgot to put SUGAR in the pie. She just sat there gratefully eating it until I tried it. hahaha.

Emerson asked for cheezy potatoes

and Kellyn LOOOOVES her baked cabbage. 😂

It's impossible to get everyone cooperating

For the sibling gifts Camden gave Everly some make-up which she did NOT like.....nor would she even LOOK at it OR Camden.

Emerson made Kellyn VERY happy with her smelly markers and she gave him a sword. And I'm just noticing this now but WHY is Kellyn wearing the babies' pants?!

Wynn was OVERJOYED at the stuffed animal Bronson gave her that she ran and gave him a hug...

that knocked him down.

This whole naughty/nice thing flip flops daily.

While we cleaned up, the kids had an impromptu balloon volleyball game in the living room

Right before bed some carolers from our church stopped by. It was so sweet. 

Brooks and I have always had this discussion as to what the listeners DO when the carolers are singing. I told him you just smile gratefully and listen. Apparently that didn't take my advice because he pretended to lead the songs.

"Sity" Park

One thing cool about Russellville is that the elementary schools are K-4th, then there's a school JUST for 5th graders. Aleeya is in that school this year and loves it because "she's not in school with any of her siblings". Lovely.

Anyway, each class had a spelling bee and the winners of those class ones go onto the whole 5th grade spelling bee. Aleeya won her class and was excited to compete on the school level. She even wore an elf-feet headband for good luck. (fourth from right)

The first round is basically a bunch of easy words so the kids could get used to how things go. Aleeya's first round word was "city". 

Aleeya with ALL the confidence in the world declared, " 'city', S-I-T-Y, 'city' "

I just gasped! 

The moderator told her it was incorrect and Aleeya just stood there shocked as if that couldn't be right. Then she graciously sat down and kept a smile plastered on her face until the WHOLE row behind her finished before they would excuse the ones who got out. 

I just KNEW she was dying inside. 

If there's ONE thing Aleeya hates (actually more than ANY of my other kids) it's looking stupid. 

She kept that smile on until the moment she was excused. The kids were to walk off stage and come down and sit in the audience. She walked off stage and never came in the auditorium. I waited and waited and then I went to find her. Bless her heart she was in tears talking to her computer teacher (who was also one of my friends). She came and collapsed in my arms and I agreed to check her out early.

As we drove away to get a milkshake she was still in tears because she KNEW how to spell the word (and everyone in that room knew too) and "now everyone will think she's dumb".

By the end of the conversation I got her smiling and laughing. I told her I'm going to call her my Citygirl because I was BEYOND proud of her to feel THAT strong of an emotion (embarrassment) and still keep a strong smile on that face. It took a TON of self-control that isn't always present in an 11 year old. 

SPEAKING of sity or city.......one nice weathered day in December (I know, we're spoiled), we grabbed some sandwiches and went to the park to eat dinner.

This park had a zipline thing that went in a straight line. And since Brooks makes EVERYTHING more fun it became a great place for a competition.

The game is both people are hanging from the handles and without touching your feet on the floor you have to pull the other person off with your legs.

The game really put tall people at a disadvantage because you're constantly trying to keep your feet from not touching the floor while the other person was pulling you down.

Brooks showed NO mercy on Kellyn.

But the overall champion (bracket style) was actually Iris. That girl could just throw her legs up fast (whoever got their legs up higher always won) and just use her weight and just weight until the person would slink off the handle. 

IRIS IS THE SITY-PARK CHAMPION OF THE WORLD!