Happy End of 2011!

We are ending the year with a bang! Well not really a bang, but we did do some fun stuff. We went to Discovery World, did some family and holiday visits in Chicago, went to the Children's Museum, took Joseph ice skating for the first time, and now we're getting ready to tuck the kiddos in for the last time in 2011 and ring in the New Year with some live lobster and old neighbors. We had a few firsts this year with Joseph learning to swim underwater and going to soccer lessons, Hannah and Leah starting to try the potty and moving into big girl beds, Joseph learning how to write all his letters, Hannah and Leah getting to know colors and counting to three. Jay and I had our first vacation together without kids since having the girls (camping and corn in Waupaca) and then did our first family move across town to the new house. Now that we're almost settled, we're looking forward to enjoying our new home and many more firsts in 2012! Happy New Year everyone!

Holiday Humor

Joseph Quotes:

"That's ridiculous, you want me to play with underwear?"

"A big present, just what I've been waiting for my whole life!"

"Action fingers!"

"Hey, I need some help with this mission"

"Dad, can we trade hippos? I think yours is hungrier than mine".

Leah Moments:

"Merry Chirstmas! Merry Christmas! (you just had to hear the cute little girl voice to hear how special this was)

Little Leah waited with tears in her eyes next to Santa as he pulled out presents for all the kids on Christmas eve until at long last hers came out of the bottom of his bag. She had such a happy face with ever piece of wrapping paper and tissue that she tore.

Despite our efforts to keep them out of her reach, Leah climbed onto a cooler to get to the back of the table where the plate full of crackers had been placed and then invited her sister to join her.

Hannah Moments:

I told Hannah we were going to a party in the afternoon and she then walked around the house asking everyone "You wanna go to a party?" "You wanna go to a party later?" She was very excited and wanted everyone to join her.

Hannah stood near the food for the first hour or so on Christmas Eve, taking food and bringing one of everything to Leah so that she could cleverly make her way back to the table again for more cheese, cucumbers, crackers, tomatoes, and anything else she could get her hands on.

Mommy GET UP! GET UP! She kept yelling at me at our Chanukah celebration when I tried to sit on the floor downstairs and have her go upstairs to play. She was much happier after having 5 cookies.

Scenes from this Season

Apples and Hot dogs are always a crowd pleaser at the Conway house (unlike Chicken Pot Pie and Asparagus that bring out some pretty horrific reactions). Pasta and meatballs usually does the trick, and Joseph is featured with a bowl of this delightful dinner in our dining room that now has no wallpaper! (that was an adventure....had Gina and two of my friends helping me plus Jay taking things off the walls and watching the kids and it took about 15 hours over the course of a weekend. I do not yet have enough energy to paint and finish the project, but by spring I'm hoping to have the kids bathroom, the hallway and the dining room done. I may be dialing 1 800 Uncle Patrick for some of that!) Another thing that the kids love....Dancing! Jay will turn on some tunes from the computer and get everyone bouncing around the family room which is usually a pretty hilarious scene. (We have a few videos that I'll try to post later.) We're enjoying some time off over the holidays which I'm sure will lead to some funny moments to post next week. Joseph already asked one night why he wasn't getting "big fun presents" like the girls were. (one night for Chanukah he got a Kung Fu Panda LeapFrog Tag book and the girls got Barbies.....ohhhhh the injustice in the world!)

Winter Holiday Fun

The kids have been pretty excited over the upcoming holidays and winter season. Joseph has been waiting (sort of patiently) for snow, and this morning, it arrived! It was just a dusting but it was plenty to get him and the girls running around the house and looking out windows first thing this morning. We took everyone out to breakfast and right away Joseph had to go run down the driveway to make some footprints, followed by a few almost snowballs thrown at mom and dad. Leah and Hannah put on their snow gear right away when we got home and Joseph wasn't far behind. Earlier in the week we had a "surprise" visit from Santa at our house (Hannah is the only one who really warmed up to him, Leah was most interested in the candy cane, and Joseph I think was just in awe). And then we had fun with Joseph's 4K class teaching his friends the dreidel song and playing the dreidel game. We then donated all the money from the game for the class field trip to Target to pick out gifts for a little girl that the class is sponsoring this holiday season. A few more days of the usual routine (or more like mad scramble) and then our winter break and holiday festivities kick into full gear....can't wait!

Say Cheese (or not)

A few pictures from the end of fall before the cold set in. Trying to get everyone to look at the camera, let alone smile, is quite the challenge. Though Hannah had no problem turning towards me when I tried to catch her and Leah in action on the piano with Jay. I'm not sure what she thought she was playing or singing, but it must have been something really entertaining.