Alyeska

Bliss, sheer bliss!!  The day after Christmas my entire family took off to Girdwood and stayed the night at the Alyeska Hotel.  We swam our little hearts out the first night we were there, and then skied all day Saturday.  I just love the feeling of being at a ski resort during the holidays, especially with all the christmas decorations.  {Jas & I talked about making this a Christmas tradition}  

Kali & Meg really surprised us with how long they wanted to ski, especially despite the cold weather. We took them to the top of the mountain on the tram, and Kali skied 1/4 of the way down all by herself! We were VERY impressed with how well they both did.  Meg's favorite thing was the Magic Carpet, a rubber conveyer belt {new-skool tow rope} that brought her to the top of the hill, then she skied as fast as she could back down.  We all had so much fun, we'd love to go back!!

 

Day #25 {advent calendar}

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

I don't think Santa needs to worry about video games for our kids for a VERY LONG time!!  He brought everything Wii, and Jason's parents gave us Rock Band.  {check out the video to see how excited Kali was when they opened it}  Jason also loved his present!  I got him the 6-tool Dewalt cordless power tool set.  His box was about the same size as the Rock Band box, so I hid the wrapped Rock Band in a closet, and wrapped the tools the same way and labeled it "To: Kali, Meg & Owen,  From: G&G Smedley" and let the kids open up what he thought was Rock Band.  He sat chilled out on the couch, and got all excited while they opened it saying "WHAT THE!!!".  He makes me laugh when he says "i got my MAN tools" :)  And Jason this year, well lets just say he got me a nice PrimaLoft Jacket for winter.  {i picked it out ;D} 

Day #23 {advent calendar}

For todays activity we were supposed to make cookies, but this was more exciting!!  Our friends Matt & Tiffanie invited us over for pizza, Polar Express, Rock Band & Snowmachining for the kids.  We had a blast!  Especially the kids!  They just rode around and around the house till 10:30.  Josh let Kali try out his skis and Kali picked it up QUICK!!  She was even brave enough to keep trying out the jump that they made for Josh.  We were SO impressed with how determined she was!  Those four little kids, Josh, Kali, Liz & Meg were a hoot to watch.  They were like midget teenagers that knew exactly what to do, I didn't even have to help them.  Anytime Kali fell down, Josh would yell "go help her, go help her" as Meg or Liz jump off the snowmachine to go help Kali get the tow rope.  And if she got left behind he'd jump off and yell at the girls to help him push the snowmachine backwards to go get Kali.  I was cracking up the whole time just watching in amazement how it all went down.  

While the kids were doing their thing, us adults jammed out to Rock Band.  It was only my second time playing and I already feel like a Rockstar!!  There's something about those guitars and drums that just gets me!!  

The following videos are of Josh being pulled by Kali, landing the jump.  The second is of Kali's best attempt.  Oh yeah, and in the last pic, Liz & Meg are pretending that they are falling off!

 

 

Day #21 {advent calendar}

These were fun stockings to make!!  I obviously had to do Owens.  I have quilted stockings that I made years ago that hang over the fireplace for "pretty" sake.  Does Santa fill these puppies . . . HECK NO!!!  

We have had the kids choose a sock of their choice Christmas Eve, and lay it on the hearth of the fireplace for Santa to come and fill with goodies.  This got challenging for Santa when socks, especially GOOD socks {the ones that have cute patterns and aren't bought at Walmart!} were filled too full, thus stretching them out!

So I decided to make fleece stockings for Santa to fill this year. Something a little more Christmas-y, and kid-contributed. Aren't they cute!  The kids LOVED the added touch of the bells and the stuffing in the toes.   

Day #18 {advent calendar}

This week has been a busy one, and the activities have been less interesting to be posted.  We've made cookies, gone sledding, watched a few movies, etc. etc. 

I am AMAZED though at how all three of my children had a great attention span for sitting down and watching the church DVD, Joy To The World.  Owen wouldn't stop saying "baby Jesus, there's baby Jesus," Kali would sing with the Mo-Tab, and Meg was purely entertained {see, she's a movie junky!}

We enjoyed this movie and will probably see it again before Christmas comes.  It brings a great spirit into our home! 

Day #14 {advent calendar}

Our activity was a great one, especially for having it on a Sunday.  

We drove out to the Palmer Chapel to see for the first time their annual Nativity Celebration. Practically the whole church, minus the chapel, was decorated with all kinds of nativities.  The primary room had all kinds suited for children, while classrooms were assigned themes to sort all different kinds of nativities.  The cultural hall was half full, with chairs filling the other half so people could enjoy the Christmas singing/musical entertainment.  

I took a few pix of the kids' favorite nativities. Since we live in Alaska, it's not too hard to figure out which ones they liked best!!

  

Day #13 {advent calendar}

We've done so much fun stuff for our activities, sometimes it seems like we are avoiding the real reason for Christmas.  BUT . . . I do have more activities that involve the birth of Jesus.  

Here is what we did tonight.  I printed these on cardstock, cut them out, and gave each of the kids a puzzle to work on.  I've commented in the past what kind of personality Meg has, so I thought she of all people, would think this was boring.  But to my surprise she was SUPER excited to do a puzzle.  So while they were working on putting it together, we talked about the REAL reason for Christmas.  

If your interested in downloading this and doing it yourself, click here.  The link uses it as an advent calendar, but I just took the image and did my own thing.  To each their own.  

Day #12 {advent calendar}

On our 12th day of christmas {aka: advent calendar} we made a Gumdrop Winter Wonderland!  

This took much effort on the kids part.  

             #1 - For not eating them!!!  

             #2 - Poking the cupcake sprinkles in the gumdrops

              were a little tedious, especially for Meg.

             #3 - Owen could care less what we were doing, all 

              he knew was that there was candy, and he  

              was there!  Need I say more!?

With the past 12 days behind us, I have learned some things about our kids . . . 

             - Kali is the 'artsy-fartsy' one always asking "can we  

             do something crafty?"

            - Meg likes to be entertained . . . with Christmas 

             books or movies. {the least effort the better} 

             - Owen just wants to eat!!  If there's candy involved, 

             he eats it.  If there's no food involved . . . he wants

             POPCORN!!!  I swear he needs to be on a Carls 

             Jr. commercial . . . "Don't bother me, I'm eating!"

A Little Christmas Interruption

A week ago I had my mom watch Owen for me while Kali, Meg & I went to the Dentist.  While Owen was at my mom's house, he was eating popcorn in the kitchen on a swivel stool and flew off of it and landed smack on the sharp corner of their pantry.  Thus creating this inch long gash in his head.  My mom tried to call me 15 times {of all times I leave my cell phone in the car} to see if I wanted her to take him in to get stitches or just super glue it shut.  They opted for the cheaper side!  So they super glued Owen's head shut, as well as glueing my dad's finger to his head!  

OF THIS WE ARE GRATEFUL TO MY PARENTS!!!  

My neighbor is a nurse and I showed her to see what her take on it was.  She said that it looked good, it's just store bought glue is not sterile, has other chemicals in it, doesn't heal as fast, etc. etc.  But all-in-all, things were good.  She came over later and gave me a nice little care package for emergencies such as these.  In her goodie bag was gauss pads, antiseptics, and a HANDY DANDY Dermabond Pen!!!  If you don't know what these are, they are the official super glue at the Dr.'s office! It was like I heard angels that day, cause with this little boy of ours, we are sure to use it!!

Owen has been fine, no infections, just a glob of glue on his head.  UNTIL TODAY!!  He picked off the whole thing, glue, scab & ALL!!!  The wound opened right up, so I cleaned it out and glued it shut again.  What a handy little device!!  I'd love to have more around the house, but I guess they are like $200 or something crazy like that.  

Nothing like a little home surgery and putting that on my resume!!

 

Day #7 {advent calendar}

This activity was fun but quite messy!  We made Ice Cream Snowmen.  

We took our scoops of ice cream and rolled them in coconut. Our snowmen balls were supposed to solidify in the freezer while we roasted our marshmallow hats and cut up our licorice buttons. 

We obviously didn't leave them in the freezer that long because they were toppling over before I could get a good shot of them.  But the kids loved making them . . . and of course EATING them!! 

Day #4 {advent calendar}

It's AMAZING how simple a thing like making paper chains entertains and brings happiness to a child's life!!  

On day #4 of our advent calendar we made christmas chains.  Kali was the expert and wiz since she had practice last year in kindergarten, and Meg was not too far behind. Owen surprised us by doing quite well at his chain . . . with exception to pulling two feet of tape out every time he needed to stick one link together!  After it was finished we took the final chain to be hung from the ceiling in the girls' bedroom {which was just about as exciting as making the chain itself!}

I wasn't sure how this activity would pan out, but after Meg took out the picture from the calendar and showed Kali what it was, I knew from Kali's reaction that this one was an EXCELLENT choice!

"Wow!  THANKS Mom!!!!!!"

A Christmas Tradition

I decided this year that we needed a good Christmas tradition to last throughout the years, and I found a good one!  I picked up this advent calendar in which I printed pictures of things we are going to do everyday that are related to Christmas.  Each day the kids get to open the door for that day and find out what we get to do.   The first day we decorated the tree, today we made a gingerbread house . . . and the rest you will just have to sit on pins-n-needles to see what fun things we will do on our journey to Christmas!  The kids by-the-way, are so jazzed about doing this!  They can't wait to come home and finish their homework to see what fun thing we will do that day.  

{ it also makes for a good bribe when rooms don't get cleaned ;) }

Dear Santa . . .

Kali wrote her very first Christmas Wish List to Santa this year on a 3x5 card. 

I thought 7 year olds were supposed to have a new bike or something!  

Jason told her to keep writing cause as the list gets longer, it also gets cheeper!

Santa . . . if you're out there . . . help us out on this one!