Noah's Christmas Play

Noah's much anticipated Christmas Play was a couple of weeks ago. You see we've actually been anticipating this since last Spring, when we won the coveted reserved front row seating in the silent auction. It was an adorable story about the first Christmas ever, complete with cute kids in costume, adorable songs, dancing, funny wisemen giggling at their lines, Mary tickling the donkey and all kinds of fun stuff.  Noah was a shepherd.

Grandparents

Proud parents

Murray was a sheep

2 Preschool classes & 2 PreK classes total

The Stars

Our shepherd was chill about watching after his flock & baby Jesus being born

Funny wisemen riding in on their donkeys

They were so cute getting the giggles after their lines

Noah and Zaria

Noah & Murray

Santa came to the after party

The Candles

My favorite shepherd

Hooray!  A King is born!

Joseph, Donkey, Mary & Baby Jesus

Elliot's Christmas Program

Rainbow School had an adorable Christmas Program this year.  They had been practicing for it since Thanksgiving, but only going once a week, that wasn't much.  When I asked Elliot about it, all he commented on was how fun it was to get to ride the elevator upstairs to the sanctuary in the church.  His class was the youngest class.  They performed to a song called "Ring the Bells" and rang their bells.  It was adorable and I loved every minute of it.  Totally got us in the Christmas spirit.

That's my boy, sitting in the pew

Do you see the passion he put into his performance?

Sitting so sweetly & patiently in the pew

awww

Playing with his bell (that is one of his teachers, Miss Jamie)

Elliot's class (the yellow room)

All the yellow room students (E in upper left)

My favorite one!  He got so into shaking his bell!

Noah's friend from St. E's, Finn, goes to Rainbow a couple days a week still

And Noah's friend, Liam, also attends Rainbow School

T - 8

Mandy attended her sister's graduation on Friday.  We had no babysitter for the occasion, so I took the kids after a half day of work so she could go.  We had lunch at Waldo Pizza, then I put Elliot down for a nap.  Both of them had already been to gymnastics, and Noah just wanted to keep going, but we had to pause for a couple of hours.

After E's nap, they told me they wanted to go to "State Line" park - a fairly new park just a few blocks away.  The temperature was only 39 degrees, but they insisted that coats, hats and gloves weren't necessary.  I'm a fan of natural consequences, so after much cajoling, I finally let them leave wearing only fleece jackets.   I brought along a pair of E's mittens, and a couple of hats, but didn't think they'd be used.

A few minutes after we got there, Noah said he was cold, and when I asked him if he wanted E's hat and mittens - which were in my pocket - he quickly said yes.  I could have saved them for Elliot, but my reasoning was the first person to realize their short-sightedness should probably be rewarded.  

That left only a hat.  A few minutes later, Elliot told me he was cold, so I gave him Noah's hat.   A few minutes after that he said his fingers hurt, so I softened a little and offered my own gloves.  Even about five sizes too big, he recognized the wisdom of taking them.  

After an hour, they finally threw in the towel and suggested some hot chocolate, so we headed to the nearby mall, which had a Starbucks.  We walked around the mall with our drinks, rode the escalators, visited the fish, rats and guinea pigs in PetSmart and threw some pennies in the fountain.

At home, we had dinner, read some books, played hide-and-seek, made some Lego tree ornaments and got ready for bed.  As I was reading them books on Noah's bed, I asked them if they wanted to sleep together.  I figured if they said yes, it could make my job easier than putting each of them down separately. 

We've tried this before with mixed success.  Once they went right to sleep, and slept all night without a peep, and the others they couldn't stop talking and had to be separated.  It was a long shot, I thought, but I had success again.  I told them I'd give them a few minutes, but they had to be very quiet and go to sleep soon after.  Amazingly, or because they were tired, they listened for once.  I wished I could hear what they were whispering to each other on the monitor, but it got very quiet and they fell asleep a few minutes later.

They've both been waking up at night lately, calling for us, but tonight they slept straight through. Made me think we should try this more often.  Mandy made it home around 11:00, so when they woke up at 6:00 a.m. the next morning, I took them to Starbucks on the Plaza for breakfast.  It sounds like we take them to SB a lot, but we really don't. Any more.  The barista there recognized both of them - mostly E, from when he was a chronic early morning riser - and mentioned how long it had been.

To let Mandy sleep in, we spent the next hour or so driving around looking at Christmas lights, both of them competing to see who had the best looking lights out their side of the car.  I actually threatened to pull the car over at one point.  Probably won't be the last time this holiday season.  

Took my glove.

String cheese for a snack.  What else?

Finally, with some sense.

Warming up.

Don't look now, but...

The Lego tree ornament Noah made for Elliot

Noah and Elliot sleeping

Plaza Lights

Time flies

I had the camera handy as I gave Elliot his bath a couple of nights ago, so I snapped a few pictures.  Bathtime has become so routine that I almost never notice how big they're getting, compared to how small they once were.   Every once in a while though, I'm reminded of giving them their first baths.  It doesn't seem that long ago.  It won't be long before they're giving themselves baths.  

Elliot still loves his baths, and even though he's not as wild as Noah used to be, he does get a little crazy with the splashing.  This often gets him removed from the tub earlier than he'd like.  He also likes to make waves by laying down and pushing his body from one end of the tub to the other, and to throw the soap bubbles on his dad.  

Slowdown

Noah almost never slows down on his own, even when he's ill, so it's always a little surprising whenever he gets sick enough to stop him in his tracks.  He was diagnosed with strep throat a couple days ago, and the day before he got antibiotics, he mostly laid around and slept.  

A dose or two of antibiotics later, and he was back to his old tricks.  He's still recovering, but he won't be down for long.  

Who does this goof look like?

My riding partner

Knock, knock...

These two boys are no different than most brothers.  They are constantly taking things from each other, arguing about fairness and messing with each others' stuff.  But they are also good friends, and it's very heartwarming to see them when they are occasionally being sweet to one another.

The other day, I sat there watching them have a full-blown conversation with each other.  I can't remember all of it, but they were very complimentary of each other.  Noah was explaining his latest Lego creation, and Elliot was saying, "Wow, Noah" and telling him how good it was.  They also started telling knock-knock jokes to each other.  None of them were the least bit funny, but they would laugh their asses off each time a punch line was delivered.

The proceeded to build a fort together out of the living room furniture, but the detente ended quickly when Noah tried to bar Elliot from entering.  Back to "normal".