Bowling for Dad's Birthday!

Since Damien's birthday is on New Years Eve every year- it is hard to get a good group of family and friends together. People tend to be out of town or already attending a party. It sure is a good thing we know what a great time it is to celebrate our amazing husband and daddy's birthday on such a great day!

We started out the morning right by letting Damien sleep in. It is always in our favor to give him more sleep because he wakes up so happy! While he was snoozing, we made him a huge surprise breakfast. It was really cute. The kids totally got into it. We had sausage, eggs, cinnamon rolls, fresh strawberries, hot chocolate with whip cream, and orange juice. The kids loved setting the table and getting things ready for their Daddy's birthday breakfast!

After breakfast, we all hung around the house for nap time and then did some gift opening. Claire had come shopping with me and had some real opinions on what we got Damien. So I got him a few things that I wouldn't normally get him because Claire was so sure he would love them! Once we had napped and opened gifts, we went south to a great bowling alley called 300. It is so clean, bright, and kind of a 'high end' feeling establishment. You know how you kind of get that dirty feeling at a bowling alley? Well-you don't get that feeling here. When you check in, you get nice looking bowling shoes. You don't have to hunt for balls, instead they give you the ball that would be most appropriate. And once you start bowling, there is someone who comes over and will fill your drink/food order. At the end of every lane are big screen TVs playing songs and videos that everyone can enjoy. We had a great time!

This was Matthew's first time bowling and a repeat event for Michael and Claire. Michael was concerned about the scoring and wanted to know if we could tell who was winning- while Claire wanted to make sure that no one was going to win or lose. Man, competitiveness runs deep with them. The kids had the bumpers up so they couldn't roll a gutter ball. Michael then told us he didn't need the bumpers. They were only for kids. So we put them down for his next bowl and in the gutter it went. He quietly asked me to have the bumper put back up. It was cute. Soon, everyone got the hang of bowling and I think Damien and I were the ones who were having a hard time! We laughed a lot and had a great time as a family. Even Emily was amused by all of the lights and sounds around her!

After bowling, we went across the street to a fabulous Chinese restaurant. Damien's sister Heather joined us and we nestled into a corner table and ordered until our little hearts were content! The highlight of dinner was dessert when they brought out lychees and fortune cookies. Apparently lychees are a fruit but to us- they looked like clear eyeballs. The kids squeeled when Damien tried one and laughed when he told them they weren't bad tasting. Matthew tried one and then started popping one after another into his mouth. We were all hysterically laughing at this. I thought Michael and Claire might throw up from laughing so hard watching Matthew inhale these fruits! After all the drama, Michael and Claire did gather the courage to try a few and liked them. I tried one too, and although they didn't taste bad- I couldn't get the 'eyeball in my mouth' feeling to go away.

We had a great day with Damien. What an amazing husband and loving Daddy. Happy Birthday to a man who means so much to so many of us! We Love You!

Christmas Day

I am so irritated that my camera never came out of my purse on Christmas Day. I had it out Christmas morning when the kids opened gifts- but then it went back into hibernation. Our Washington Christmas routine goes like this: Christmas Eve is always at my Aunt Carol's house, we have Christmas morning at my Mom and Dad's and then on Christmas Day- we head over to my Uncle Chico and Aunt Michele's house. It is so much fun to have so many wonderful people to see. We all went over to their house for a Christmas Day lunch/dinner. It was amazing! It was wonderful to see my Dad's side of the family and to catch up with them. The party was so warm, comfortable and delicious and we really had a nice time. So- as I mentioned, my darn camera never made an appearance. Emily was super tired from a long day of festivities the night before and a much too early morning. I spent most of the party holding her and never got the camera out! Ahhhhh! Oh, well.

We had a delicious dinner of pasta, meatballs, and briciole. We got to sit with my cousin Rachel and catch up with her now that she is in college! (I still can't believe it and saying it out loud makes me feel so old!) We then played a game where one of the kids left the room and once they were out- we completely covered someone with a sheet. When they came back in they had to figure out who the mystery person was. Sounds simple but it was hilarious to see them guess! Next we played a roaringly good game with CRL dice. Center, Right, Left dice. Basically- everyone there contributed four quarters. That made the jackpot worth $23! Not too bad for a Christmas jackpot! You roll these dice and the quarters move left, right, and to the center until all but one of the quarters is in the middle. The person with the last quarter wins the jackpot! It is so much fun and we had a blast. My sister Jill ended up winning the jackpot and we were all jealous. You can't win them all!

We had a very Merry Christmas. We had a lot of celebrations, a lot of build up to the end of the season and when it was all said and done- it was absolutely amazing. Merry Christmas Everyone. I hope your holiday was full of warm memories, family and friends, and the blessings that come with the season of Jesus' birth! Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas 2009!

Merry Christmas to All! What a wonderful morning it is. My kids slept in just long enough to not make me feel dizzy from lack of sleep. Always good to start out on the right foot, you know. We all crept up my Mom and Dad's stairs and as soon as we rounded the corner- we saw that Santa had come! The kids were so excited. Michael and Claire knew just what to do. They ran over to their stockings and tore them open. They loved everything Santa brought them! They got Nintendo DS games, Littlest Pet Shop toys, candy, baby food (Santa used to bring me baby apricots when I was a kid because I loved them so my kids ask Santa for them, too), blue double sided light sabers, and so much more. Michael and Claire were so happy. They just hunkered down in their little corner and investigated all of their new treasures!

Matthew, on the other hand, was still learning the art of Christmas morning. I think he was so shocked when he first saw Nonna's front room because there were so many toys everywhere. His stocking was overflowing with fun gifts and I think he was seriously shocked and couldn't move. We gently nudged him toward his stocking and he slowly pulled things out in amazement. It was darling. He was truly happy and mentioned that Santa got him the things he wrote in his letter. Don't you love when things click? He was so happy to have his cousin Kyle with him on Christmas morning. The two of them got matching pajamas from Nonna and also both got cool robot sleeping bag backpacks. The two of them wore them all morning until they complained of a little back pain. No kidding! Matthew was just adorable and you could see the belief and magic just illuminating throughout him. Can't wait to see him next year now that he knows how the drill goes!

Claire is my cookie girl. While all the kids helped with the cookies, carrots, and milk- she is always the one who investigates the next morning. She makes sure that all the reindeer ate their carrots, that Santa didn't leave any cookies and checks to see if there is any trace of milk left in the cup. It is so predictable now that Claire will use her detective skill to make sure Santa was indeed there the night before. She was pleased with Santa and his reindeer's consumption so they passed the test! I am sure she will teach Emily the ropes as she gets bigger. As for this Christmas, Emily was so happy to get some new snacks, bibs, spoons, and baby food from Santa. We had happy kids all around- which is a good thing to have on Christmas morning.

After the storm of stocking opening had settled, all the adults got their coffee and settled down in the living room and got ready to open gifts. I told my Mom that I would be in charge of making Christmas morning breakfast and I baked this yummy egg casserole (a recipe from my Mom that I will soon steal), heated some cinnamon rolls, cut some fresh pineapple and strawberries, sliced the stollen, and had hot chocolate for the kiddos (and Damien- since he's not a fan of coffee). We love a nice leisurely Christmas morning. One of us will 'play Santa' and hand out the gifts one at a time. We like to watch people open their gifts and be mindful of the time each of us spent to get our loved ones something that they would love. It does take a little more time but it is a lot better than seeing paper flying everywhere and not knowing who gave who what. We had a great Christmas. One of the best in years. It was wonderful to have sweet little Emily with us and she had a great First Christmas. Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Christmas Eve

True Story. When I met Damien back in college- we had a big talk about the different traditions that our families had. We went over how we were raised, how it was growing up in big families, and then of course how we celebrate all of the holidays throughout the year. When it came time to talk about Christmas, we had really different traditions. First of all- my family always goes to 4:30 p.m. mass on Christmas Eve. His family went to midnight mass. I went into great detail about how amazing our Christmas Eve dinner was. We stick to the very traditional Italian Christmas Eve meal which consists mainly of fish. I have always loved this meal. I look forward to it all year long. We have shrimp pasta, fried calamari, deep fried prawns, shrimp calzones, and salmon. When I said fish- I meant it! When I described all of this to Damien I expected to see him salivating and wanting to start the Christmas countdown with me so we could look forward to eating it. Instead- he said, "You eat what?" I was caught off guard. Wait a minute. Doesn't everyone eat this on Christmas Eve? We then went on to talk about Christmas Day and I told him how we always eat Spaghetti and Meatballs with Braciole (pronounced bra'zhul). He looked puzzled. "You mean you don't eat turkey on Christmas Day" he said. "No. That's weird." I replied. He then went on to tell me that most people eat turkey on Christmas (think Thanksgiving meal- just on Christmas). I thought he was crazy until he started referencing movies like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (remember the turkey is so dry it explodes) and A Christmas Story (where the Bumpus' dogs come in the back door and steal the turkeys from Ralphie's kitchen). I found myself dumbfounded. For all of these years- I guess I thought people just ate like we did in our family. It was a crazy revelation and while I accepted that a great number of people across the country eat a Turkey Dinner on Christmas Eve- I was going to look forward to the homemade/handmade feast that would greet me after Mass.

It should come as no surprise that I was looking forward to this meal. Everyone in my immediate family and extended family wait a whole 365 days for this feast. Everyone, except my husband who has a hard time buying into the seafood fest. I don't blame him but I don't let it keep me from getting my fill! (Editorial Note: My Mom made Damien a 'Turkey Dinner' two nights before Christmas. What a gal! He loved it and I felt happy for him that he got a little piece of his own tradition, too.) Back to the Feast! What I love more than anything these days is watching Michael eat the fried calamari. He is unstoppable. For a fairly picky eater- he has always loved calamari. Not just the cute little fried ring of the calamari but the tentacle part that looks a little tarantula-ish. He must have eaten about six or seven calamari bodies. You can see he has one more left on his plate but it wasn't there very long before he snatched it up!

I love spending time with my cousins, aunts, uncles, Nana, sisters, parents, and friends. It is such a great group of people and it warms my heart when we are able to spend time with them. We have never had a small family but are definitely growing bigger. My Nana now has twelve great-grandchildren. Here she is pictured with them. Isn't that amazing? She is amazing. All of the kids were gathered here waiting patiently for Santa to come and bring them each one present. They had all been upstairs moments earlier and swore that they saw Rudolph's nose above the Seattle skyline. It was as if God himself ordered a helicopter with the red light in the front to fly in the distance. They were all freaking out and it was adorable!

Before we knew it- we heard the front door shut and the unmistakable 'Ho, Ho, Ho!'. It was enough to send everyone into hysterics. Santa was here! He came bounding downstairs to my Aunt Carol's basement and the kids were going crazy! Once everyone settled down, he started calling everyone, not just the kids, to come up and receive their present and sit on Santa's lap. All of my kids are kind of in that 'safe zone' where Santa doesn't scare them so it was nice to get a few cute pictures of them with him. Emily was a little bit nervous but didn't crack to the pressure. That's my girl!!

Later that night, we all went back to my Mom and Dad's to kick off our heels and just relax for a bit. After all, it was already midnight by this point. Soon, the kids were asleep, cookies and milk were out on the hearth, and a big magical night lay ahead. We knew we better get some shut eye before the pre-dawn knocks on our door to come up with the kids to see if Santa had come. It was a truly wonderful night and I thank each and every person in my family for making me feel so happy, grounded, and loved.

Santa Got Our Letters!

You are not going to believe this. Santa got the kids' letters! This afternoon- we are leaving for Seattle so the only time Santa could come and deliver the kids' bikes was early this morning and he did! I heard the kids tip-toeing into the front room bright and early to see if Santa had come and the gasps I heard confirmed what I had suspected. Damien and I had told the kids that Santa was an organized man. He thinks through his plan for the Christmas season and makes the right choice for the kids on the good list. The kids were certain they were good this year but weren't so sure of Santa's planning- so they were a bit leery that he would remember to bring them their bikes at our house!

Michael and Claire were worried that if Santa brought the bikes to Nonna and Grandpa's house- they wouldn't be able to get them home. I, of course, pestered them and told them they could just wear their helmets and pedal south in the hope that they would find San Jose and get home safely. I also told them that if he brought them to Kirkland- we could strap them to the back of the plane like people put their bikes on the front of a bus. They knew I was kidding but were genuinely worried about the situation. Well, the smiles on their faces this morning were priceless and they were relieved that their letters were so effective!

Santa sure had a great plan for my kids. Not only did they get to receive their bikes before Christmas- but they got to ride them for a few hours before we hopped a plane up north! Claire is so happy that she 'fits' on this bike. She looked a little like a circus clown riding her old bike which was WAY too small for her. Michael loved his new bike and felt extra cool when he realized that it had hand brakes, too. Matthew was beside himself to get such a cool Buzz Lightyear bike- after all, it was his first official big boy bike! It was so great that Santa was organized this year. I guess it pays off to send a letter to the North Pole!

Christmas With E and Papa

We traveled up to Healdsburg this weekend to celebrate Christmas with Damien's parents before we ventured up north to see my parents. Miraculously- my kids did a lot better than usual on the two hour drive up there. Basically- our only real variable these days is Emily and she did great which helped us start the trip off on the right foot! We were so happy to be able to spend the weekend up there. His parents have a great little cottage next to their house where all six of us could pile in and be comfortable. The first night we were there- we had our gift exchange where the kids got hooked up! New pajamas, toys, books, and so much more. They are very blessed to have E and Papa in their lives!

Emily was a touch fussy this weekend so I didn't get out my camera much. Okay- only once. I am pretty bummed. Wouldn't you know the only pictures I got were of Michael and Matthew playing ping pong (a favorite of their E's) in their new PJ's? Thankfully- the memories of the weekend are vivid and filed away in my already full brain. That's got to count for something! We stayed around the house for the better part of the weekend which was nice because we could relax and enjoy each other. We played Catch Phrase and Michael and Claire went crazy over it. By the end of the weekend- we couldn't get them to stop playing it! Our last morning there- we had a delicious breakfast cooked by Marlene. She really makes the best french toast. Michael has asked her several times for the recipe because he wants to make it for his kids when he gets older. So cute. She let him help with the whole breakfast and I know he felt really special. Thanks to E and Papa for a fabulous weekend. We needed the break and enjoyed having our very own special Christmas with you!

Letters For Santa

The magic in our house is alive! My three oldest kids are so ready for Santa to come! They've heard him already on the rooftop, they have seen his 'helpers' in the mall taking pictures with children, they have hung their stockings in pure anticipation of the magic that will happen on Christmas night. Santa is coming!!!! Michael and Claire know the drill. They write Santa a letter and then Santa and his elves do their very best to bring them a few of the things they have asked for. They have to be good, not naughty, believe in him and be able to hear the bells ring (they love Polar Express)!

This was the first year that Matthew has come to understand what happens around Christmastime. Again, we focus greatly on the true meaning of Christmas- Jesus' birthday, but also love to celebrate in the excitement of it all! When we asked Matthew what he wanted for Christmas, he had no idea what his response should be. Then he heard a few of the items that Michael wanted- mixed with some great requests from Claire, and alas- he had his list! I know you can't read what Matthew wrote on his letter to Santa but luckily- I can. "Dear Santa. I love you Santa. I love you very much. For Christmas I want Star Wars Chubby Guys, a Spiderman game, a new bike and Lego Star Wars guys. Love, Matthew." This is how he read this letter to us. He would clear his throat and repeat the same thing every single time. It was hysterical. He would tell anyone and everyone who could have possibly wanted to know what he wanted for Christmas. Matthew, you are too funny!

Michael wasted no time in preparing for Christmas. He had thought long and hard about what he wanted and as it turns out- he was able to come up with some really great stuff! His bike is too small, so he wanted a bigger bike. He is still obsessed with his Nintendo DS so he wanted a couple new games for it. He also wanted a blue double light saber. We are all so excited for Santa to come and one night we were telling Matthew exactly how it happens. Michael turned to us and said, "I think the parents just put the presents out after the kids go to bed." Damien and I shot him a puzzled look and let him know that it is so important to believe and then we looked at him and said, "I don't think Santa heard that." Michael took a deep breath and said, "Good. I was just kidding." Kidding is right! Santa was going to be here in seven short days and we were pretty sure Michael was going to be on the Good List!

Clairey could not wait for Christmas. She has had a countdown going on her calendar for quite some time. She took a lot of time to think of what she wanted, too and came up with a great letter. Unfortunately, she mailed the letter to Santa before I could get a picture of it but lucky for me- I had a great letter she had written to Santa before the official letter. It reads: "Dear Santa, I have been a good girl this year. I won't be at my house for Christmas. I will be at my Nonna's. I want my presents to be a surprise. I hope you can make it on Christmas Eve. Your friend, Claire Elisabeth Swendsen." Is this not a great time of year????

Our last stop was to mail the letters to Santa. Since Claire had already mailed hers- we just needed to mail the boys' letters. To our surprise- Santa was there when we mailed them! Matthew wanted to write another letter just to be sure he would get it. I snapped a few pictures and this one just melted my heart! I know it is a picture I will look back on and smile. My sweet little baby writing a letter to Santa. Matthew makes these little tiny scribbles and really thinks he is writing letters. Oh, how I love him. After Matthew mailed his letter, Santa invited him up to sit on his lap and read him a book about Rudolph. Matthew couldn't belive what was happening. What a priceless moment. I am so excited for the season to continue and can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they wake up Christmas morning. I sure hope Santa gets their letters!

Emily Is 6 Months

My little Christmas Angel. I love this baby so much! She is just so perfect to me. She makes me smile, she reminds me to slow down and enjoy life, she challenges me to be a better person and Mommy and overall- just brightens our days because she is in them! WE LOVE EMILY! It hurts me to say that she is already six months. I know, I am crazy. But the time is flying by too fast. We are pretty sure Emily will be our last baby so with each passing milestone- I have to say goodbye and it hurts me. I have just loved raising my babies but it is time to move forward in our lives and raise these four beautiful children.

This month Emily has again reached new physical milestones. She is now sitting up and started eating food! The first feed wasn't too successful as she didn't really like the texture of the food- but every feed after the first has been ridiculously successful and she cries when the food is gone! Her siblings are loving the fact that she is now eating! For months, Matthew proclaimed that Emily could only eat milk and carrot cake. He is shocked to see that his rule has been broken! She has even been eating Gerber Graduate puffs! She is such a big girly!

At her six month appointment- she got a great report. We are still going to continue antibiotics until she is at least a year old for preventative reasons. She is a chubby 19.5 lbs and did great overall. She received her regular vaccinations and also received the flu shot and the H1N1 shot. A lot for a little baby girl but she championed on! I was relieved for her to get the H1N1 because they can't get it before they are six months old. So now she is protected should she need it.

Emily is really recognizing her family members now. She will now see me and pump her legs with excitement until I come and get her. She is laughing, smiling, still doing what we call 'big lip' when she is mad, and just starting to exude what I believe will be a colorful and beautiful personality. She is rolling across the room, loves to bounce in her bouncy exosaucer, loves looking at everyone from her throne (high chair) and now that she is eating she thinks she deserves to try to grab whatever I am holding. She is really growing up and I am so proud of this happy, well- adjusted, and content baby.

Exterior Illumination

I only got one picture of Damien and Claire putting up the lights this year. Michael even got out there to help Daddy out but I have no real proof of it as I didn't get a picture of them together. Why, might you ask- did I not get a picture? Because right after I snapped this shot of Damien and Claire the sky opened and it started to pour (and I mean pour) buckets of rain. It was as if the rain came from no where. The sky looked clear when they were setting up, I went inside to start dinner, and before I knew it- it was raining so incredibly hard. I had to laugh at the nostalgia of it all because this is how it was for me and my Dad every year when we would put up the lights. Pure, wet, soggy, frozen fingered torture. I went outside to check on Damien and Claire and bring Clairey a rain coat when it started to hail. And before your think of wimpy California hail, understand that I know a thing or two about rain and hail as I was raised in the Northwest. It was hailing balls that hurt when they hit your body! Claire was no longer smiling. In fact- she was crying while feeding Damien more Christmas lights. Damien was soaked but seemed driven to just get the lights up and be done with it. When Claire came inside after a good twenty minutes in the nasty weather, Michael went out to help Damien. I swear I am telling the truth when I say he lasted for less that two minutes. No way, no how was he going to stand out there in that 'torture chamber'. As I was cooking dinner, I could see Damien out of the corner of my eye- standing on the ladder fumbling with the lights and hooks outside my kitchen window. I couldn't even look his way. I wanted to give him a thumbs up to encourage him a bit but I knew it wouldn't help him at all. So I cooked, head down, and pretended nothing out of the ordinary was going on. I have to say that Damien was a champ through it all. He finished the job (and might I add that the lights were perfectly straight) and came in and took a hot shower. Michael and Claire may be scarred for life and might never help him again. Let's hope they get a little holiday amnesia so Damien has some helpers when it comes time to string the lights next year!

Competitive Tooth Losing- PART 2

I am not sure where to start with this one. A few months ago, we had a little tooth losing episode that really was crazy. What happened was that Michael lost a tooth and wouldn't you know . . . Claire lost one, too! It isn't happenstance or coincidence. It is purposeful and I CANNOT believe it happened again! Competitive Tooth Losing Part Two started with Damien, the designated tooth puller, out of town on a business trip. Great. Flying solo this time. Michael had been complaining so much about one of his lower teeth that hurt because the was another tooth coming in underneath it. We had begged him to let us pull it and urged him to keep wiggling it so that it would get looser. Well, tonight was the night the tooth would need to come out but Damien was no where in sight. I thought it would be a good idea to have Michael pull his own tooth out since he had never done that before. He wiggled and wiggled and wiggled it and out came the tooth! He was so excited and began running all over the house proclaiming the good news! I grabbed the camera in preparation to take a picture of the big event when Claire came running in the kitchen and told me she had just lost a tooth, too. Seriously? What is wrong here? Who just pulls teeth in order to steal someone elses thunder? I wasn't sure what to do in the moment. I wanted to congratulate Claire on the loss of yet another tooth but I was totally in shock that she pulled out another tooth to trump her brother! Of course I congratulated her after a moment of fury and then went to look in her mouth to see if I could even see a tooth coming in underneath it. I couldn't. That means that she will have yet another hole in her mouth to match the spot where she competitively pulled the other tooth out a few months back. Only my kids, right. Only my kids.

Claire and I had a big talk the next night in order to get to the bottom of the tooth pulling episodes. Turns out it all had to do with attention her brother got for losing a tooth. I explained to her the importance of letting teeth stay in our mouth until a bigger tooth starts to nudge it out and also re-emphasized we don't pull teeth because we feel like it (something I thought I would never have to explain). A little disclaimer for my sweet girl. Her Mommy might have pulled a few teeth out when they weren't ready when she was in grade school. It could be genetic. Where was I? Oh, the talk with Claire. She is a really good kid. A fantastic kid, at that! She is also not deprived of attention and I tried to help her understand this when we were talking. I told her that it is important to give people their special moments and to wait for our own special moments to happen naturally. She seemed to digest all of this pretty darn well. I sure hope she really understood my message. I guess we'll just have to see if I have to write another stinkin' blog about competitive tooth losing. Let's hope we can put this insanity behind us!

Sisters

Just look at these two girlies! To think that last year, Claire didn't have a sister. She was so determined I was pregnant with her sister but we just didn't know. And look at her. This year she got what she wanted so badly. We are all so happy for Clairey and happy for Emily that she has such a loving sister who feels so completed now. After we snapped the Christmas picture, Claire asked if she could take some with Emily. How happy I was to do that for her (and of course me, too) and they turned out so cute! You can see the love Claire has for Emily shine through. Sure this is Emily's first Christmas, but I think Claire is more excited that it is Claire's first Christmas with a sister! I will treasure these pictures and hope you enjoy them, too.

Brothers

I am loving my boys. They really are so good to each other. For the past few years, Matthew was really too young to pal around with Michael. It is only in the past few months that Matthew has been a good playmate to Michael and it has been fun watching their brotherhood blossom. Of course, they bug each other- but for the most part they do great. What a blessing it is that we have two boys and two girls. Although the kids came in boy/girl age pairs- they all have a playmate which is just awesome. I couldn't be happier. Some of the fun things Michael and Matthew like to do these days are play with these short little Star Wars figures (Matthew calls them Chubby Star Wars), they like to play 'Matthew Mean' where Matthew chases Michael and Claire with an axe while wearing a military helmet he calls his 'turtle hat', they love to play 'Hallway Soccer', Matthew loves to watch Michael play Nintendo DS and the Game Cube, they play Bakugan together, and love to be in the backyard kicking or shooting the ball together. It is so great to see them bonding.

I wonder what kind of relationship they will have as they grow older? They are 5 3/4 years apart in age. I know that that gap seems significant now- but we all know that as we grow older the age barriers all fade away. Will they eventually look more alike? Will Matthew continue to idolize Michael? Will Michael still think Matthew is cool in a couple of years? I just want to breathe in these two little guys who make me so incredibly happy. I never had a brother(s). Raising Michael and Matthew has let me get a glimpse of the 'other side' and it has opened my eyes to a whole other world. I love you two!

Christmas Card Pictures

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Yes, yes, yes. Beyond the religious meaning of Christmas (which is of course most important) comes a lot of little preparations for the season. The first for me every year is getting a tree. Then of course you need to decorate it. Once that is done, I take a deep breath for about five seconds before I move my mind to the next item on the list. Next, are Christmas card pictures. Okay. I prepare as much as I can. I buy their outfits as soon as they come out in the catalog and also scout out and purchase Christmas cards before November even hits. Call me crazy but if I do it this way- the outfits and cards themselves do not bother me. Now the Christmas picture. Yes. This is where the drama begins.

When I think back to my childhood Christmas picture- I think of pure torture. Being one of five girls, it took the perfect storm for all of us to be looking at the camera at the same time. We didn't have digital cameras back then so my Mom would shoot like five rolls before the photo shoot was over. When we got them developed, there was seriously always only one picture that would work. The rest were littered with kids looking the wrong way, looking at their sister, laying on the ground, eyes closed, some crying, and some of us had our fingers in their noses and/or pants. I will name NO names here. But now that I am older, I am so glad my Mom an Dad went through that craziness so we have those pictures to look at now.

This year, things actually went pretty smoothly. Damien was out of town and I would have loved his help- but I also knew that if I did it fast, it wouldn't be that bad! All in all, it went really well. Sure there were some high energy moments where I was telling them to just 'sit and smile' but I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the photo shoot. The picture on the top of this blog is our 2009 Christmas Card picture. While I LOVE this picture of my kids- there were some honorable mentions I just had to share. So without further adieu- here they are in no particular order!

I asked Michael and Claire to pose for me to see if the shot would be a good one and wanted to check the lighting. So far- so good. We have smiles.

This is probably shot #13 or so. Claire is 'over smiling' or you might want to call it 'forced hysterical laughter'. Yeah. This one isn't going to work. Plus- Emily is about to fall out of the chair.

We are starting to have more significant problems but surprisingly- the boys are holding it together! Emily is slumped to the side and Claire wants to help her. Still haven't gotten a good shot yet!

Matthew is fading fast. Poor guy. He is in the awkward smile phase anyway so I am trying desperately to make him smile. Man, if you could have been in the room. I was saying things like 'Oh, man! A bird just pooped on my head!'. Yeah. Still not working. This is when having Damien there would've helped. He is the one who has things 'poop on my head' so they look at the camera. He has also been known to do a few Do'h like Homer Simpson which gets a good natural chuckle from the kids.

Seriously? Really? I am starting to doubt the success of my venture. But I must press on. Michael, my little love. He will give one or two natural smiles then falls victim to what I like to call 'cement cheeks' where he can't seem to move his face anymore. It gets caught in this 'smilish pose' but also looks like he might be sleeping with his eyes open. And Matthew, or goose as we like to call him, is totally in the squinty eyed smile phase. I love it though and it was the smile he used in the Christmas Card Picture!

Cement cheeks and squinty eyes strike again!

Almost had it- but alas, Matthew needed to check if Claire was smiling.

Turns out, I got my Christmas Card Picture a few shots back and the kids are DONE with this process. Kudos to Michael and his cheeks for hanging in there. And where the heck is Emily? Merry Christmas to all and to all a good picture.

Nutcracker

Every year we head north to Walnut Creek to see Damien's Mom perform in the Nutracker. She narrates the story on stage amongst the King Mouse and Clara and the kids get such a kick out of it! The performance is so incredibly kid friendly. It is only one hour long but so well done. We always get all dressed up and love cozying into our seats in the auditorium to watch the show.

Just when we thought is was going to be like every other year, Emily went and got a virus. She was on day #3 of a fever and we thought for sure she would be healthy enough but she just couldn't kick it in time. So I stayed back with her as Damien, Heather, and the kids ventured north. They reported that it was as good as ever and Matthew especially, felt the magic of the show this year. It is fun to see the kids faces as they see their "E" (what they call Damien's Mom) up on stage. Right around Matthew's age all of my kids have worried about E up there. They don't want her to get hurt by the King Mouse who wields a sword and always freak out when the final curtain is drawn. I think they think the curtain swallows her up or something. Once the curtain is drawn, they start to cry worrying about E and don't fully calm until they see her and verify that she is unscathed. We love this performance and it is a very important part of our Christmas season. And while I am truly disappointed I couldn't go, I am glad the rest of the family went so the kids could enjoy their E to the fullest!

O Christmas Tree

I love our Christmas tree this year. It is the first time we have abandoned the tradition of buying Douglas Fir trees and went for a Noble Fir. It didn't happen on purpose but I couldn't be happier with our choice. For one, Noble Fir trees have much more stable branches so you can hang a lot more ornaments and they don't fall off. The other thing I am loving is that it doesn't shed it's needles. After having it for only a few days, I can honestly say that Douglas Fir trees for the Swendsen family are a thing of the past!

It wasn't our intention to stray from tradition, there just weren't any good Douglas trees in the Christmas tree lot at the kids' school. Damien suggested we come back the next night when they would get another shipment and I shot him the "What the heck are you thinking- we have all four kids bundled up and standing in a tree lot at eight o'clock at night- we are getting a tree and we are getting it now" look. He really appreciated that one. Turns out, the guy running the lot said he would give us a deal on a Noble Fir. I was hesitant at first until I saw this gorgeous, fat, beautiful tree and that was that.

We put the kids to bed and then Damien and I strung the lights and the ribbon and prepped for some serious decorating for the next morning. The kids love decorating the tree. They love hearing the stories surrounding the different ornaments. They loved our 'First Year of Marriage' ornament, they all loved their 'My First Christmas' ornaments, and they loved these ornaments that I made for all of them on their first Christmases. Each of my kids had an ornament with their handprint and a picture of them on their first Christmas. I cherish these ornaments the most and they make me so happy when I look at them. I made Emily's before we decorated and it was awesome to see the four handprint ornaments shining amongst the others. Matthew is loving the tree so much. He cannot get over that we have a tree in our house. I love having the lights of the tree on so if they aren't, I always say, 'I wish there was a little elf who could turn the Christmas tree on'. This year, that little elf is Matthew who goes and turns it on first thing in the morning. I am looking forward to many a night- sitting in my big cozy chair staring at the lights. Let the holidays begin!