Hudson's Nursery School Christmas program

Hudson's school always puts on a Christmas program and they make it a point to include even the 1-year old class!  They don't bring the young ones in until almost the very end but it was so cute to see all of the little kiddos walk in and sit like little people with the rest of the school.

The 1, 2 and 3-year old classes.

They warned us before the show that we should try to find a seat where we wouldn't be easily spotted to hopefully keep them from freaking out when they saw us but couldn't get to us right away.  I managed to find a pretty good spot but had to hide behind my camera once when Hudson seemed to have Mommy-radar and looked directly at me. 

Hudson is front row, 3rd from the left in the reindeer sweater.

They came in for "Jingle Bells" and were each given a set of bells to shake.  Hudson LOVED the bells and was going to town and shaking them like a crazy man.  Then he got distracted and seemed to notice that it wasn't just Miss Ann's music class where they were playing and there were lots of people.  But once the teacher's helper got his attention, he started shaking again and wasn't phased by the amount of people.  After it was over, they called the parents up class by class to get their children and head down to the fellowship hall for cookies and juice.  

This was Hudson's favorite part of the day...cookies!  We chatted with one of his teachers for awhile and then headed home before Hudson started to terrorize the place.  

Hudson with his teachers, Mrs. Lissa and Ms. Jennifer

I really loved where Kemper went to school at Hudson's age but I did miss that they didn't do any sort of Christmas program.  It was so fun to see all of the kids singing and shaking their bells.  It's always amazing to see how differently Hudson behaves for his teachers than he does at home.  I'm thankful that if he's going to be a lunatic, he only does it at home for us!  We love this little school and will miss it next year in Alabama!

Let the festivities begin!

Backtracking a bit...

As per tradition, Santa came to our house in Tennessee early again this year!  We're so thankful that Santa needs to take the reindeer out on practice runs before Christmas.  The boys didn't know Santa was coming early so there was no setting out cookies and milk or not being able to sleep because they're so excited.  Mrs. Claus was nice enough to make cookies for us again (she's just so sweet, huh?) and Santa's elves got to work setting the toys out and filling the stockings.  

The elves decided this year that it would be easiest to just take everything out of the packages before we set it all out.  Kemper had asked for Santa's Workshop (to go along with the Santa's sleigh playset he got last year) and I swear there had to be 50 gazillion tiny little stickers that had to be placed every so carefully in tiny little nooks that only an elf would be able to reach.  Hudson got a mini Santa's Workshop of his own.  This elf really tried to scale back this year, and I did pretty well but still found myself picking up little things here and there along the way but that was mostly for the stockings.  I LOVE filling stockings!  

We also planned to do our little family Christmas morning so we had to make sure that all of the presents were wrapped and ready to go.  Each boy gets to go shopping with one parent to pick out a present for their brother.  This year, Kemper picked out a giant stuffed Sully for Hudson that he had seen Hudson love on once before at Walmart (I didn't think we were going to get Hudson to let go of Sully that night...he had a death grip on him and threw a fit when we had to put him back).  Last year we had to do a lot of reminding Kemper that he was choosing a gift that Hudson would like and not something that Kemper would like.  This year, he did great (according to James) and decided right away on Sully.  Hudson "chose" a Ninja Turtles T-phone that Kemper had been asking for as well as some Magic Tree House books.  Both boys were extremely pleased with their gifts!  

On "Christmas morning", it took Kemper awhile to notice that Santa had stopped by early.  I made sure to grab Kemper before he jetted downstairs first thing to grab a Pop Tart (a rare treat and when they're in the house, he has a one-track mind in the morning) so that we could all snuggle and go downstairs together.  When we went down, he went straight for the Pop Tart and never even glanced toward the fire place.  He sat and happily ate his Pop Tart, completely oblivious to all of the presents sitting out.  James and I kept wondering if we should point it out but we just played along and waited for him to notice.  

It took awhile, but when he turned to go back upstairs, he finally spotted the gifts and stopped in his tracks.  After letting it sink in for a minute, he yelled, "Santa came!!!" and started jumping up and down.  We all headed over to check out what Santa had left.  Kemper was THRILLED with the Santa workshop and extra elves that had come with it (he had specifically asked Santa for extra elves...I think that the Bass Pro Shops Santa was very confused with that request).  He barely noticed anything else and immediately started playing with that.  

Hudson noticed the Mike the Knight DVD and wanted to check it out.  He also got a Leapfrog ABC toy and Leapfrog animal farm toy.  Hudson wasn't feeling all that well so he was a bit more chill than usual.  He just hung out with James and looked at his DVD.  

Kemper got a Ninja Turtles DVD in his stocking along with some candy, a few card games (Go Fish and Old Maid), a new toothbrush and toothpaste and a Ninja Turtles ornament.  Hudson also got a toothbrush and toothpaste, some candy, socks, and a Yo Gabba Gabba ornament.  I know there was more in their stockings but I'm drawing a blank at the moment.  It took me forever this year to find ornaments for them.  I try to find an ornament that represents what they were into each year, so Ninja Turtles for Kemper and Yo Gabba Gabba for Hudson.  I ended up having to order Hudson's from this random little toy shop and I found Kemper's at Walmart last minute.  

Then it was time to open our presents.  The boys went first and they loved their respective toys!  Hudson carried Sully around and loved on him all morning.  Kemper thought his T-phone was awesome and wanted it out of the package immediately.  

When it was time for Mommy and Daddy to open our gifts, Hudson insisted on helping.  Daddy got new hunting pants, some regular pants and a button down shirt and a Sonicare toothbrush.  Another one of his gifts was on back order so he got his Vineyard Vines VMI belt last week!  Mommy got the new Garth Brooks box set, a Keurig and lots of K-cups!  

After everyone finished opening presents, we all got ready to head out for Hudson's doctors appointment.  As an extra surprise, he got a case of mild pneumonia!  Once we got his medicine and came home, we spent the day playing with new toys and cleaning up our mess from that morning.  I know that we do "Christmas morning" in an unconventional way but it works for us.  We don't want to have to add Santa presents in with everything else we pack to take to Virginia and this also allows our kids to have "Christmas morning" in their own house.  In the end, whether it's our fake Christmas morning or actual Christmas morning, seeing the smiles on their faces and the excitement in their eyes is so much fun!   

Over the river and through the woods...

Our plan to leave for Virginia was almost thwarted by a stomach bug.  The stomach bug that seemed to plague our families throughout the entire Christmas vacation to Virginia.  

Kemper had a half day of school and our plan was to hit the road as soon as he got off the bus.  We saved some packing since we knew we would have that morning to finish up and load the car before he got home.  Kemper woke us up pretty early that morning when he came down with a stomach bug.  Plan B...pack up as planned and play it by ear.  We should know by now that plan A usually doesn't pan out and to always have a plan B.  We did manage to pull out of the driveway around lunchtime and made it to VA without any major mishaps.  Kemper was a bit puny but overall fine after that morning.  

At a rest stop...Hudson had no interest in the chair that was his size....

It's taken us 4 years (really...I'm not sure why we didn't figure this out sooner) to realize that the drive goes much better if we plan it so that part of it is after Hudson's bedtime.  We leave right after lunch, stop for dinner and then change Hudson into pajamas and he'll usually conk out for the rest of the ride.  Hooray!!  Kemper fights it and usually doesn't fall asleep in the car but he's such a great traveler that it's not a big deal.  We made it to Pops and MeMe's house around 11pm.  Hudson went right to bed and Kemper shortly thereafter.  

Kemper got stuck with the small chair since Hudson wanted the big chair.  Such a good big brother.

We visited with Grandma Rita and Grandpa Phil after everyone got a good night of sleep.  Christmas fell during the early part of our visit so it felt like we were off and running with no downtime (as usual).  It was great to see everyone but it's always hard being out of our own environment with little ones.  

Having fun on a ride at Chuck E Cheese

Before the Christmas festivities began, we took a trip to Chuck E Cheese with some church friends.  I think we figured that Kemper had already had the stomach bug and we'd all been exposed so we weren't terribly worried about picking something up.  The boys had a blast and it was great catching up with friends that we don't get to see very often.  

It cracks me up how much he enjoys this ride. 

They both love this ride.  

Coming up...Christmas festivity #1.  

A visit with Santa!

Kemper posing with a reindeer.

Ever since we discovered the Bass Pro Shops Santa's Wonderland back in Richmond, VA, we've made it a tradition to visit their Santa (well, not the one in Richmond, of course) each year.  They have such a great little area full of Christmas crafts, games and a place to mail your letter to Santa while you wait.  They even have a "fast pass" system that we've used in years past.  

Hudson hanging out with Daddy, patiently waiting to see Santa.

It seemed that this year, lots of people discovered Santa's Wonderland and the fast pass return time was 5 hours out and the wait was only 40 minutes.  There was plenty to keep us occupied...checking out the reindeer and elves in the display, taking turns going to see the fish in the big tank, and checking out the hunting stuff with Daddy.  Hudson loved the elves and seemed pretty interested in Santa as we approached the front of the line.  Kemper was excited and not scared at all.  

Kemper's excited...Hudson seems a bit skeptical.  

When Kemper was Hudson's age, he wasn't a fan of sitting on Santa's lap so the picture from that year is of James holding Kemper standing next to Santa.  Hudson is nothing like his older brother, plus, he takes cues from Kemper so I wasn't terribly nervous that he was going to have a meltdown.  Sure enough, once Kemper hopped up on Santa's lap, Hudson was game to follow!  

Success!

After Hudson gave him the once over, he was good and even smiled for the camera!  (Another great thing about Bass Pro Shops is that you get a free picture and are able to take as many pictures with your own camera as you want.  There is no pressure to purchase additional pictures!)  

Santa's reaction to finding out that Kemper wanted his very own workshop for Christmas.

After we got a picture of both boys, Hudson wasn't interested in hanging out on Santa's lap while Kemper told Santa what he wanted so Kemper got some 1-on-1 time with the big guy.  Santa was very shocked to hear that Kemper wanted a Santa workshop for Christmas.  He also asked for more elves to go with his Santa sleigh and reindeer set he got last year.  After Kemper was done, as we walked away, I asked if he remembered to tell Santa what Hudson wanted.  He had forgotten...guess it's each man for himself when it comes to Santa around this house.  

Mister, I'm not supposed to take candy from a stranger.  

Santa had candy cane for the boys but Hudson was a bit skeptical of taking candy from a stranger.  Overall, it was a very successful outing.  When we found out where we were moving, one of the first things I saw when researching the area was that there is a Bass Pro Shops in a neighboring town.  I'm excited that we'll be able to continue the tradition next year, too!  

Thanksgiving 2013

We began our Thanksgiving celebrations by having lunch with Kemper at his school.  He was so excited for us to come eat with him and that it would be his first time buying hot lunch.  The little things that excited 5-year olds crack me up.  We had the option of turkey or ham, mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes, corn, green beans, stuffing, gravy, rolls, orange slices and macaroni & cheese.  I thought Kemper's head was going to explode with excitement when he saw all of the milk choices and couldn't believe that if he bought lunch every day, he would get to choose chocolate milk without asking permission from mom or dad.  

James was even able to get off of work long enough to join us!  It was so neat to see all of Kemper's classmates interact and to see how Kemper behaves in his class (although I'm well aware that we weren't getting a true picture since parents were there and I'm sure he behaved a bit differently).  As the kindergartners marched down the hall, I noticed their hats and was so excited to see what Kemper had listed as what he was thankful for.  We had to stifle a giggle when we got to him and saw what he had listed.  Upon asking for clarification, he informed us that he was thankful for the color blue, he was thankful he liked his name (Kemper was written on there), and he was thankful that he was 5 years old.

How we were able to get the turkey prepped and in the oven and some of the side dishes prepped.  

Since we don't travel to Virginia for Thanksgiving, we have always invited friends over to celebrate with us.  Our first Thanksgiving in Tennessee, James was deployed so Kemper and I had dinner at a friend's house but otherwise had a pretty low key day around the house.  The next year, our friends the Liesens came over and the following year, Amber and Addi came over while Blake was deployed.  This year, the Liesens were coming over again and we were looking forward to spending time with them as they were actually packing out their house the very next day in preparation for their PCS.  

Kemper had seen the handprint turkey Hudson brought home from school and wanted to make his own.  

It worked best to have our big meal in the evening so that all of the little ones would be well rested after naps.  James brined the turkey a day prior to Thanksgiving and got it prepped and in the oven around noon.  He even made sausage balls to snack on and requested that I make a jalapeno chicken cheese ball (thanks to Allen and Tori for introducing us to that yummy appetizer!).  Justin came over a bit early to watch football with James while I got the rest of the food ready.  Jenny came over once their kids got up from nap and we were almost ready for dinner by then!  Thank goodness for good naps!

Someone sure was excited about Thanksgiving dinner!

On the menu was:  turkey, gravy, dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, rolls, and cranberry sauce.  It was all delicious!  I wouldn't call it a relaxing dinner for the adults but the kids enjoyed themselves (and we all got a kick out of the kids).  When asked what they were thankful for, Kemper held steady with his name, favorite color and age while Sam went with "harvesters".  Sam kept us laughing at dinner...he is such a sweet little boy and just cracks me up with his matter of fact tone.  

Everyone is ready to dig in!

Harper found her a buddy...she was a fan of the sweet potatoes!  

After dinner, we just enjoying hanging out with Justin and Jenny and watched the kids play.  While there is a big age difference between Kemper and Sam, they played so well together and had a great time.  Hudson and Harper are only 4 months apart in age and their personalities are so much alike it's scary!  They were in the same class at school and were good buddies so they had a good time together as well.  After they went home that night, Hudson started saying "Harpy" and has asked for Harper nearly every day since then.  

We didn't ask them to pose but they seemed to coordinate their pose well!

I am incredibly thankful for these sweet boys.  

We tried to get a picture of all of the kids together....it was quite the task.  We did get one that was a bit better than this but I still laugh when I see this one.  Hudson was being quite the clown at this point of the night. 

See...a little bit less crazed!

Our last Thanksgiving in Tennessee.

I'm like a broken record but when it comes to an Army family, we are truly blessed beyond measure.  Holidays away from family can be bittersweet but for the last 8 years, we have been blessed with wonderful friends who are like family at this point.  Our paths briefly crossed in Germany but Jenny and I really didn't meet until we both got to Tennessee.  You don't realize just how small the Army is until you PCS...it is crazy how many friends we have crossed paths with again that we met in Germany.  It makes PCSing a bit less difficult knowing that we will probably cross paths again at some point in our lives.  The Liesens have packed up and moved on but luckily, they're stationed close to home in Virginia and we know that we'll be able to visit with them again soon!  

Anyone still around?

Well...it seems I have some catching up to do, as usual.  We're fresh off the holidays (and the seemingly never ending Christmas break) and everyone is back into their routines.

While I work on the longer posts, here are some phone pictures.

This one cracks me up...playing dress up one morning.

Newest addition to the playroom...Hudson loves to climb so why not give him something to safely scale?  And it was a Craigslist find!

Getting our countdown calendar from Grandma Rita ready.

Kemper with the playroom tree.

Happy boy waiting to hang out with Mrs. Lynse and Trenton one morning.

Showing me his muscles after he ate some of his veggies.

Breathing treatment - pre-pneumonia diagnosis.  

"Christmas Morning" at our house...he was completely oblivious to the Santa gifts behind him.

"Christmas Morning" trip to the doctor for a pneumonia diagnosis.  Merry Christmas!

How Hudson expresses himself most of the day.  

Nothing like a stomach bug hitting the day you are driving 9.5 hours for Christmas!

Playtime with Pops!

The note Kemper left me on my nightstand at Pops and MeMe's house.  I love that kid.

Playtime at Grandma Rita's with cousin Hannah!

Somebody wore MeMe out.

Not sure how we fit all of that in the van...James is the packing master.

Cartoons in Mommy and Daddy's bed.

Day 3 of the extended Christmas break and he was tuckered out.

Built a fort with Daddy and his friends...popcorn and a movie for our mini sleepover!