A Very Merry Christmas

Three days prior to Christmas Preston fell at daycare at bumped right below his left eyebrow. So this will be the Christmas that was marked with the many colors of Preston's eye. In some pics he looks like Adam Lambert, but it's not make up-just a shiner. Of course I carried on about it endlessly because of the pictures and secondly I hate taking my child out in public with any facial wound because I feel the need to explain to EVERYONE what happened.
As you will see Preston did EXTREMELY well from Grandma and PaPa, his aunts and uncles and "Santa." It is sad to me because he really understood this year and I feel that they stop believing so quickly so these Christmases are so special. We had a great time, the family room looked as if a mall threw up and now my favorite part---after Christmas sales. LOL! Preston is loving his new bike and only the seat needed to be lowered. We also scored a helmet today so tomorrow we can take the bike outside. I am impressed at how quickly he picked up the concept of riding a bike as he has been doing laps around the house. I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Snow in VA----AGAIN!

Ok so I was lured to Virginia under false pretenses…very false pretenses.  I was told it doesn’t snow in Virginia and if it does by chance snow no more than two inches.  In fact once I visited Richmond and it had snowed two inches.  And it was a disaster.  Because here in Richmond they have a plow issue…the issue is there are none.  There is the occasional Tacoma with a plow on the front. Salt and sand only exist on Virginia Beach, but there are none for the roads.  I tried to get Preston snow pants-Target did not even order them this year.  Then I called Kohl’s.  The woman there was very helpful.  I asked if they had any boy snow pants size 2T-4T.  She came back and informed me they had a girls size 8.  Because clearly asking for boys snow pants equated into a question regarding her inventory.  A simple “no” would have sufficed.  And the grocery shopping.  Mother of Everything good and Holy, people this is 2009-even with that one Tacoma clearing the Richmond metro area, you will get out.  I mean the run for bread and milk!  You know what’s funny-these are not even my daily staples!  How much bread will one need in order to get through, at most, 24 hours, (8 of which one is sleeping)?  And when did bread and milk become the two items that fly off the shelves?  I mean if I had to pick two things at the grocery store to sustain my life for the requisite day I was in the house it would be more along the lines of chips and French onion dip.  So people need to RELAX with the mad shopping.  And then the forecasters.  They love snow.  They want a full fledged Day After Tomorrow snow where the Statute of Liberty is compromised.  Anything less and they are kind of disappointed. People in Buffalo must sit back and laugh their booties off at us freaking over this snow.  They don’t get inches, they get multiple FEET.  And they don’t close the schools or the library, because if they did the town would just shut down from October to May.  OK I am done ranting.  Here are some very nice pictures of the snow!

Here is Preston waiting for the snow! I mean, how ridiculously cute is he in these pajamas? I can’t deal! (Yes, Tonya, the crocs match).

 

Mowing snow like my buddy Caden.

To pass the time we put together the puzzle from Aunt Tinka with my favorite line from the Grinch.  The next day was the big dig out!  Seriously the driveway needs to be just a tad longer….

Once we dug out we finally went to finish our Christmas shopping. 

Merry Christmas Everyone!

We Wish you a Merry Christmas

Last night was Preston’s school Holiday Recital.  Every night I’d put him to bed and he would be singing the program.  Miss Kim told me he was so excited during rehearsals, but I kind of thought he may get stage fright.  Preston is the type of kid that needs about ten minutes in a room to assess the situation, if you would and then own the place.  But there was another extenuating circumstance last night too but suffice it to say, he did not stand front and center and was even a little hesitant to give me his present.  He did make it into the classroom with the kids:

 

But eventually the fun of the cookie decorating table took over!

But tonight, he got his present that I had bought him for after the recital.  He also had a Happy Meal after the recital “with no pickles or white pickles” (which are onions by the way). So here is Preston singing two of his songs from the show:

After we watched the Camenga family’s Elf video (about 15 times) we decided to make another one ourselves too this year.  This year Preston, mommy, Aunt Tinka, Uncle Chris and Uncle Charlie invite you to our Christmas ho-down!

I can’t wait to show them this!

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

 

First and foremost we had yet another birthday party this weekend-this time at Pump it Up and can I just say I had the best time?  Pres is loving all these birthday parties.  Here are some pics from Keigan’s party and looking cute in his Spidey shirt from Aunt Melski.

And we also decorated our tree this weekend.  This is the annual picture of my dad on a ladder and Preston “supervising.”

Preston loved all the ornaments and was very picky about where they should all go on the tree.  My mother buys him his own ornaments every year to start a collection.  It took a while to pick the perfect spot for his trains, sleigh and “P".”

And here is the finished product during the day and night!

Here is the outside of the house and a short video of it lit at night since my camera’s still pictures did not do it justice.

And even though the Giants lost (ARGH by one TD) Preston still looks ridiculously cute in this picture!

Happy 4th Birthday Preston!

I am actually shocked that my Pres Pres is four.  FOUR!  I cannot believe I have a four year old.  Wow.  What a birthday weekend.  Aunt Melski flew down to VA on Friday.  I walked in the door only to find that my sister flew down earlier that day to surprise us!  I was floored!  Saturday was Preston’s party.  I had sent out invites before Thanksgiving and had two kids say yes prior to the Thanksgiving. Then the floodgates opened and about 14 kids said “yes,” with parents and his two teachers.  I had a party at a Children’s Farm at a park here in Richmond called Maymont.  The kids would feed the animals, have cake, go on a hay ride.  Perfect.  Of course Saturday was the worst weather day Richmond has seen in 2009.  It was cold, raining, pretty much miserable.  But you know what?  Everyone showed up, the kids went into the barn to feed the animals, instead of the hayride, a duck and bunny were brought into the classroom for the kids to pet and Preston had a blast opening all his presents.  There were a few snags that I had with the place (for example, I wanted a second gallon of animal feed but the place had ONE, you heard me ONE Tupperware to hold animal feed.  I mean, seriously? One bucket?  It’s a barn! You have one bucket to feed your whole flock/herd? Then I had to find someone to open paddocks otherwise the kids were throwing food at the animals, but I digress).  It was a huge success. The kids really enjoyed it. (Oh and the rain-it stopped like two hours after the party naturally). Here are some pics from the day: (To protect the children, I cannot post many of the pictures)

My neighbor Sarah made the cake from scratch.  It was so delicious! Of course as we were cutting it, Preston requested a wheel.  He did settle for the smokestack.

My dad has always enjoyed feeding goats at petting zoos.

My best friend from law school Jordana and baby Maddy.

Mel, Mom and Katie getting down at the barn.

This morning Preston opened all his presents.  He is very into presents.  I got him the Thomas train table that goes under the bed (anyone who knows me knows I hate messes and tons of toys everywhere so this is fabulous).  My dad of course was putting it together at about 11:30 last night.  I also got him a few other things and my parents got him a ton.  Aunt Melski and Aunt Tinka were also super generous. Check out the morning “do.”

Today we also put up all the lights.  We still have a few more wreaths to hang and I will post pictures.  This year Katie (my sibling that always put up great lights) got Preston in on the action.  He even held the ladder.

Have a great week everyone!