2014 Christmas Tree

When our Christmas tree gets set up early in December it looks like a pretty generic Christmas tree.  It has some lights, a star and a few ornaments.  By mid December the tree has officially become customized--Gordon style.  This year we have a massive snowman perched in the bottom, a star flag wedged in the middle, 2 oversized giant Christmas balls hanging in the tree, and the latest addition is a few Little People who seem to be nesting.  This is what I love about our little tradition.  The tree is not a show piece in my house.  Rather it's a family tree.  

 

Working For the Prize

 

Oh Seth, you saw a lego tractor set in the store that you completely fell in love with...and your mom was a total sucker and bought it.  However, instead of giving it to you right away, she got a piece of paper and drew 10 boxes on it.  She said you had to earn this tractor set.  Every time you went in the barn and did a full morning's work, another box got crossed off.  Now, because you go to school part time and you're not allowed to help on Sunday mornings, it took about a month until you were able to cross off that last box.  But you were diligent and you never lost sight of the prize.  You never got discouraged.  Son, enjoy your lego.  You totally deserve it!

 

 

Fun With Courtney

Courtney is 3.  She told me she wanted to write her name.  So we both sat down at the table, each with their own paper in front of them.  Truthfully, I wasn't expecting too much.  I showed her how to write a C and then she proceeded to write her own C on her own paper.  We proceeded this way and the end product looked like this:

 

Yeah.  I was really impressed too!

 

 

Later Courtney and I went to the grocery store to get a few things.  In true fashion she had to go to the bathroom in the middle of our shopping trip.  (She doesn't really have to go...she usually just wants to see the bathroom).  So of course we see these pictures on the bathroom door.

 

"Mommy, this bathroom is for girls with clothes, and this bathroom is for the naked girls."

Working Together

Apparently supper was very very disgusting according to 2 boys.  Beans, potatoes and some sort of meat.  They both asked me if I would feed them.  Being busy, I told them to feed each other.  So they did.  Both scooped a pile of food into the other's mouth and then they both choked and gagged it down--tears running down their face, their feet stomping on their chairs to promote manliness and bravery in order swallow the 'disgusting' food.  Hilarious to watch.  The pictures just don't do it justice.

Death to Chocolate

 We awoke this morning to a Reeces Pieces graveyard.  17 chocolate bars met their demise.










However, the culprit must have gotten tired of them as 2 survived.





 
 
 
 

Upon interogation, one child claimed they were very good.

 

As parents we deliberated on her punishment.  Making her wear a pig snout for the day and calling her Oink seemed the most deserving and appropriate.  But we resorted to more traditional methods, spoke to her and required her to clean up after herself.



36 Hours

On Saturday afternoon, September 6, the kids were doing this:

And a lot of this.

36 hours later...on September 8 we got THIS!

..and we got it ALL day!

Lincoln's Take on School

For the past couple of mornings this massive, orange, cylindrical tube swallows up my kids and doesn't spit them out until suppertime. I have attempted to sneak aboard, but the gaping mouth snapped shut right in front of me.  This morning I attempted to bite the tail as it once again swallowed the little masters--but to no avail as a bellow as black smoke rushed into my face, disorienting me, as the tube shot off down the road.

Perhaps even more disconcerting is the fact that the big master stands and allows this all to happen.  When I nibble at the children, I get a whack.  But when this, this THING eats her children she is smiling and waves and happily holds me by my collar to prevent me from investigating this new enemy.  Then she happily makes her way back down the driveway with the smallest ones--not a concern at all that her other young have been eaten.  This is indeed, a strange species.

 At suppertime I realized that the cylindrical tube returns to vomit out the children.  I imagine they did not digest well.  That ought to settle that.  You do not eat something that has made you sick.  But again, this morning the 'tube' ate the children.  I am extremely confused.