Late Christmas

We always celebrate Christmas with the Berryhill extended family later than most people -- usually on New Year's Day. This gives all of the families a chance to make it to Christmas without juggling schedules or stress. This year, Aunt Brooke and Layton got sick, so we had to delay it. After Caitlin's "pink party" yesterday, we were able to celebrate with Brooke and family. And, cousin Layton will finally get to use Conall and Caitlin's old crib, set up in a guest room at Na Na's.

Layton with one of his new toys

Conall and Tristan starting the bubble wrap party

all of the boy grands

all of the grands

the girls reading together

all of the Berryhills

baby Layton in Caitlin and Conall's old crib with Na Na's Grandmother's quilts

Painting

One of the days during Christmas break, I put a vinyl tablecloth down and let the kids paint. They painted and painted and painted. I just realized I hadn't posted any of those pictures here.

Here's a sampling of the paintings:

Conall's Christmas tree

Caitlin's purple paper

Caitlin's purple masterpiece

Conall's nature scene

Nerf Gun

Aunt Megan and Uncle Wade got Conall a Nerf gun for Christmas. He LOVES it!

Ready to go!

Uncle Wade showing Conall how to use the Nerf gun

Mr. Intensity

Happy New Year!

It has been awhile since I posted something -- Caitlin and I have been sick. Here's a short recap -- we were supposed to go to Ft. Smith on Christmas day. That part of the state got a snow/ice storm on Christmas Eve and it didn't thaw until the day after Christmas.

Na Na and Po Po came over for awhile on Christmas day and we put Caitlin's new Tinkerbell toddler canopy bed up. She loved it and slept in it that night with no trouble. Her crib went with Na Na and Po Po to Conway for baby Layton and Aunt Megan's new baby (due in July) to use.

Ft. Smith thawed the next day, so we headed there to see Pop Pop. There was still snow on the ground and the kids loved it! Caitlin and I both got sick, so we didn't enjoy the visit as much as we hoped and cut it short to come home and get well.

Both kids were so excited to see snow!

Throwing snowballs

Conall and his "Snow Opossum"

Conall's "Snow Opossum"

We came back here and have spent most of the week recuperating. Caitlin went to the doctor on the 30th and luckily, the only thing wrong with her was a persistent cough. We forced some honey and warm coke down her and she did much better. We also got a prescription for some cough syrup in case she needed it. She was much better the next day and has been since, but still has a snotty nose.

Conall opening gifts at Pop Pop's

Caitlin opening gifts at Pop Pop's -- this was minutes before she began puking

We spent New Year's Eve, our 10th anniversary, at home with the kids. We had some good snuggles with both of them on the couch before they went to bed.

New Year's day we headed to Na Na and Po Po's to celebrate Christmas with the Berryhill side of the family.

Unfortunately, Aunt Brooke was sick, so the Hoofmans didn't make it and Layton didn't get to use the crib that was set up and ready for him -- it looks so pretty in Na Na's guest room.

Too bad Layton didn't get to use the crib, because the bigger kids really enjoyed it!

Na Na and the kids were excited that we had a kids table for the first year!

Merry Christmas From Little Harry Potter!

Christmas 2009

Christmas Pyramid

Conall has been wanting to put up "that thing with the candles and helicopter blades" ever since December began. That "thing" is our Christmas pyramid, which Na Na bought for us while visiting Germany a few years ago and has become a family tradition -- in part due to our German heritage and in part due to how much Conall likes it. Conall loves anything with moving parts and has always studied even the simplest machine with great interest.

Last night, as we lit the candles and watched the pyramid spin, Conall began asking questions about it. His class is studying holiday traditions from all over the world, so he is very interested in holiday traditions, but doesn't quite have it figured out yet. I guess since it has candles, he kept asking me if it was a "Hanukkah thing."

To try to help Conall remember the pyramid's name, I started going over memories of our Christmas pyramid and Na Na's. I asked him if he remembered the year that he jumped toward it and singed his eyebrows. He looked at me funny, grabbed his hair at the front where his cowlick is and said "Is that what happened to my hair right here?". Stu and I roared with laughter.

Gingerbread House

Conall and Na Na have a tradition of making a Gingerbread House every Christmas season. They made their house this past weekend and Conall got to use the bag of frosting, or "glue" as he calls it, for the first time. He also made a Whomping Willow from the Harry Potter books.
Here are some photos.

Conall using the "glue" icing.

First Year for Rudolph

Conall watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for the first time this week. In the past, he's not been very interested. It came on one of the networks Wednesday night. Even though Conall had been extremely hyper all that afternoon and evening, due to his crush on Gwen, he sat down in front of the tv and did not move away, even through the commercials. He was enthralled! So cool!

Here's a photo of him watching it. Thanks again to Aunt Amy for reminding me that it was on.

Caitlin the Riveter

Conall got these goggles as part of a tool set from Jackie and Bill for Christmas. Caitlin loves them and says "my headband" when she wears them. Stu pointed out that she looked like "Caitlin the Riveter" (after Rosie the Riveter) with them on her head.

Pictures of Christmas at Pop Pop's

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone! Hope you all have had/continue to have a great one.
Please keep poor Caitlin in your prayers -- she got sick last night with bad diarrhea and is now running a fever, on top of the congestion/cough she already had. I'm afraid she hasn't enjoyed this Christmas too much.

I Want to Go to the North Pole on Thursday

Conall informed me tonight that he needs to go to the North Pole on Thursday. I asked why and he told me that he wanted to bring Santa a picture (a drawing) of Rudolph. I told him that I didn't think Santa would be there -- that he'd be out delivering gifts all night Wednesday and then probably taking a vacation or sleeping all day Thursday. So, he wanted to go now.

I explained that Santa is very busy right now and that he could leave a picture of Rudolph with Santa's milk and cookies. Conall got very excited and was ready to go make the cookies and the picture right then! I had to explain that we'd make our cookies for Santa while we were at Pop Pop's. That seemed to do and he finally went to bed and to sleep.

Amazingly, Conall has been an angel all day. Oh, and Caitlin is ready for "Kissmas" as she calls it and ready to open presents.

Just In Time For Christmas ...

We're sick. Fun!
I just got over a stomach virus that had me down all day/night Saturday. Now, Caitlin has a fever. I wonder who is next and what it will be! I'm feeling very Scrooge-like -- I'm ready for Christmas to get here and be over.