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DECEMBER, 2001
(Hold your mouse over a picture for its caption)
December 3, 2001
Happy 3rd Birthday, Patrick!
We're having Patrick's birthday party tomorrow afternoon, so we don't have any "real" birthday pictures yet. This was supposed to be a picture of just the birthday boy, but Alex was being silly and stuck his head in it!
We got started on making some of our Christmas presents today.
December 4, 2001
Patch finally got his birthday party today!
December 5, 2001
The City of Oviedo had a Christmas festival this evening. It was really nicely done, with free hot dogs, drinks, and cookies, music performed by different school groups, and . . .
S A N T A ! ! !
He rode in on his sleigh on top of a fire truck with sirens blaring, and then he visited with all of the children. The boys spent a lot of the afternoon thinking up their lists for Santa, and we even reviewed them while waiting in line. But when they actually saw him, they both completely froze. They couldn't even manage to mutter their own names when he asked them! It was absolutely adorable!
December 7, 2001
We watched Jacob and Clara tonight while Mary and Travis went out. They were all little angels, but I was still amazed when everyone was asleep!
December 8, 2001
We finally got started on our indoor Christmas decorations today, starting with the boys' tree.
December 10, 2001
We had a play date at Chic-fil-A with Carter, Nathan, and Andrew for lunch today.
December 11, 2001
The boys were given card gingerbread men to decorate for the school to hang on the walls for Gingerbread Night this Friday. They did a good job!
For anyone who thinks that Florida is nice this time of year, you're crazy! I'd gladly brave you northerners' cold weather over this at Christmastime!
December 13, 2001
I've always tried to tell Alex that Patrick would be a lot of fun to play with one day - like a toy in the toy box!
December 13, 2001
We had a big day today! Santa came through our subdivision on a horse-drawn sleigh, and the boys and I rode in the back of a pickup truck with a bunch of other neighbors and caroled with Santa. Then we hopped in the van to go to Gingerbread Nights at the school, where we made our very own gingerbread house.
December 16, 2001
He's an old pro at this cycling stuff now.
December 17, 2001
We had a play date at the playground with Becca and her boys today. Poor Patch was on a new cold medicine and it knocked him out all afternoon, even through shopping!
December 19, 2001
Alex had his class Christmas party today at school. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera!!!!!!! Sob, sob. After school we did more arts and crafts, making some of our Christmas presents.
December 20, 2001
Mark and I went to Patrick's class Christmas party today. We got there a little early and sat in on their P.E. class. At this age, P.E. is more of a free-for-all, and it was hilarious to watch. Mark ended up being the entertainment, of course!
We've finally gotten some cold weather. Boudreaux can't handle it!
December 21, 2001
Today was my last "useable" day before Christmas. We're leaving in the morning to go to the River to celebrate Christmas over the weekend, and then David and Kat arrive Sunday night. Mark and his brothers and dad all went golfing today, so my Heaven-sent mom came and played with the kids while I went wild trying to get everything done. Whew! I think I made it! What would I ever do without you, Mom?
December 22, 2001
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Okay, at least a Florida Christmas, anyway! We spent the weekend at the River celebrating an early Christmas. The boys made out like bandits and got tons of new toys, and Mom and Dad didn't make out too bad either! And what a special treat to have the entire family together again.
Thank you, everyone!
With beds running scarce, we stayed at the hotel down the block. I believe it was the kids' first time in a hotel, and they made heavy work of breaking in the beds.
December 23, 2001
The boys spent most of their day trying out their new scooters, and testing the integrity of all of their safety equipment.
December 24, 2001
Merry Christmas!
Every Christmas Eve we go to the children's service at church, and all of the children dress up as a person from the Christmas story. Mark and the boys came up with these Shepherd costumes, and they stole the show!
Santa's helpers (aka our neighbors) had a little too much fun after they put the gifts together.
December 25, 2001
Merry Christmas!
What a wonderful Christmas we all had! We have been truly blessed and wish the same for you and yours.
Patrick was so funny opening his presents. Every time he unwrapped something in a box, he'd go, "It's a box! It's a box!" Santa left a trail of bows going out to the garage where the go cart was. Alex figured it out right away and was in that seat turning the steering wheel in two second flat. Meanwhile, Patrick was walking slowly through the garage, going "There's bows! There's bows!" When he finally got to the go cart, he went, "There's bows! There's bo - - - W O W ! ! !"
Then we were off to Grandma and Grandpa's house for more presents and Christmas dinner!
December 26, 2001
My parents got us this chiminea for Christmas, and we couldn't wait to try it out. The weatherman obliged nicely also, as it was freezing today!
And our other children got the best of doggie Christmases - chewing up wrapping paper rolls!
December 27, 2001
Today our aim was survival. We've all got relatively mild colds, except, of course, for Patrick, who is sick as a dog. The poor guy has been coughing his head off. Mom came over so I could get some of my typing done and she set him up on our bed to watch TV. When I went to check on him, as you can see, he had his arm on his head and his finger in his ear, and was just pitiful. He started with a fever tonight, so I guess we're off to the doctor tomorrow to get that ear checked out.
December 28, 2001
We made ourselves a marble run out of extra PVC parts and pieces today.
(Patrick update: He woke up feeling better, so no trip to the doctor. Yippee!)
December 30, 2001
With our Sea World passes due to expire at the end of the year, we decided to brave the crowds and have one last day of fun at the park.
December 31, 2001
Patrick had a horrible night last night and woke up about 6 times (when it gets that often, you tend to lose count). So I took him to the doctor. Remember that ear ache and fever a few days ago? Guess I shouldn't have ignored it! Yep, he's got an ear infection, but the doctor was much more concerned that he is still wheezing pretty badly. So we've gotten more aggressive with his asthma, and he is now taking six different medications daily and needs to go back next week. The crazy thing is that, except for the bad night and a persistent cough, he's been his normal exuberant self. Go figure!
On the way home from the doctor's office, we met Mom at McDonald's for lunch. True to form, Patrick played as if there was nothing wrong, and the boys made friends with the other kids there.
We wasted no time getting started on the New Year's Eve celebrating, and headed outside in the afternoon for our annual block party. The kids played with Kori's Barbie jeep and Patch made several flying leaps onto his big red ball (and once managed to leap right over it and land on his tushie!)
We had grills on the sidewalk cooking wild pig and venison, tables covered in delicious food, a keg of cold beer, bottles of champagne, chimineas keeping us warm, torches and lanterns to see by, kids' fireworks that shot off streamers, big kids' fireworks, great tunes on the radio, lots of laughter and the company of good friends. Does it get any better than that?
Patch seems to have gotten over his fear of the sound of fireworks and really enjoyed them this year. Alex showed quite a tendency towards pyromania, and experimented with his sparklers trying to light the empty fireworks boxes and watched the sparklers light up when he threw them into the chiminea. We're gonna have to watch that kid!
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