Boys

It was nearly Christmas and the boys were hanging out on the rocking ottoman near the Christmas tree.

They can hardly stand the wait. Please Christmas don't be late!

Cookies for Breakfast?

Ken and I seriously needed to go grocery shopping. I couldn't find anything to make for breakfast, one morning, because were were out of everything. I think we had one egg, so I was going to make pancakes, but then I realized we were out of syrup. I would have to make some syrup, but then I realized that we were out of sugar! So it came down to this. We had some left over cookie dough that I had made a couple of days before along with some left over icing. So that's what we did. The boys had tons of fun cutting out the cookies and putting them on the cookie sheet. Luckily, I remembered that we had some frozen fruit in the freezer that I could give them along with their cookies, and to my satisfaction, the boys ate their fruit all gone and didn't finish their cookies. So I didn't feel too guilty. Besides, aren't pancakes just about as sugary as cookies?

An Early Christmas Gift

A couple of weeks before Christmas, the boys got an early Christmas present from Grandma and Grandpa Church. It is the most adorable nativity set made by fisher price. I mentioned wanting it so that the boys could play with a nativity and get the idea of what Christmas is all about. Apparently Grandma liked that idea too. The boys loved it, and have played with it every day since they got it.

Building a Manger

We have a wooden manger (Grandpa and Grandma Church made one for each of my siblings' families last winter). The idea of it is to do kind deeds or acts of service for others. When somebody does something good, they may put a piece of straw in the manger, and by Christmas day, the manger should be soft enough for the baby Jesus. The boys love putting straw in the manger. Another thing Ethan likes to do though, is take the manger apart and then try to put it back together. What a cutie.

Landon's Hobby

Sugar Cookies

The boys have enjoyed making batch after batch of sugar cookies this holiday season. They always pick out the shapes and I let them cut out the cookies. Then, after they are baked,  I squirt a bunch of frosting on them and the cookies quickly disappear!



 

Another Christmas Tradition

Grandma and Grandpa Gallaher gave the boys some gingerbread house kits. They had a blast decorating their houses. They spent a good portion of the time squirting icing into their mouths as well.

Ethan was more into eating the candy than he was decorating, but he did cover one side of his gingerbread house with gumdrops.

 Landon was very much focused on decorating his house, and I only helped him with a few things (the snow being his main concern, and of course outlining his windows and doors).

What a cutie!

 What have you got in your mouth, there, Ethan?

The end result. They turned out great. Landon's house is on the left and Ethan's is on the right. 

O Christmas Tree

Our family went and picked out Christmas trees with Grandma and Grandpa Gallaher this year. We picked this lovely 10 footer for our house. Here, Ken is cutting the netting off of it.

 The boys loved decorating the tree. Landon really got into it.

 Ethan's method for decorating the tree involved throwing the ornaments on. Most of the decorations ended up in one big pile somewhere on the tree.

Landon, however, was very careful. He liked it best when I would hold the branches out for him to put the ornaments onto. He said he didn't like the tree getting him dirty.

  After the boys were done, this is what the tree looked like.

 This is another close up view that shows off Ethan's decorating skills.

 While the boys were sleeping, I went ahead and put the rest of the ornaments on the tree. The little stockings were clashing with the bows, though, and so I ended up removing the stockings. I felt a little guilty undoing some of what the boys worked so hard on, but the tree turned out pretty good, I think.

 The boys still love looking at the Christmas tree. I keep finding ornaments in random places throughout the house. They play with them like they are toys.