Santa Vs. Elmo

We had a busy couple of days last week. We went up to see Elmo Live at the e-center and while we were there we made a trip to the mall to visit Santa and buy everyone a new ornament for our tree. Picking out ornaments was total chaos in the Hallmark store with the 2 years olds. Izzie loved them all and Cooper wanted to throw boxes everywhere. Jason corralled them out in the hall while I finally got them all purchased and then we headed to visit Santa. Luckily he showed up shortly after we arrived and only waited in line a few minutes. Everyone either sat on Santa's lap or stood near-by. Cooper cried when we first sat him down but that quickly turned into a smile. Everyone LOVED Santa! After pictures with Santa everyone rode the train including Jason. Just look at that good Dad!

By the time we were done with Santa everyone was starved so we decided that Red Robin was close and with 4 adults it should be okay. I wish I could go back and make a different choice. I somehow dropped my wallet walking through the door and luckily someone nice gave it back to me. Sitting down I emptied the entire contents of my purse underneath the table. We happened to be sitting in a booth with a ton of people sitting around us, which left us with 2 highchairs at the end of the table and not enough room to move around them. Dinner went okay until the end when Cooper gaged and puked his whole dinner up on the table. A few people around us were very nice, but I couldn't get out of that place quick enough. Yes, I was the mother stripping my sons shirt off in the waiting area and hoping that nobody noticed that he only had a coat on. It may be awhile before we attempt eating out again.

The next day was Elmo. The show was at 10:30, a perfect time for munchkins. We got there slightly early and parked right up front. We then loaded the kids up with bug-juice and popcorn and headed to our seats. We were lucky and had seats right up close. When the show started I am sure that there were less than 200 people in the whole e-center. 1/2 the floor was empty and only a few people were in the stands. It was great! We had isle seats so we could get out easy and the kids could run if they needed to. In fact Cooper thought that he needed to be on stage several times and made it pretty close. I have to say, that I thought it was wonderful. It was bright, fun and the characters came down where we were sitting to dance by the kids. Addie didn't want them to touch her but Izzie and Cooper liked it. I think Izzie sat in my lap the whole show and didn't hardly move an inch. If your kids like Elmo, please take them when he comes to town next time. They will love it. Even Jason will admit that it was a good time.

So, I would have to say that Elmo wins out over Santa this year. Maybe next year if we skip Red Robin it will be a closer race.

Saturday evening Jason and I even got to spend some time without the kids and went to see the Tabernacle Choir Christmas Program with Natalie Cole. It was awesome! It made out trip perfect and if you ever have the chance to see this event don't pass it by.

Our Christmas season is passing quickly and we hope to have some more fun events before the holiday is gone. Spending time at home in Moab as a family is topping our list.

Happy Holidays!

Dentist

Addison had her first dentist appointment today. I was pretty sure that she wouldn't open her mouth but to my surprise she did. Not open wide like we had practiced but wide enough for a few instruments to enter. And just look at that smile. I see a very expensive orthodontic bill in our future.

Electric Light Parade 2009

We have tried to get pictures of the kids each year before the light parade, all bundled up ready to go. It's getting hard to get them to hold still but here is what we got.

It was freezing so we had them dressed like marshmallows. Addie was all set to ride on the float for her dance group. She didn't seem too excited but we decided to give it a try. She had a light up tambourine to shake and she finally sat down once we started to move. It starts at the park and it is a couple of blocks from main street. By the time we hit main she was completely asleep. She slept through the whole parade and woke up as we were walking back to the car. What can you expect from a 3 year old?

Winter Sun 10K

My husband had this crazy idea to run a race. Most people train for months before something like this. Not Jason. He went jogging a couple of times before the race. So this morning when we woke up it was 17 degrees. Oh my goodness, it is was soooo cold. Jason left bright and early to help shuttle people to the race, which left me with 3 things to get bundled and ready to meet him at the finish line. We got there early and were able to see the first people complete the race in 35 minutes. I figured that we would see Jason about 30 minutes later. When he showed up at 55 minutes I was wrangling a little boy with his gloves and not prepared with my camera. I did get a quick shot though of him about to cross the finish line. Wow! He did such a great job. Congratulations Jason you are amazing!

Thanksgiving

We had an amazing Thanksgiving this year. We stayed home and Jason's sister Sydney and her family came to visit. We had a fun morning making turkey shirts for the kids and lounging around. Unfortunately our turkey cooked faster than anticipated and it turned into a race to get everything else done. We did not use our time wisely. Too much lounging, not enough cooking. We eventually pulled it all together though and had a wonderful dinner. It was fun to cook the first Thanksgiving dinner at our home. We usually go to one of our grandmother's and show up 15 minutes before everyone sits down and the feast begins. I learned this year about being thankful for the people that have fed us over the last 30 or so years. It is a lot of work! We loved having our house busy with little ones and the time we got to spend with family. Thank you so much to everyone for traveling to our house. We enjoyed having you and hope to see you all soon.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Buzz

On the Taylor side of our family we have several boys that are obsessed with Toy Story. I have never seen anything like it. Well, for Cooper's birthday he was lucky enough to be given a Buzz Lightyear of his very own from Grandma Taylor. The other boys were so jealous of his newness. We brought Buzz home and he has been played with on and off by everyone. He has terrific buttons that make an array of fun sounds. But, I think that Buzz has a slightly different life with us. He doesn't seem to fly through the air, nor is he the center of constant attention like he is at other homes. He has quite a cushy lifestyle. Here is the picture to prove my point.

Not a scratch on him yet.

Trick-or-Treat

This year was our first for actually going to more than two or three houses. In fact I think we may have hit up to 10. Wow! Addie figured out that she got to ring the doorbell at everyone's house and I think she liked that more than the candy. It had been a long day for us, otherwise why would a girl possibly be able to cry while holding chocolate? Leave it to our Izzie. She did enjoy it once we were going and had a good time until she tripped while running. All I could see was this little girl flat on the ground with her tu-tu up over her head. It was pretty funny and sad at the same time. The girl at the house we were at even came out to the street to hand deliver her candy. What service. That kind of put a damper on things for us and we headed home. I have to say that it was an exhausting day but one of the best! It is amazing for us to see our kids grow and experience the fun the world has to offer. I couldn't ask for more than that. They are growing so quickly and I am trying to suck it all in before it's gone.