If you finish your school work early...

We're all about rewards in our house. Cowboy usually is the creative one to think of them, but I'm happy to follow through if they make my life easier and more fun!

So...before Christmas break Cowboy dangled the carrot in front of Miss B and C-Man. They went for it!!!

I had their agendas filled out with everything that needed to be accomplished before we started our official Christmas Break. Cowboy told the kids if they finished by certain dates they would receive rewards. The sooner they finished, the bigger the reward. He did this to save my sanity and I thank him for that! (He's always looking out for my sanity).

Miss B stayed up until after midnight one night to finish her work so that she would have an extra week of Christmas Break.

She and I went to our city's downtown area to ice skate. We had so much fun and laughed SO hard at each other! I worked very hard to NOT FALL!!! She, of course, made fun of me for my caution. However, I tried to remind her my body was old and I could get seriously hurt if I fell.



After successfully ice skating without injury, we had dinner together. Don't panic about the amount of food she consumed. Right after this she swam for an hour and fifteen minutes. (Makes me tired to think about it).



This reward was TOTALLY worth it!!! Not only did I not have to harp on Miss B to finish up her school work on the days preceding Christmas, but I also got to spend time with my girl. PRICELESS!!!

Our Favorite Christmas Tradition

We pulled it off again! Our kids had NO idea that it was coming. We put them all to bed and got them up out of bed after they'd been there for about 30 minutes. We loaded everyone up in the van with their blankets. Our first stop was 7-Eleven where Cowboy got everyone their favorite drink and snack, then we were off to look at Christmas lights. This was Little I's first time to go with us on our late-night adventure! We forgot the camera at home, but at least got some pics of us surprising them. By the way, they don't always sleep in the same room. We told them it was a special treat that night for all of them to stay in Miss B's room. Aren't we sneaky?

Christmas Card

As many of you know our family sent the CUTEST Christmas card this year. Our kids looked absolutely angelic in it. Miss B's hair was flat-ironed so nicely by her Chi, her mascara looked great and you can't tell it, but she's showing off her new contacts she got a few months ago. C-Man is donning his toothless grin. He's missing his 2 front teeth on top plus 2 side teeth on the bottom. (He calls his gaps a maze). His almost-glowing blonde hair is combed nicely and doesn't show any signs of the double-crown he has. Little I is showing off his cheesy grin with his front tooth that is now slightly grayer than the others thanks to his run-in with the recliner. His hair is neatly shaven with no signs of the velcro head that he sometimes has when his white mama doesn't get his hair cut as often as it should be. Little Bit did her part to keep her back to the camera, since technically we shouldn't include her in our family picture (per DHS policy). Cowboy looks handsome as ever and more awake than he has lately with his 3:45 wake-ups and 12+ hour workdays. I, surprisingly, look amazing! You can't see the signs of scars on my face from hormone-caused adult acne. Miraculously the camera didn't add pounds, it took them off!

WHAT? You didn't get our family Christmas picture card?

Oh, that's right! We haven't even taken a picture for the card this year. At this point it looks like we'll send a New Year's card!

Disclaimer--the aforementioned description will never actually come to fruition. It's simply a figment of my imagination. Please don't expect to see it in your mailbox in the coming weeks.

Still waiting to wrap my first gift,
Jenn