Lately Isaac has been the "worker guy".  He likes to imitate the maintenance men around our apartment complex.  The week before Christmas we spent a lot of time outside, filling up grocery bags with the item of the day--"pokey balls" or weeds.  This of course, was not what I wanted to be doing but I helped him fill up his grocery bags in the hopes that someday when we have a house and have to do yard work, when I ask him to help me fill up some garbage bags of weeds or leaves he will help me.

Isaac also likes to work on his workbooks during James' nap and also at other times during the day.  It amazes me how much time he can spend sitting at the kitchen table devising ideas of things to cut out and tape/glue together.  He wanted me to take a picture of him doing his workbook, so here it is.

And James wanted "me cheese"

We did Christmas backwards this year.  Santa came early on Sunday December 23 and left a note saying essentially:  "Dear Isaac and James, I heard your Daddy has to work on Christmas.  People get sick even on Christmas.  So I brought your presents early! Enjoy.  Love, Santa."

Isaac was not happy when we came in his room at 7 AM and woke him up saying, "Guess what!  Santa came early!"  First, he was very much asleep, and second, he has been keeping pretty close tabs on when Christmas is thanks to the advent calendar I spent all October hand stitching.  He said, "But there are two more days!"  So this is us sitting in the bathroom waiting for Isaac to use the bathroom and put his underwear on and get used to the idea that he "has" to open presents.  James was just ready to go and went with whatever we said.

Then we started ripping!  James got used to it pretty fast!

We face timed with Blake's parents so they could see the kids' reaction.  It was fun to have some family around to pretend like we were home in Utah. 

The winners of the day were the lego sets and the lawnmowers.  Of course, they loved everything else too and all day (except when we went to church) the kids were bouncing around from toy to toy.  But they started right in on the legos and had to get in some lawn mowing before we walked to church.  It was a great  Christmas.  We had a melt down from Isaac when he saw his new bike and saw that it didn't have training wheels.  He was in tears for a few minutes.  But after we helped him on it for a little bit he said, "I DO love it, mom!"  If he doesn't get the hang of it in two weeks we will throw the training wheels on; they are hidden in the basement.

James got a scooter.  He can go scary fast.  And he usually wears a helmet. 

James did not want a picture.  Such a cute pout. 

Oh, this is another one of Isaac's projects.  He felt bad the squirrels didn't get Christmas presents. He's been collecting sticks and breaking them into little pieces for presents for them--bikes and baseballs.  

Blake got a new iPod. 

And MarioKart. 

Oh, the kids also loved the camping chairs we opened later in the day.  Isaac carries his everywhere. 

I love this picture: the legos, the new backhoe, the new camping chair, helicopter, wrapping paper, James wearing one sock, a box from Amazon.  This is our Christmas.  

So then the next day it was Christmas Eve and Blake worked until 6.  We managed to stay alive by alternating inside and outside--15 minutes playing legos, 15 minutes riding bikes/scooter, 15 minutes fighting over trucks, 15 minutes doing lawn mowers.  Blake got off "early" at 6.  We did our usual Chrismas Eve thing--the nativity.  Except Isaac ruined it by wanting everything different so finally we were so fed up with him we didn't let him participate and put him on the stairs.  So this was the only picture I got of our nativity.  James just sat through the whole thing with wide eyes and a closed mouth. 

That night Blake read and I went to the gym.  Weird.  The next day was weird too.  I took the kids to a rest home and forced them to go into three rooms and stare while I sang jingle bells.  Then we gave the person we sang to an ornament.  Then I cut my losses and left.  The rest of the day we just survived--in, out, in, out.  Fighting, freezing, fighting, freezing.  Blake got home after 6 again.  We watched the Muppet Christmas carol and ate popcorn, definitely the highlight of our Christmas day.  And after the kids went to sleep I played Mariokart with Blake.  It did not feel like Christmas at all.  Poor Blake was so frustrated that he was at work so long just because his attending "was kind of having fun!" and kept them rounding on three patients for 3.5 hours.

Anyway, today is December 26th and I feel like Christmas has been over forever so we took down all our decorations.  Better luck next year, right?