I am totes making unspotted dick this weekend, how about you?

(So this post is about a month old. I have no idea why I didn't post it.  So, here ya go. )

We also did some massive pottering.  Can you tell we love Psych?  That is such a fun t.v. show.  The season episode was in London with many references to spotted dick, but my mom made unspotted dick so that is what I will make.  It is not my families favorite but who really cares?  I don't.  Anyway, so Gus introdused us to pottering.  


  So we had some fun with this.  Here

The Infamous Nutcracker - our 13th.

Ok, ok.  Last post for a few minutes at least.

I love this.  It is so dang long, but I love it.  Here are my kids dancing in the Nutcracker.  

I will not go in order of the Nutcracker.  I will go in age.  That way I won't forget anyone.  I am trying hard not to forget anyone on a daily basis, thank you.  Having 9 kids makes me use my brain, dang it.  

The twins were Seahorses during the ocean scene.  How adorable are they?  I must say though, that Josh hated his spandex outfit.  He has a mind of his own.  He was backstage, sitting in the middle of the hallway where dancers were running past.  So I scooched him over to the side and he was so mad.  He wanted to sit where he wanted to sit.  Becca took him to see if she could get him to cooperate.  It helped a bit.  But he was a bit of a booger on stage. And when one twin is a booger, the other one follows.   

(Sorry for all my comments on camera.  I need to remember to shut up when the video is on.  And it is not the best video.  My camera doesn't do the best in the dark.)

 Bribery for the dating years.

Elly was a butterfly in the waltz of the flowers.

Cassi was in 2 dances.  She was in Arabian and also forest with Becca.

Becca was the forest queen.  She finally made ensemble group at the studio but practices were the same night at drill.  So her teacher put her in as the queen that gets to hang on a rope.  It was tricky to even fit in practices.  During the only dress rehearsal she could go to was also a performance.  It was a good thing that they were both at the same school.

So keep an eye out for both girls :)

Sadly, I have no clever blog title for this one. James Symphony and Elementary Choir

Jamie is a percussionist in an after school youth symphony.  He is having a great time with it.  They had their Christmas Concert.  It was the same night as the elementary choir so I went to watch him when the symphony went on a school tour.  I loved it.

You will have to excuse the horrible selfie, I am not a teenager so it is not in my blood.  But I have both babies sitting on my lap.  I was wondering when they will stop doing that.  I love it.  I only have the rest of this year and next year to haul them around. Then they will be in kindergarten and I will only haul them part time.  What will I do by myself?  I guess I will have to wait and find out.

 I can't leave out Miss Elly Belly.

And then they had a guest drummer. He was the drummer for the Osmonds. You can't hear him very well, but he was explaining the drumset to the kids. He had gone to school here when he was younger. It was fun to listen to him. So wait it out, ok?   

 What did you think?

Now on to the choir kids. . . 

 It's funny, but a few kids ago, I would have redone everyone's hair and made sure they were perfect, now?  I just stuck a flower in their hair that was done that morning and we ran out the door.  Oh well.  Such is life.  

 Tired and crazy teenagers.  Ha Ha

Can you tell that we like to keep our kids busy?  I love the choir.  I love that they know songs that I have forgotten.  Love it.  

You gottta love a good piano recital, right?

Please say yes.  Ok, well then you can skip this blog post and check back later.  I have tons of exciting posts for later, like an elementary school choir concert.  he he   These are my cute kids at their recital. 

(So I started writing this post on 12/16/13 but it takes forever to download on to youtube and that seems like the best way to put videos on blogs.  It just isn't going to happen.  So you get photos so I can publish this and be done.  Thank you very much.)

Becca ditched us for drill.  Darn it.  But it was a great recital.  I am proud of the kids.  I wish it was less of a fight to get them to practice but hey, I would be failing at my mom duties if I didn't push them, right?

The Christmas that had a flood. (part 2)

Our night started out with our pizza by candlelight.  John gets everyone the kind they want.    

 James was too sick to join us, Jason  tried, but just ended up back in bed.  Poor things.  Being sick over Christmas is miserable.  

 We acted out the Nativity.  Sans Mr. Sickest.  

 Then it was our Christmas Jammies time.  

 Miss Princess at heart  :)

Poor kid was too sick to even stand.  

Everyone sleeps in the same room . . .  (They had to anyways because of the flood.  Some of the water even went into the boys room.  So that was moved around too.)

 but James.  He was crashed out in his room.  

The sad thing that we might just have to make a tradition was wrapping their gifts.  I am a major procrastinator.  I wrap all my gifts on Christmas Eve.  I was so dang worn out from dealing with 9 kids, most of them sick and the flood all day, that there was no way that I could stay up all night wrapping all the gifts.  So this is what we did.

 We put everyone's gifts in their own black garbage bag.  Santa had wrapped his gifts, but on Christmas morning, the kids would just stick their hand in their bags and SURPRISE!!  randomly pull something out.  It worked out really well.  

We just might do it next year too.

I hope you guys had a fabulous Christmas that was drier than ours  :)  Merry Belated Christmas!