Great Times at the Great Wolf Lodge

Grandma Baleiko and Aunt Ruthie gifted us a stay at the Great Wolf Lodge for Christmas. We were able to enjoy that adventure this weekend.  It was a balmy 84 degrees in the waterpark, and we enjoyed every fun filled minute.  The waterslides were all fun, but the lilypads and the spraying devices were the favored activities.

At the end of our stay we met Uncle Bo, Aunt Lynne, cousin Emma, and Grandma B for lunch.  They definitely got to see the full range of family dynamics as enacted by the fatigued Rogers children.

Mitchell is under the spray of the bucket dump with his arms wide open.

Apparently the fun was just too much, as we had a 67% hostile sibling rate by check out!

Merry Christmas to All! And to All a Short Night.

In Christmases past, the kids have always all slept in one room together;  Christmas 2015 found them all in their own rooms.  It also found them awake and hoping beyond all hope to start opening presents at 4:20am!  4:20!  As hard as it was, I herded them back to their rooms for a few minutes.  When 5:00am rolled around I got up to find the lights on and 3 children sitting by the large piles they had sorted.  Apparently they have been moonlighting as postmasters, with they way they had everything lined up by recipient.  The paper-tearing-ribbons-flying joy that ensued was enough to wake anyone up.  Well, ok, some strong coffee helped, too.
We all were very blessed by generous friends and family. This Christmas was all too fun.

Dad received the coveted Christmas nap!

Sleigh Bells

What a magical morning! There was much joy found underneath the wrapping paper today!  

Magic Under the Tree

Christmas has always been one of my very favorite times.  I think I even enjoy it more now as a parent.  This year was no exception.

Christmas Eve dinner was had at the restaurant.  The kids enjoyed ordering from the menu and having Dad cook our dinners, and fine dinners they were! After we ate we came home to make the Reindeer Dust.  We rushed outside to "spin and sprinkle" the magical sparkles in our driveway.

The anticipation continued to build as we moved the table and chairs to allow for Santa's ease of access to the tree, and then as we tracked Santa's movements with NORAD.  Finally, we re-read Elf on a Shelf, said our farewells to our elf Fred, and the 3 kids snuggled in to "sleep" in Mitchell's room.

And then the wait....


Christmas at last!

The paper shredding, the smiles, the gasps of excitement and disbelief!

Or the wait while we undo ribbon...

After the opening comes the enjoyment:  toys, games, and Christmas-skivers  (ebelskivers in a festive fashion).  The kids played their new Skylanders game, flew their helicopters, and played with their new stuffed animals.  Riley and Baby were not left wanting.  They enjoyed their abundance of new bones and had time chasing the laser dots the kids shined on the floor.

To quote Lucy, "I am all sorts of owly-dowly."