Santa's coming tonight, tonight, Santa's coming tonight!

Brandon reading 2 Christmas bedtime stories to his brothers...
and, leaving cookies for Santa!
Also, Andrew sprinkled reindeer food (we got it from the bank lady, no less!) on the front lawn so they had something to eat while Santa delivered the presents!

Andrew lost a tooth!

Andrew checking out his latest fish, the black blur in the tank.

Andrew has had a loose tooth for what seems like forever! Finally, Friday evening he presented us with his very first fallen tooth! He was very excited to put it under his pillow at bedtime, but then was up until 11:30 waiting and worrying about it! He was a little scared about what might happen, what she looked liked and wanted to sleep with us. He eventually fell asleep in his bed after I went over a few times with the "goods" thinking he was asleep. (Brandon is just dying to tell Andrew the "truth" but I have threatened big time if he spills the beans.) The only reason Brandon knows the truth is... the last time Brandon lost a tooth, we forgot to retrieve it and leave the money and he woke up the next morning saying, "This can't be happening, I don't believe it, the tooth fairy forgot all about me", so Thinh and I felt it was the right time to fess up and let him in on the secret. But, for now, mum's the word for the little two! So, Andrew woke up and found a note and $5 to go buy a fish for his tank. And that we did after B's indoor soccer practice. He picked PetSmart for the purchase and we had two very nice ladies helping him pick out just the right fish for his tank and money. He picked a black moor goldfish with two big ugly eyes on it's side and he named it "Fatty" since it is the biggest fish in his tank.

Andrew's Preschool Christmas Program

Andrew's preschool had their little program on Thursday. I just love this type of thing, my guys participating in singing and what not, way too sweet! The kids sang quite a few songs and listened to the Christmas story and then we all went back to the classroom for some treats. Here they are singing the 12 days of Christmas. Andrew got to hold number 11. He also sang a dear little song, Happy Birthday Jesus with motions and then the other end of the spectrum, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Jingle Bells, plus a few more.
Posin' for mommy with a full set of teeth for a day yet! :(
Andrew is growing up!

Christmas lights, aaahhh...

Thursday night, the boys and I picked up Donna and off we went on the hunt for Christmas lights. Byron, Donna, Thinh, Craig and I used to do this long, long ago every year and Donna always made us listen to her Neil Diamond Christmas album all along the way, but it has dwindled down through the years to just Donna and I the little ones. We try to listen to Christmas music, but we are usually drowned out by fighting, screaming and sometimes even laughing. Oh well, one day...

The above picture is of our downtown area, it is decorated with white lights on the trees, a big tree at the square, well really a circle and there is even a nativity set at the big water fountain on the square.
We drove to the Franklin County Career and Technology Center to enjoy the tech students light display coordinated with music, all you do is set your radio to the designated station and dance along to the fun. The FCCTC just asks for a canned good donation for their efforts and they donate it to the local food bank. The boys did enjoy this.

Look at poor Mason all bundled up!

Our lovely family decorated Christmas tree...

And fireplace with stockings waiting to be filled!

Baking day fun!

Every year, we bake and bake and bake, in one day, and give it all away, it is lots of fun and the boys love to deliver the baskets to the neighbors and our family. Brandon was a very big help this year, he knows how to count our measurements, package the goodies, and dipping things in the chocolate as well. Brandon also loves to help taste test everything, well so does Andrew and Mason too! I do believe by nursing all 3 boys for over a year each, they have all developed my love for chocolate! (Thinh could live without it, crazy guy!)
Peanut butter temptations

chocolate peanut butter crisp balls in the background and chocolated covered candy canes and pretzels too sprinkled with broken candy canes.

These were my nemesis this year. Sounded easy, but were so not! They are supposed to be brownies rolled into a ball, dipped in chocolate rolled in crushed candy canes and stuck with a candy cane as well, stopped making these after a dozen!

Mason trying out a chocolate covered candy cane. Yum!

Mason being cute!

I couldn't resist taking his picture with his little head propped up on his hand.


And another wearing Daddy's work hat, as Donna would say, "I could just squeeze him!" or as Annette would say, "I could just eat him!", but for now, we will just love him!

Little brothers unite...finally!

Andrew LOVES Brandon! But, lately Andrew has finally come to love and play with Mason. After school on Tuesday, they played and played in the snow, making snowballs, snow angels and just being little boys!
Andrew insisted I take their picture hugging each other before school, so sweet, Mason has the same love for Andrew that Andrew has for Brandon and Brandon tells me he loves his younger brothers.