The Millet Family: Christmas!

January 10, 2016

Christmas!

Since we usually do our big, nice dinner on Christmas Eve (and enjoy leftovers Christmas Day so I don't have to cook), I may have kicked everyone out of the house for a few hours so I could get stuff done. This is what Travis and the boys came up with -- a 10 foot catapult from which they launched all our gingerbread houses. It was quite the thing.

For the 3rd Christmas Eve running, we've had our dear friend's the Novack's over for dinner and games. This year was probably one of the most fun we've ever spent together. Since she's from England, Barbara always brings Christmas crackers and it is no kidding my kids favorite part of the night (okay, mine too). We pull the crackers apart together and the kids all jockey for the best prize within and we all don our crowns to wear throughout dinner.

Meredith brought her selfie-stick and we got a bit carried away...

I swear Nora drank her body weight in Martinelli's -- how you resist that cute face constantly asking for more "Joo-cee" (juice)??

After dinner, we played charades and had a talent show including carols by Meredith on the piano, sword swallowing by Travis and lots of shenanigans from our kids. Basically a hilarious night.

Then we tucked all the littles off to bed and collapsed. Luckily the boys weren't up at 1am like last year, but apparently Peter did sneak out around midnight to sleep with Grandma on the couch because he was just 'too excited to sleep in his own bed.'

Christmas morning finally came!

Nora with her new little 'bunnies' -- a Calico Critters set that is the cutest thing ever and a new favorite toy that gets played with every day!

Peter and Benji both got night vision goggles from Grandma

stopping mid-present unwrapping to check out their new loot.

After thoroughly enjoying opening presents, we got a call from one of Travis' coworkers who lives in Tehachapi (about an hour north of us) to say they got fresh snow and inviting us to go sledding. Snow on Christmas Day?! What a treat!

They had several inches of fresh powder perfect for sledding. Benji and Nora went on a few runs but quickly discovered that inside was hot chocolate and toys so they bailed after only a few runs.
But we practically had to drag Peter away. He was in heaven!

By the end of the day we were all exhausted and sore, but what a wonderful way to spend Christmas!

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My kid said it

9/12/18

Peter: You should never hide your talent under a bushel. Especially if that talent is farting. Because pretty soon it's going to get really stuffy under there.

8/23/18

Mom: Nora, you're so strong and brave. You can do anything!

Nora (slyly): ... even watch a movie?

8/22/18

Nora: Are you impressed with me that I'm a cheetah?

5/14/18

Nora (singing): Blah Blah Black Sheep, have you any wool?

2/10/18

Nora, pretending to be Benji, to get Peter to let her in his room: (cue deep, gravelly voice) Open up. It's me, Benji.

2/17/18

Travis: It was a bloodbath.

Benji: Oh, I would be so scared to get in that water. I would never get in that tub.

Michelle: haha no, buddy. People weren't actually taking a bath in blood. It's an expression.

11/2017

Nora to Benji: Hey, you wanna play that game again?

(I hear this about 5 times every single day)

7/2017

Nora: Mailed it!

(she means 'nailed it')

6/15/17

Nora: Can I have some more bugglegum? (bubblegum)

6/2017

While pretending to read aloud from her journal, Nora: Poopy pants is not my fault.

2/29/16

Benji: Fee Fi Fo Fum...Who wants a taco?

9/6/15

Me: "So Benji, what did you do at school today?"

Benji: "Oh you know, a little of this, a little of that."

6/28/15

I was trying to explain to the boys what Anne of Green Gables was about when I told them that she is an orphan. Benji piped up immediately with, "Oh you mean like Batman?"

4/15/15

As I was taking Peter to the doctor one day, he told me, "Mom. Did you know I love books? They are like my home. Whenever I read them, it's just like I'm home."

3/8/15

Benji's new word for anything he doesn't know the name for is "thing-a-ding" As in, "Where's my thing-a-ding, Momma?"

3/2/15

We picked some asparagus from the garden and Peter said: "Let's cook it and have it for dessert!" Asparagus. For DESSERT.

10/17/14

While driving home:

Benji: Dad, sometimes when you close your eyes, do you see bats?

Travis: Um, no. [pause] When you close your eyes and see bats are they good bats or bad bats?

Benji: [looking at Daddy like he is crazy pants] When I close my eyes I do not see bats!

5/1/14

I asked Benji to go sing a song to Nora while I was putting away the groceries so she wouldn't cry and this is what I heard him singing: "Rock-it bye baby..."

4/25/14

Me: Benji, what do you want on your pizza?

Benji: Peppy-roni!

7/25/13

Peter wants to be a fireman when he grows up. While leaving the library, he said to some adults sitting next to him at bingo: "See ya. If ya need me when I'm an adult, you can just call 911!"

3/31/13

[During prayers]

Peter: "Thank you for Daddy, and Mommy, and Benji and me, Peter because I know everything in this world!"

12/13/12

Peter brought me a picture of airplanes he had just drawn and said "Mommy, next to where I wrote my name, could you write 'illustrator' for me?"

11/9/12

Peter: "Daddy, I got a fluid shot today!"

Me: "Um, I think you mean a flu shot."

10/1/12

Peter: "And then I will be a full ledged member!"

9/13/12

Peter: "Momma, my favorite word is Snoozy Toozy."

Me: "Why's that?"
Peter: "Cause it has an 'oozy' and a 'toozy.'

3/3/12

We had just gotten some ice cream from Cold Stone when Peter says: "It's a nice day for ice cream."

3/2/12

Coming into the garage to find Daddy: "Well, well, well."

3/1/12

Upon handing Peter a McDondalds cheeseburger: "MMmmm. My cheeseburger is hot and fresh from the oven."

2/3/12

Peter: "Did you know that girls like pink Momma? And purple. Do you like purple?"

12/31/11

While we're hiking Peter says: "Ugh. I'm all billed out guys." It took us a minute to realize he had replaced tuckered out with billed out.

12/14/11

I'm trying to put chapstick on his lips but Peter doesn't like it so he tells me: "No Momma. If your lips are chapped you just put slobber on them like this [he licks his lips]. See? Slobber makes your lips feel all better."

11/17/11

Me: "Peter -- please go play in your room. You're kind of in my hair today."

Peter: "Well you've been in my NOSE today Momma!"

10/27/11

When Travis was trying to get Peter to leave the Ronald McDonald House at the hospital.

Peter: "But I don't wanna leave the Old MacDonald House!"

10/8/11

Peter hands Travis a cup with water, milk, and juice all mixed together.

Peter: "Here you go Daddy, have some sloopie."

Travis: "MMMmm. Why's it called sloopie?"
Peter: "Because when you drink it, your eyes go all sloopie."

10/5/11

Peter saw a guy wearing a stocking cap and (while laughing hysterically) said : "He's wearing a sock on his head Momma!"

9/9/11

Me: "You need to go to time out now. We don't lock doors."

Peter: "That's okay. I like time out."

Me: !!

8/30/11
(while I was putting Peter to bed)
Peter: "But there are monsters outside!"
Me: "Well it's a good thing me and Daddy locked the doors up nice and tight."
Peter: "Oh! Fank you Momma!"

8/28/11

(while patting Benji's hair)

Peter: "Aww. He has softie duckling fluff!"

6/30/11

(After I told Peter he couldn't do something - yet again)

Peter: "No Momma. I have a sign that says "No saying no Momma!"

6/10/11

Peter: "His name is Benji, but I just call him Benj."

5/8/11

Peter: "What you doing there Mommy?"

Me: "I'm putting on my makeup."

Peter: "Oh. So you don't scare Daddy."

5/7/11
Me: "Mommy's big belly is gone."
Peter: "Now we can wrestle Mommy!"

4/17/11
Peter: [singing] "Hunky Dunky sat on a wall. Hunky Dunky had a great fall."

4/4/11
[While playing duck, duck, goose]
Peter: "Okay Mommy and Daddy. Now you two can quack like ducks."

3/30/11
Peter: "Ready, Steady, Set, Go!"

2/24/11
Peter: "Ma-chelle! Ma-chelle! Could you come snuggle wif me?"

2/20/11
Me: What did you learn about in nursery today?
Peter: About Jesus. He is our friend. He doesn't hit us and he doesn't bite us.

1/27/11
[While watching me peel sweet potatoes for dinner]
Peter: "Sweet botatoes - you are all naked!"

11/26/10
Petey: "Do you have a freight car Grandpa?"
Petey: "He said no."
(He kept asking my Dad this ALL day long)

11/19/10
Mom "Do the cows eat the hay the tractors cut?"
Peter: "Um...nope. They just eat rocks and bread."

10/19/10
Peter saw a guy wearing a cowboy hat and said: "He's wearing a howdy hat!"

10/13/10
Peter: "You look like a princess Mama."
[I was wearing a long blue dress for a church meeting]

9/7/10
[pulling a chair up next to Trav]
Peter: "How's you work Dada?"

8/26/10
[while running with a big basketball-like bouncy ball]
Petey: "It's a bounskitball!"

8/22/10
[While saying prayers - we're trying to get him to think of things to say on his own]
Petey: "Fank {thank} you for mouthesses {mouths}."

7/31/10
Dad: "Did you hurt your nose?"
Peter: "I hurt mine mustache." (pointing to his upper lip)