The Elves are Tired

The Elves are Tired

Crazed Parents..fake smile and all

I am happy to report that we are DONE with our Christmas shopping!! Unfortunately it took two grueling weekends and this heinous Friday night to do it. There is nothing like going to the mall with your 17 year old daughter so she can pick out clothes for Christmas since she doesn't trust our taste. Wow. Now if that sounds like fun to you...kick it up a notch and make one of those items a church dress. It was hell. Pure hell. Hours of "No, too short", "Too skanky" , "Too tight", "Too sheer", "Too cropped", "Too much cleavage" and on and on. Hours of  "I can't believe you guys", "You want me to look ugly", "You hate everything", "That looks like something YOU would wear!!, "I am NOT dressing like my MOTHER!!", "You guys are SO RUDE..ANNOYING..."(fill in the blank.) Throw in pushy crowds of holiday shoppers and Christmas music so loud you couldn't hear yourself think and...Hot damn it was a good time. (Luckily some cute items were eventually found including a church dress.)

For Hannah who asked me for tips for parenting teens...

1.) When shopping with a teen never pick up any item of clothing to show said teen. She will hate it on principle. Let teen look around and find something and then say yes or no...if you are paying for it. If teen is paying for it...you are out of luck and have no say. Learn to deal with that... it will come in handy in many future circumstances.

2.) Leave store where teen is trying on clothes. Have teen text you pictures of her in the outfit from the dressing room...where you can say yes or no via text...thus avoiding screaming rages that most teens, from what I observed, no longer care if anyone else in the store hears. (We weren't the only weary parents.) It is much more delightful to be elsewhere sucking down an Orange Julius (for medicinal purposes) whilst making clothing judgements via text and only returning to the store later to see in person the "maybes." 

3.) Realize that when Christ is talking in the scriptures "...Bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you..." I am 99.9% sure that he is talking to parents of teenagers.

4.) Avoid the mall whenever possible.

But all that delight aside... We are done with our Christmas Shopping!! Woot Woot!! I still have to mail packages and cards and do all the baking and wrapping but still...Woot Woot!!

In other news...

  

Ailey's elementary school choir performed at the downtown mall on Friday. It was adorable. It brought back memories of my childhood and singing at the University Mall. Good times. Bryn ditched preschool and we headed on down to watch.

This is a picture of Ailey's very best friends who are also in choir with her. Ailey goes to choir Monday mornings before school. When this picture was taken there were 8 moms all taking pictures of this group at the same time. This was the best of the bunch.

Here are a few snippets. Tyler was supposed to come and film but he had a meeting that got rescheduled that he had to be at so this was the best I could do which wasn't good.

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Ailey and her friend Emily. They hold the distinction of the being the 2nd smallest and the smallest girls in 4th grade. They are great friends!!

Another attempt at a BFF group photo: Emma, Gabby, Sophia, Allie, Jordyn, Ailey, Meaghan, Emily

Bryn danced and sang along with the choir. She loved it!! And...she got some Ben and Jerry's ice cream to boot.

We also finished another round of swimming lessons for Bryn and Ailey. We will take a little break until mid-January.

We ditched our ward Christmas party. We were just too darn tired and opted for a cousin sleepover instead.

The little girls made cookies with Daddy/Uncle Tyler

They look like little triplets!!

Putting the sugar crazed kids to bed. Tyler the camel has two humps. :)

My little nephew RJ had hernia surgery in Kansas City. He did great and seems to be on the mend. It's hard to keep that little guy down. He is a trooper!!

It was my beautiful mother's birthday yesterday. We celebrated with a girls brunch at the Davenport hotel. We had a great time celebrating this lovely lady. She is fabulous and I am lucky that she is my mom!

This December has been properly kicked off. Many more events and performances to come. I am loving that we have also had several opportunities to serve others this month. Several people have needed our help and I am so glad that we have been able to be there and give it. That has enriched our holiday season so much already. 

Gotta go! It is early release today and for the rest of the week for the kids. Remember when I forgot them last year? Well, so do they. I have many reminders around the house from Kameron and Ailey reminding me that they get picked up early today. So I'm off and then won't have to hear what I heard from the office lady last year, "I can't believe a mother could forget her own children..." Well, not this year grouchy office lady. NOT THIS YEAR!!