Thursday, January 17, 2013

Christmas Past...But Not Forgotten



I do really well at keeping up-to-date with the blog, and then I slack off.  So sorry.  Hope you don't quit reading just 'cause I'm shirking my job.  Anyway, here's some new pics for you and I'll try to keep up.  We've got some major (birthday/baptism) events coming up and I'd hate to get around to posting the news for a couple of months.  Thanks for being patient with me!

Anyway, Christmas with just the Collotons was quiet.  I think the kids actually enjoyed the day with just us.  It was a bit different without cold or snow (yeah, Linda mowed the grass a couple of days before Christmas).  But we still had some of the traditional favorites like oranges in the stockings.  But to prove the love of their gifts, Shawn was able to capture a few moments on "film" before the battery died.

One of the biggest hits of Christmas morning were the hand knitted socks from Grand Grammy!  The kids love them so much it's what they wear to bed to keep their tootsies warm.  Jack will even try to wear them with his shoes, even if they don't fit the same as regular socks.  He loves them!


John got his very own ninja watch! It has little helps to aid in telling time.  He's been so good taking care of it.  He's gotten more interested in accurately telling time now too!  Ah, anything to help in education...but still retain the joy of learning too!  Oh, and John got to open the Kinect for the xBox 360 games.  He was so excited!  We'd already been playing regular games with the system but now our bodies are the controllers.  The girls love their games and even Jack has gotten into playing Fruit Ninja (Apple Juice game to Joe).  It's fun to see them jumping, punching, cutting, and having a great time.


Kelsey loved the coloring books, animals, and new church dresses.  She wanted to get dressed up as soon as she saw them.  We made her wait until washed, but Sunday came around and that was her dress of choice.


Bekah's been coloring, glueing, painting, and decorating her walls with one-of-a-kind art pieces from her art kit.  She was a bit distracted from presents after opening the kit.  She wanted to go color, and so did everyone else.  Well, I guess I can't fault them for wanting to enjoy their gifts.  I can laugh at the goofy smile, right?  But sometimes pure joy doesn't have any other kind of expression.


Jack also became distracted after he opened his bulldozer and excavator.  Both needed initiated into the backyard sandbox.  But he had to settle for clearing a path through the wrapping paper in the living room until we were finished opening gifts.  As soon as we were done, though, he was outside in the dirt having a great time.

And Joe's gifts have been the favorite of bath time since Christmas.  He's a good sport and shares well with the other kids.  It is rather funny to see five kids try to squish into one tub.  There just aren't enough bubbles or space to go around some nights.  One of the great presents (which turned into a lifesaver) was a pillow pet we got for him.  He lost his pacifier Christmas day and the only thing that saved us during the weaning process was Bear Bear.  He slept on that bear, cuddling with it when he felt like he needed his paci.  Whew!  Thank goodness for fuzzy friends!

Shawn and I enjoyed the day.  He put together most of his new computer and I made an awesome dinner.  It was a great day!  Here's hoping you all had an enjoyable holiday season as well!


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