saturday

This is after at trip to the McDonald's play place. Both of the twins have figured out how to climb up all the tunnels and slide down the slides. It is a great way to wear everyone out!

a new brand of super heroine...

....and super hero too!

obstacle course

Every reunion there is an obstacle course. It is very competitive. Gavin was finally old enough this year to participate.

the ross familia

One of my favorite things about the holidays was the Hilton family reunion. It happens every two years. This year we were missing Joel(working), Daniel(mission...the family reunion is rough on missionaries...I didn't get any mail that week of my mission), and Rui and Christina(africa). Look at all those babies! Gavin is the oldest of my parent's grandkids. Eleven grandkids in 3 years...bedtime at the camp was so much fun!

why?

Coming out of the holiday candy fest with a determination to feed my children something other than candy and cookies for breakfast, I got into a serious power struggle with Gavin over a banana. He was sure that if he ate it he would die a horrible death from banana poisoning(0r maybe from the sheer healthiness of if). After a prolonged struggle I won(I'm bigger, stronger, and doggone it you're going to eat this banana). Off to play outside woo hoo. Then the great question...why...oh why is it such a struggle to eat one little banana(or anything else I fix for meals)...but then it is an irresistible compulsion to eat/slurp/revel in dirt/mud? These photos were taken within an hour of said power struggle.

sisters are blisters...part deux

12 a.m. Jane wakes up...and starts playing.























3 am - Gavin moves to our bed.

3:30 am - Jane pitches a blue blazing fit. I comfort her and tuck her in(again)...she finally falls asleep.


5:35 am - Kenneth's alarm clock goes off.


6:00 am - Anne starts crying. Breakfast time.

6:15 am - Anne pukes everything(and I do mean everything) all over me and the bed.


















she felt much better after that.


















notice the puke pooled on the comforter.


















Oh...and did I mention that I washed all of our bedding yesterday? Yeah, I did.

sisters are blisters...

...or so my brother Joel always told me. We reorganized our house again in a vain attempt to make 700 sq feet feel like 1200. Gavin is back in the room with the twins and Anne is in the little nook by the bathroom that Gavin occupied. Another big change recently is Gavin stopped taking naps. I realized that I could fight him to take a nap and then fight him to go to bed...or I could stop fighting and he would conk out on his own at about 6:30pm. Fine by me. The twins are now down to one nap a day, so they are ready for bed at 6:30 too. Anyway, tonight was the first test of the 6:30 bedtime combined with the kids being in the same room.

6:40 p.m. Gavin yelling (with a hysterical sound to his voice) "MOOOOMMYYYYYYYY! Jane won't get out of my bed!"

7:20 p.m. I peak in and Atticus grins at me. He is standing up in bed watching Jane, who is playing over by Gavin's bed.

7:40 p.m. I check in again and find this....



















I would say poor Gavin, but I can almost guarantee that he will get his revenge tomorrow morning. He wakes up earlier...and he loves jumping on the twins first thing.

Merry Christmas.

Happy New Years.