2009 Letters to Santa

Dear Santa,

Hi, my name is Addison Danielle Pixton and I want a music box and I want make up. I want a play cup cake maker. Can you give me all those stuff? And I want a snuggie. I want a teddy bear. I like my school. My best friend is Kiona. I like recess. Jyi was chasing us outside and it was fun. My best pink friend is named Pinky. She is a pink blankie. I like to snuggle up with her when it is night time. We have fun together at school. I suck on my thumb with her. She is a very nice blankie. Goodbye.

Love,

Addi

Dear Santa,

I want a music box. I want a Christmas tree set. I want a Christmas book. I want a mug since mine is lost. Santa I love School. I love PE. I love music. I love my family. I love you. I love God. I love Jesus. I love new books. I want a remote control airplane and make up. Usually I wake up and go get dressed on school days. I like Luna. I have a baby Christmas hat that Bryce gave us when we were babies. I want a new movie and jewelry. Goodbye Santa. Now that is the end.

Olivia Jane Pixton

Dear Santa,

I want a shot gun. I want a Bumblebee Costume. I want a paper airplane. I want a green light saber so I can be Yoda. I like library. I like transformer books. I know how to draw Christmas trees and I can put a star on it. I like my sleeping bag because because it has a pillow on it. I like movies I like Luna because she is so good.

Eli

note from Mom - Bumblebee is a transformer!

Kindergarten

The triplets absolutely love love love kindergarten. A friend warned me that I would see them grow up so much when school started and she was totally right. I really love the early learning center too. There are 15 kindergarten classes and 5 preschool classes. Everything is geared for little ones. Even the toilets. Monday is library day and Tuesday through Friday they have music and PE. They are already reading too. Clayton and I can't spell out words anymore. Last weekend I told Clayton I was going to run and errand and take a K-I-D. Eli yelled out KID and said he wanted to go.

The bus picks up and drops off right in front of our house. Two other boys on our street ride the bus as well. The triplets are usually the last ones out to the bus stop but we haven't missed the bus yet!

Christmas Tree

We got our Christmas tree last Monday evening.

The kids were excited.

They could not contain themselves, especially Olivia, from getting into the bin of ornaments, wanting to put them on. We told them the lights needed to go on first, and two of the three strings were out and I couldn't fix them, and bedtime was at hand, so we'd just have to do it another day.


However when we were basically turned the other way, Olivia put the lights on herself and even hung a large array of ornaments, at least on one side.


So I guess we're done?

Week Chart

Necessity is the mother of invention. After perceiving an obvious need, I felt a desire to create this chart with the kids. It has all but eliminated questions about what day it is today and whether we have school or church, whether daddy's going to work, what's tomorrow, how many days until such-and-such, etc.

The pictures are meant to represent what is done on that day--some are more obvious than others, but they include a church, a school, a couple of school buses, a couple of twins Amy watches on Thursdays, Daddy's work, and riding bikes at the park.

If you look closely on Saturday, you'll notice a "butterfly-airplane" indicating the day we're on, which the kids themselves take turns sticking on the correct day. Okay I'll explain: I asked if they wanted a butterfly or an airplane to be the marker, and two wanted a butterfly and one wanted an airplane. Yes, Eli was the airplane.

phone fiasco

Clayton was walking out the door yesterday morning for work and realized he didn't have his phone on him. He called his phone and we didn't hear it ring. He called again and this time he heard a bus full of kids laughing, yelling, and talking. "Olivia this is your father". No response on the other end. I drove to the school and Miss Olivia was sitting at her desk doing her morning work and she popped right up out of her seat, went to her back pack and got the phone.

I dropped the phone off to Clayton just as his boss was phoning. Close Call!

When I got home there was an email from Eli's teacher that read:

"Eli came in concerned that Owa has dad’s phone. He said he thinks Dad might get in trouble at work. I assured him Dad would be okay, then asked him if I could e-mail you. I hope Clay hasn’t been looking all over for it."

Isn't Eli the sweetest little boy?

Our first "family performance"--The Fox

We have just reached the important milestone of first "family performance". Owa, Eli, and Addi did a great job and nobody chickened out at the last minute (my biggest fear). I played banjo and sang a great old song called "The Fox" while the kids acted it out. Amy and I are very proud of them and will make good on our bribe of Dairy Queen.

The setting is a church variety show. I learned this song from my dad who used to sing it to us as kids.

What Mommy does all day (according to Addison)

Now that the triplets are in all day kindergarten, life is pretty much a cake walk but for those of you who are wondering I don't get to nap all day! I love my new found freedom and flexible schedule. Besides Indestructibles, I am still working on call for Johnson County Adult Detox Unit and I watch a set of twins on Thursdays. Also, there is always lots of work to be done around the house.

When the triplets started school I just assumed that I would get a full time job. However, they are out of school all the time and I don't know how I would manage. Three days alone last week for parent teacher conferences. Three days this month for Thanksgiving. You get the picture. Plus we have had a couple sick days. I feel very fortunate to have such a flexible schedule that works well with our life. I worked hard to get things this way and now it is paying off even if I don't get to sleep all day!

copy cat snake

Eli's Garden Prayer Fulfilled!

As you recall a couple of posts ago I mentioned that we planted a garden and Eli prayed there on the spot that it would "grow tall tall tall, even taller than Daddy."

Well today Eli had to give a talk and he spoke of this story, so I took a "reenactment" shot of him pretending to pray.

And here he is in front of the grown-up garden.

Taller than Daddy!

Summer Road Trip

Wednesday we road triped to Marysville, Ks for the unveiling of a Lifetile mural by author/artist Rufus Butler Seder. The mural was in honor of the first Pony Express stop west of St. Joseph, Missouri. We had lunch at the Wagon Wheel and attended the book signing at the RX drugstore. Very fun day.

Check out this movie about Scanimation to get a better idea of how Rufus's murals move:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOTqX8ddLwg

Girls and Their Art

Just a silly shot of the two girls. It was their idea.

And some art by each. The one with the Cyclops is Owa's, who was able to tell me what each picture was. I didn't speak to Addi about hers. Both very creative. Eli asked for the music (my CD) to be turned off today. Amy said, "Clayton, our son doesn't like music." I said it's going to be a long 18 years or however long he's in the house.

Spring Day by the Garden

It was a beautiful Spring afternoon and I (Clayton) came home to the kids sucking the "honey" out of the honeysuckle growing wildly at our fence. What a blessing to have honeysuckle in one's own yard!




We planted a garden this year. The spot was all cleared and dug and churned by hand, with the help of the three pictured here, of course. They also helped plant. Tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, beans, and carrots. Eli wanted to say a prayer that it would grow and wouldn't get all eaten up by little animals. When I said it would be alright he said OK and folded his arms and said it right there and then. So I'm looking forward to an abundant crop.



Just a close peek at what's growing in our lawn.

The Next Generation of Song Writers

The quads wrote a new hit: Up there, down there, everywhere I see a bear. That's it repeated endlessly!

Our Portland Christmas Adventure

Life is only just now settling down after our return from visiting Clayton's family over the Christmas Holliday. It wasn't until this Friday that I sent our Christmas Letter out. It beats Valentine's Day (last year). Honestly it isn't all my fault this time. We had our cards ordered and they were supposed to arrive at Tom and Kaaren's house the Monday before Christmas at the latest. With the huge snow storm that hit the area the mail DID NOT come for several days and was seriously backed up when it did start coming, so I didn't get the cards until a week and a half after Christmas and by then I lost all my momentum. I have to say that the storm took us back to what felt like the olden days. Kaaren and I had to walk to the grocery store because it was almost impossible to drive. We bought the last of the bungee cords which we used to tie down our groceries. Clayton flew in a couple days after the kids and I and by this time the storm had gotten much worse. He had a lay over in Denver and while there Southwest canceled all flights into Portland. He was very lucky he was able to be rerouted to Seattle. Once they he rented an overpriced car due to the high demaand and drove 30 mph all the way to Portland. I was so happy when he made it because there was a time when I didn't know if he would be able to get in. His bags didn't arrive for a whole week. He borrowed a few things from Bryce and was fine.



This is our rescue party. Britt, Bob, Jason, Logan and the dogs met us on the way back. While at Safeway Kaaren and I ordered the Yummiest corn beef sandwich with a delicious olive tapenade.











Logan, Caden, and Eli getting ready to jump off of Courtney and Jason's "old house". They just moved this week before the house gets bulldozed. A LDS Church will be built on this property this summer.