Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from the Haig family. See our Christmas card here: tcmark.net/HaigChristmas2012.jpg.

Stadium seating

We have been going to watch Tim's basketball team play quite a lot this season now that the kids can all sit through the whole game well.  The other day Becca went off to play for a bit and then came to get me to join her to watch a pretend game at home.  (The seat next to her was saved for me.)

Thanksgiving Feast

Michael's class did a Thanksgiving feast at the end of November.  They each got to pick if they wanted to be a Native American or a Pilgrim.  I'm pretty sure every boy in Michael's class picked a Native American.  What first grade boy would turn down such festive war paint!

Fruit Turkeys

Around Thanksgiving time I had been looking for a fun fall project to do with the kids and saw this idea online.  After school I showed the kids a picture of it and cut up some fruit and let them build their own fruit turkeys.  They turned out so cute and the kids were very proud.





Although I think they liked it better when I finally allowed them to dig in.  I even put out some yummy cream cheese dip for them to try.

She was like God

You know those times when you are busy with something and kids are off playing so nicely together.  Then you realize that it has been very quiet for probably too long and you go to investigate.

At one such time last week, this is what I found.


Jon and Becca had been working carefully to find toys and books from all over the house and collect them at the foot of the stairs.

Jon explained it this way:

Becca was doing something and I wanted to help.  You know how God made the world and Jesus helped?  Becca was like God, and I was like Jesus helping her.

Christmas decorations

Putting up a Christmas tree is always a multiple day event for us.  As usual, we find an evening to go out and get the tree all together and then we get busy and one evening when Tim is working or at rehearsal I find time to decorate the tree with the kids.  Each year I promise myself that I will never decorate the tree with the kids again without a second parent around, but...

This year was no different.  I tackled the tree with the kids one evening.  I went in with Christmas joy and high hopes and left sending the kids up to bed and trying to vacuum and spread out the kid level clusters of ornaments by myself in frustration.  But in the middle we had a lot of fun!


Posing with the tree.


And every time I get the camera out they want to pose with silly faces.


The stockings were hung on the chimney stair rail with care.

Thanksmas 2012

OK, are you ready - this is going to be a long post.

A while back when the DeJong crew started marrying off, it was decided that we would each try to come back together for a family holiday gathering each year - Thanksgiving one year and Christmas the next, allowing the other holiday each year to be "the inlaws" time.  This has worked out fabulously with one tweek, Thanksgiving always turns into a whole weekend to include Thanksgiving and Christmas gift giving.  We even crafted a new name for the holiday: Thanksmas.

This year, it was hosted by the Mt. Pleasant DeJongs.  After carefully planning, they were able to piece together five tables in the kitchen and spilling out into the living room, three for the adults and big kids, and two for the littler ones.  The two of us families with three kids each were quarantined in the kitchen, while others were deemed neat enough to eat over the white carpet of the living room.





While we had everyone together we ventured out for a full family picture.  I LOVE how well it turned out.  None of the little girls look super happy, but everyone does look simply fabulous.  I wonder how many more years we will be able to pull this off?


And while we were outside with beautiful weather, some football:





Every time we get together, we often find ourselves taking pictures of the triplet cousins.  Here they all are sporting their new Calvin wear from Grandpa DeJong and Oma Chris.  (Don't mind the see food from Becca - she is only two after all.)


Friday the four of us ladies took off early in the morning to hit the outlet mall.  We left the guys and kids home to play and pick up a Christmas tree.


We had a pretty successful trip.


And the kids had some wonderful Uncle time.



Then it was time for Christmas.  We decorated the tree and each of the six (non-baby) cousins came with a gift to exchange.


Jon got a cars book with mat and car figurines.


Michael got a ping pong set that can be set up on a table surface.


And Becca got some fun play-doh and equipment.  Boy, their cousins (or aunts I guess) really know my kids well.  They all loved their gifts.


And we tried for a Christmas picture with the cousins.  It is officially impossible to get all 8 smiling at the same time, but they are all adorable.


Saturday, the three families with kids stuck around and headed to the new indoor water park in the area.




With all the fabulous pools, water sprays, climbing equipment, and lazy river, this slide was the favorite of most of the kids.  I spent a good hour supervising the climb up and the slide down of child after child.



Overall it was a fabulous weekend and Jon especially can't stop talking about when he can see cousin Cody again.