#1: Happy Birthday!!!
Today is a most important day in the Hamel house! Kate turns 3!
I have no idea where these 3 years went! I cannot believe that my baby girl is 3! It's exciting and bittersweet all at the same time! Kate is a sweet and sassy, pinkalicious princess!
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| Birthday breakfast of french toast and her favorite juice, orange mango tango:) |
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| Present time We got her more princesses for her princess castle and the Cinderella Coach. She loved it. Luke's thoughts: "These presents are boring, Mommy!" (He's such a boy!) |
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| Birthday dance...spinning around chanting "I'm three!" |
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| I love this sweet little face! |
#2: The Return
...and I don't mean gifts!
Andrew and Mike arrived home this week! They are officially done with their semester.(Jon, too!) Mike sweated it out with lots of work and stress over maintaining a certain GPA so he can student teach next semester. He did it....Thank you, God! It took lots of blood, sweat, and tears...and that was only on our part! Let me just say that parenting young adults is not for the faint of heart!
#3: Reaching Vacation
All the kids are starting their Christmas vacations on different days! That makes the baking for teacher gifts a little confusing! Today is Peter's last day. He has 3 teachers, a bus driver and aide, plus some therapists, so the last day of school for him is quite labor intensive! I did manage to get it all together! So...one down and 3 to go!
#4: Family Christmas Get-Together
Tomorrow, my Dad's side of the family will be getting together at our house to celebrate Christmas. That means that today my older boys may regret that their classes are done because they will be my cleaning minions! The to-do list is on the island just waiting for their sleepy eyes to adjust! Actually, Mike's still asleep so once I'm done writing this I will be dragging him out of bed! I need all hands on deck....and I'm hoping they are in "helpful moods" today! I will be cleaning and baking: 2 apple crisps, cookie dough brownies, and crusts for Sarah's lemon meringue pies! I will be prepping some cookie dough, too, since we need to bake Saturday night for some friends we will see at Mass Saturday morning! Busy, busy, busy!
#5: Birthday Party
Ellie has a Christmas concert at school tonight, so we are having Kate's birthday party on Sunday! Party weekend at our house! Kate's favorite is lasagna so that's what we're having for lunch! So, sometime after Saturday's get-together and 11 am on Sunday morning I need to make homemade spaghetti sauce for the lasagna! At least the house will be clean from Saturday's party!
#6: School Christmas Parties
Ellie's Christmas party is on Monday, so we have to do some baking on Sunday night for that! Luke's Christmas party is on Tuesday and that's also a half day for Sarah and Ellie. Then, everyone will be home for Christmas break! The girls can't wait! Sarah is especially jealous that all of her brothers are home relaxing all day while her teachers are cramming in everything they can by Monday!
#7: Christmas Week!
And then the real excitement begins! There will be more baking and cleaning to get ready! Christmas Eve is at my sil, Jackie's, and Christmas Day is here with a smaller crowd! What's on my dessert menu? Reese's peanut butter cheesecake, caramel cheesecake, apple pie, and more cookies!:)
(I have to get everyone's favorites in!;)
At some point I have to finish up the last of my wrapping and fill the stockings to make sure I didn't forget anything! That will probably happen on Monday during the day....the bonus of having my older boys home so I can lock myself in my room with some Christmas music and wrap away!(and then run out to grab anything I need!)
That pretty much sums it all up! I have to say I am not at all stressed..at least not yet! My goal is to do enough to make things special for everyone but not so much that I become a Grinch!
Enjoy the weekend!
