Christmas Party

Today's been fun, haha. So I left errand running to today, and I don't think I'll do that again, cause it kinda tipped the day into chaos. While I was at Costco, Owen and Daniel emptied two cans of hairspray onto their bedroom walls, and train table, and dresser. So I found that later today but it was nice and dried on, which was a bummer and it's going to take quite a bit of scrubbing. I am not going to get more hairspray until the big boys, Ethan Hyrum and Wes, who are the only ones who use hairspray, help me clean it off AND take a solemn vow to keep the hairspray up on the shelf out of toddler reach. I did phase 1 today, I think there will be 4 or 5 phases.

So that was a little stressful, but other than that it's been fun festivities today. Tonight we had two fun Christmas things - first was I took the kids to go see Iveth's children perform in their program "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" at the Cottonwood Theater, back near my old stomping grounds in Cottonwood Heights. Her kids did a very cute job, it was fun to go see them.

And good job Iveth - that was a big commitment on her time too to have them there everyday! Even though they had small roles in the play, they were required to be there and they did great. After that we hurried back home to go to our ward Christmas dinner. I had to hurry and throw together a potato salad. It was a good dinner with lots of desserts too, which once again was the first thing my kids went for. Our kids did some musical numbers to give the Primary time to set up for a Nativity performance. They did an excellent job - it looked as legit as the program that Iveth's family was in! I was impressed, way to go Primary, and hats off to our Elders Quorum President who made the stable and manger, it was a legitimate work of art! After that Santa came. A nice neighbor took pictures of the kids.

The lady to took this picture, Terry, told me of the exchange that she and Natalie had:
"So, I think you may wish to kill me!
Natalie asked me if Santa is real.
*GASP!!!*
Never ask a realist is Santa is real!!!!
I told her he's just a story and Aiden Jensen about had a cow!
Then she asked me is Santa is Satan, because that's what her brother said, because of the letters.
Then she asked me is Santa made elves.  I told her there are no such thing as elves; that Heavenly Father only made people and animals, not elves and flying reindeer.....
SOOOOO SORRY!!!  I know I have probably scarred her for life!!!
Please do damage control and forgive me."

I told her no worries, that we never push Santa and when they ask we tell them the truth but they usually don't understand and think that he's real anyway, which is the case right now with Natalie. She asked the Santa at the party if he was the real Santa, and Terry was right by and confessed to Santa that she had told Natalie he wasn't real. But he cleared it up, and so she heard it from the big man himself, so it must be true. Abi's posture might give her away, she's looking a little skeptical.

Lily's looking a little dubious as well.

And I took a picture of Owen, who didn't want to go near that creepy guy.

With a little help from Corey, he was brave enough to go take a candy cane.

After that, people were writing letters to the missionaries and starting to clean up. Natalie finishing her epistle to Joseph just in time.

It was a good gathering. We sure love our neighborhood and church ward.