Merry Christmas from the Urban family!!

My theory

If you're interesting in knowing the reason why I think our kids have been to the emergency room a total of seven times for stitches......

Here is my theory: Their crazy dad.

And I know you're wondering, so I'll just go ahead and tell you. Yes, the children did follow after him!

We had a house full of boys and their parents over here on Friday night to celebrate an undefeated soccer season! First place trophies, how exciting for this group of 11 year old boys! I just want to say, this coach is truly amazing. He is a wonderful christian man, great role model, and is just the right balance between challenging and fun. Most of these boys go to the same school and I imagine Simeon will be hanging out with them for a lot of years. I am so thankful.

My silly children played a game with the ice they picked up off the ground. They filled the bucket with ice and water and had a contest to see who could keep their hand in the longest....

And the winner is.......JUDE, at 3 1/2 minutes.

You couldn't pay me to do this. Yet look how much fun they're having.

Liesel wrapped up the tiny diary key and told Hope that it was the key to Fairy Tale Land. She said you can't go to Fairy Tale land until you're 8, but would she can hang on to the key until then. Hope is very excited to enter Fairy Tale Land and now absolutely cannot wait to turn 8. Only 3 more years to hang on to that key.

Here we are at Walmart. Hope is a reindeer pulling Mrs. Claus in her sleigh (with her scarf).

I wish I had a fragment of this imagination.

The kids are teaching Ava to give kisses. She is getting close, but always manages to stick her tongue out at the last minute. This always grosses me out but the kids don't seem to mind it at all. It keeps our immunities strong I guess.

It's starting to look like Christmas around here finally! I had to laugh when I just looked at these photos. It looks like we had a very peaceful and tranquil time putting up Christmas decorations, doesn't it? That's all I'm saying about this post.

Alina has a family!

I just want to say.....ALINA HAS A FAMILY!!!! I got an email from her new mama over the weekend. She said she and her family had sponsored her this Christmas, and in the meantime had fallen in love with her and wanted to make her a permanent member of their family. I am so, so happy for this little girl. :)

Seeing Santa at The Little Lighthouse Christmas party

Somebody is way too cool to sit on Santa's lap anymore.

Jude.....

If you happen to see me in the next couple of days and notice a big goose egg on my cheek, please know that my husband is not a wife-beater. Rather, I was in the attic today pulling out Christmas decorations and I tripped on a pipe and fell on the corner of a chair. John asked me why I didn't catch myself with my hands and I do not know the answer to that. That would have been the logical thing to do. Next time I hope I remember to do that. I feel very loved this evening, however. I had children bringing me ice packs and food, and cleaning the house for the rest of the evening. :) I didn't mind the pain so much then.

Our favorite long time babysitters (two sisters) have grown up and gotten jobs and boyfriends and aren't as available as they used to be. We tried out a new one tonight (who also brought her sister), so John and I had a date tonight for the first time in months! All seemed to have gone well with the babysitters so I think we'll ask them back. I just want to say, my sweet darling husband took me out for sushi even though he himself hates sushi.

Poor Jude doesn't get much blog attention and for good reasons:

1. He is a middle child.
2. He doesn't like to have his picture taken.
3. He is very serious.
4. He doesn't like to be the center of attention.

However, there is so much to brag about on him.

-He is getting straight A's.
-He was Student of the Month.
-He started piano lessons in October and is picking it up very quickly.
-He is as sweet as can be.

Evidently last week the teacher asked if anyone in the class knew how to play the piano. Well he raised his hand. She asked him to audition for the piano part of the Christmas play. Guess what? He is playing Jingle Bells for the 2nd grade Christmas play!! And he's only had six lessons! I am so incredibly proud. He takes after his dad that way.

And yesterday Jude made a Christmas wish list that I have no idea what to do with:
1. A four wheeler
2. A bunny rabbit
3. A tiger kitten
4. A golden retriever puppy
5. A little brother
Oh my goodness................

Changes

I decided some big changes were needed around here, which is one of the reasons I've been absent from blogging lately. I tried a million different ways to do these projects by myself but it turns out a 5 year old would rather paint than watch all the cartoons and eat all the candy she wants. :)

Hope and I painted the porch (part of it anyway)....

The picnic table and benches.....(we agreed that she would paint the bottoms and the backs, and I'd paint the tops and the fronts)....worked out pretty well.

Truth be told it wasn't as bad as I feared it might be. Next time I'll take Mandy's advice and give Hope a bucket of water and a paint brush and tell her to go paint a pretty clear coat on the fence.

I do not regret my decision to let her help. Although there was quite a clean up afterwards, including black dog prints all up and down the sidewalk, I have to say it was awfully sweet to hear her say over and over again, "Mommy, aren't you glad you have a helper?"

And while we were changing things up a bit........I'm a brunette!!

A funny but sad story from last week. One of the kids came in one evening calling us to come see the opossum playing dead in the front yard. We all went out and marveled over the way he could be laying perfectly still, yet breathing, and apparently aware that he was in danger and able to protect himself by pretending to be dead. Fascinating. It seemed like a picturesque moment. So, well, I took a picture. We went out about an hour later expecting him to have gotten up and walked away. Well he hadn't. He wasn't playing dead after all. He was actually dead. How sad. :( I think the Nelly the dog was playing a little too rough with him. Which I suppose is the reason we vaccinate our pets against rabies.