Guarino Family Fun: January 2011

The fact that Ella is unbearably adorable with her blue eyes and pretty curls is sometimes the only thing that saves her life... We debate daily weather she is a sweet kid with a cantankerous streak or if she is a cantankerous kid with a sweet streak. She has a serious temper, is extremely strong-willed, and always knows just what she wants and wants it NOW. There are days when she'll spend 45 minutes rolling on the floor throwing a temper tantrum and then pop up, give me a hug and say "Ya you, Mommy" (love you, Mommy) in the next breath. Who knows...

I have been very nervous to get her hair cut for fear that the curls would go away, which would make much more difficult for me to forgive her when she's "being a crabby pants" as Will says :-) She's had her bangs trimmed, but nothing more. Just before Christmas though, the wild-woman look was getting a bit out of control. So off to Sherry we went for some layers in the back and on the sides. Thankfully, the curls are still thriving and Ella lives another day...

Ok, I know, I'm running quite a bit behind, as usual. Here you go, the Christmas season highlight reel. It was more wonderful than you could imagine! If we can all take with us through the New Year even one ounce of the joy the kids experienced this Christmas season, it will be a wonderful year indeed.

Decorating our beautiful tree...

The kids then came up with this game where they sat on the bin that stores the decorations for the tree and tipped it over until they fell on the floor. It was hilarious.

Last year's ornaments. How they've changed...

Making Santa's house and toyshop out of gingerbread. Ella LICKED every single piece of candy she used to decorate.

Showing off their stockings!

We hosted a small Christmas Eve at our house with my parents and grandmas. Joe cooked an AMAZING beef tenderloin. Will and Ella exchanged gifts (courtesy of a hilarious trip to Toys R Us with Nan and Pap. Pap wheeling Ella off in one direction to get a gift for Will, and Nan scooting Will away to purchase for Ella. The ride home was a fiasco of Will trying to get in the trunk to see what Ella got him!!). It was always a tradition that Damon and I would exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, to hold us over in gift getting and giving until Christmas morning! It was fun to continue the tradition.

Will opening his trick motorcycle from Ella.

Ella opening her shopping cart from Will.

Post-exchange hugs.

Ella wearing her new hat and carrying her purse from Nan. Pap cracking up...

Will's turn.

Putting some cookies (made by the kids!) and carrots on the plate for Santa and his reindeer. They ate them all, and even left a thank you note!!

A little The Night Before Christmas before bedtime in their new Christmas PJ's. Also a family tradition from the Antonetti household!

The big morning!! Will has been telling everyone with ears, including 3 Santas, that he wanted a train table like his friend Liam's for Christmas (and a robot and xylophone). When we visited the Kelly's in South Bend, Liam had an awesome train table that Will fell in love with. He was super excited when there was one just like it in the living room Christmas morning.

Ella opening her new dollhouse from Santa. She loves to put the baby on the potty and announce, "Baby pooping again!"

The mess...

Ella ready for Mass!

After Mass and naps on Christmas, we headed to my parents to celebrate with my brother and Amy and grandmas. Round 2 of Christmas cheer!

Playing some Whack-a-Mole. Games were definitely a big hit with both kids this year.

Their super fun, and super noisy Dance Star Mickey from Nan and Pap. They just LOVE this thing and are seriously hilarious dancing with him. A video is definitely in order... I'll get on that :-)

Will was certainly as excited to give gifts this year as he was to get them. It was super sweet.

The week after Christmas, we were off to CT to visit the Guarino's. Christmas Round 3! Other than the stomach flu that we all came down with and shared with the family, sorry!, it was a great trip!

More PRESENTS. Our living room, by the way, looks like Toys R Us threw up all over it...