And the summer begins....

Summer vacation has begun and we are adjusting to the change of schedule and routines.

We are playing a lot more board games as a family

The kids are working with legos - I'm thinking it is a "boy" thing to make torture chambers with your legos - I never made "torture chambers" for my Barbies when I was a kid (ha)

We are having some "fun" sibling interactions (this series of pics cracks me up, if you can think of them as a "flip" book, you can see the interaction....)

Still left on our summer vacation agenda are:

• camping
• day at the coast
• sleepovers with friends
• choir camp (Avery)
• potentially a sleepover camp (Tobias) 

6 months later....

Can it really have been 6 months since our last update from the Smith clan?!?! Seems crazy that the time has flow by so quickly. I need to check in with this blog more frequently and keep it updated - yikes!

In the past 6 months, here are some highlights (in no particular order):

• we have gone to "Middle School Orientation" (ARGHHH!!!)
• Tobias attended a 3 day/2 night Outdoor School 
• Avery decided he didn't want to play the cello any more this year (I'm hopeful he will return to it next year).
• We have dealt with some of the ups & downs of parenting tweens and learning plenty along the way
• Watched several movies - in our theater mainly, now that we are spoiled its hard to justify the expense and hassle of GOING to a movie theater (sad, I know)
• Began playing various strategy board games - Heroscape, Summoner's Wars, Carcassonne, Talisman, etc. 
• Enjoyed our park across the street with nerf gun wars and soon to be watergun fights, I'm sure.
• Mike and I have both sustained back injuries of various degrees of severity
• We now have an 11 year old in the house....so odd! And soon to be 10 year to take us fully into double-digit children (so wrong, but seems I don't get a vote)
• attended multiple choir concerts to support Avery's interest in singing - including the Iris Fest here in Keizer and other events around town.
• Tobias has been working on various scooter/skateboard moves - perfecting them with only the slightest of bumps and bruises.
• Hanging out with grandparents and keeping in touch with family farther away via skype (from time to time, this is a new venture that we are working on )
• Here are some recent snapshots - not related to the highlights above, but just to prove the kids are alive and well :)

So - that is all that is coming off the top of my head at this moment. I know there has been more. I'm hopeful to keep up a little more with this a summer starts. Kids are out in a week and a half!

Wrapping up of Christmas Break....

 Our Christmas break is winding down with just a Sunday between the holidays and reality of 2011. The kids have been enjoying their new toys and some old traditions. They are loving these "drinking glasses" still and woke up to do colored water drinking a few times since Christmas - the glasses really crack me up!

 We have been making a Christmas Cookie Tree for the past several years and continued the tradition this year.  It is a fun and delicious tradition - WE LOVE SUGAR COOKIES (and FROSTING)!!!

By the end though, we had a leaning tower of cookies, oops!

  Avery gives them 2 thumbs-up

The boys have also been enjoying other of the unique gifts they received - one of the gooeyist gifts was a gummy noodle and eye ball kit - with candy sauce - uck!!! (Thanks Uncle Derek & Aunt Holly).

 Mike and I took some time out with friends from church and went bowling. Here is Mike showing us how its done!!

 This is what most mornings have looked like over the Christmas break starting somewhere between 9 and 11am.....eating Captain Crunch Christmas cereal and watching "The Real Ghostbusters."

 Alas....it is time to be done with Christmas - here we are packing all the Christmas decorations away.

 Here we are playing with another of our gifts, the game "Pictureka." It is an interesting and multi-facted card game for kids (and adults alike). Thanks Uncle Derek & Aunt Holly).

 I (Amanda) have been enjoying my many mug gifts that I received this year. An elephant mug from Tobias & Mike. And an elegant black/white mug from the Leonidoff's. Thanks for feeding my mug/tea habit!!

Christmas Day

** The post below is the full slideshow of our Christmas day.  It's nice but I think the stories are better told in full! I (Amanda) got a new camera for Christmas thus I'm not in any of the shots :)

The day started a little slow as I (Amanda) was sick and Avery was bit under the weather, too. But we got up and had our traditional cinnamon roll breakfast with hot chocolate.

Then we commenced with the present opening....it's sad that we weren't able to get the kids much this year - HAHA!!!

Christmas - Part I was just the Smiths in the wee hours of the morning..

 Kids had a grand time opening gift and gift and gift - mostly Star Wars themed - books, ships, action figures, and even clothes. They also got non-Star Wars themed clothes and "comfy pants" like their Dad.

These are special gold ornaments from the McNamara's that we received this year and added to our ornament collection on the tree. Such beautiful works of art!

 These are Tobias' aforementioned "comfy" pants to lounge around in throughout the day. They are very similar to a pair that Mike got a few weeks ago. Both boys got a pair and LOVE them....and, of course, being a cool as their Dad

 Avery has long wanted this particular Star Wars ship and was even attempting to save up money for it. An ARC 170 - so he was more than thrilled to open this up as his finale present.

After the opening, the putting together and configuring took place. Lots to open, assemble, and decorate with stickers. 










The aftermath - trash/recycle pile - of Christmas Part I.

Tobias and Mike got me this wonderful elephant mug for Christmas...it is a fabulous addition to my elephant collection!
















We hosted Christmas at our house this year....Here is the lovely table we set!















GG join us for Christmas Part II

  Mike BBQed ribs (with his homemade BBQ sauce), and sweet potatoes. He also made pulled pork in the crock pot. We filled in the rest of the menu with homemade corn bread muffins, maple-cinnamon butter, and potato salad.

We had yummy crust-less pumpkin pie in custard cups with homemade whipped cream. Such a yummy and filling day!





We opened the grandparent gifts early because they required more prepping - felted hats. Both ended up failing so I am remaking them today. But it was a fun gift and process!

Tobias and Avery had asked for "drinking glasses" and got them from the Jones grandparents. They are pretty hilarious...Here are some pics and below that a movie of them playing with them for the first time. FUN!

 One of the most hilarious anectdotes from the day was when Tobias was opening a present from the grandparents. He had made a request for an iPad. So, grandpa says, "it's something from your Christmas list." He got VERY excited and said, "YES! An iPad!" So funny that he thought that was even within the realm of possibilities :) Anyway, what he ended up getting was a "mepad" - a notepad styled to look a bit like an iPad (it looks like this). He thought it was "very funny, grandpa" (said in monotone slight disappointment). Avery also got an iPad-wannabe, a magnadoodle.

 Avery was tricked by the packaging....He really thought he got this massive, Costco-sized box of Equal. In this picture he really was still convinced it was just a box of equal.

It ended up being homemade pajamas from Grandma Jones.

 Mike also got a homemade gift - popcorn-themed pillows for the recliners for our movie room. Perfect addition the the movie-watching experience.

 The morning after....Tobias working on his "iPad" - planning out his day, etc.

 Avery chilling on the couch watching an episode of the "Real Ghostbusters" series that Mike got them (from the 80s, animated).


All in all it was a fabulous Christmas - we enjoyed hosting and had a grand time, despite the illnesses.

Hope you and yours had an equally festive and enjoyable Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all!