Polar Express Christmas Slumber Party

Dear Abigail,

Oh man, what a fabulous, fabulous evening we had this past Saturday!  We had a Polar Express Christmas Slumber party and what a treat!  What a treat!!  The gang came over around 4 and we immediately got to work on art projects.  We began with "painting" your own plate.  Using markers, you drew all over, whatever you wanted, on your own personal plate.  Then Mommy stuck them in the oven and wa-lah, you have a beautiful plate to eat off now!  

You kiddos worked really hard on those plates, making sure they were perfect.  

 After plates, you worked on ornaments for the Christmas tree!

 Again, all three of you hard at work!  Next up came a clever little idea by yours truly (mommy!).  We glued together several rolls of the cardboard from paper towels and toilet paper that were cut in different sizes and made a Christmas tree.  Then you painted them with green paint.  (I only got a picture of Ryan doing this for some reason...)

 While the paint was drying, we moved onto our next activity.  Instead of exchanging toys this year (since all of you have WAY too much) we decided to do a book exchange.  Each of you brought 2 books and you passed the books around and when the music stopped, you got to open the book that was in your hands!

 You scored with Where the Wild Things Are and Little Lamb (or something like that)!  Both great new reads!  After we read a little, we sent you kiddos upstairs to play while the mammas made some pizza.  Originally you were supposed to help us make it, but you three (Ryan, Ellie and you, that is) were SOOO hyper and wound up that we decided to send you upstairs instead!!  And, if I do say so myself, the mommas rocked on the pizza!  Look at that, a perfect little snowman pizza for the Polar Express slumber party!!

 While the pizza was cooking, we rallied up the troops (i.e. the kiddos) and finished our last project.  The paint was dried on the trees, so now you had to decorate them with ornaments and garland and even a stump for the tree.  Afterwards, Mommy put a little ribbon on top and wa-lah, another beautiful Christmas decoration!
As soon as that was done, we cleared the table and devoured some delicious snowman pizza.  And then, for the grand finale (okay, not necessarily the grand finale, but for the mommas, the most exciting part of all), you kiddos got in your matching Christmas pajamas!!!  Seriously, how ridiculously cute are you 6 in this picture?!!!

 It was kind of funny the way it all worked out.  I thought, hey, let's bring this bench over here, everyone was in a decent mood, and bam, the very first picture was our best!!  And pretty good considering there are 6 kiddos, including 3 babies!  We, of course, had some pretty funny out takes!

 But seriously, that first one was the very first picture I took.  Ryan was VERY excited to go to our last activity of the evening and would jump out at every picture, typically right before the picture actually took and then we'd have to say "ONE MORE RYAN!!!" But, he did sit still for the Three Amigos pictures!

 And we even got one with a little love going on!

Finally we were through with the pictures and, I guess you would call this the grand finale to the kiddos at least.  We headed up to the media room and turned on Polar Express.  Whew, were you three wound up!!  But, the movie was on by 7:15, the little kids were in bed by 7:15, and the mommies were enjoying a nice glass of water, or probably something similar by 7:15!  We didn't hear another peep from you three until that movie was over.  What's funny is, you all three walked down, somberly, and said "We're ready to go to bed now".  Clearly, the Polar Express Christmas Slumber party had worn you out!  So, nothing left to do but head to bed.  Of course, you all insisted on sleeping together.  We knew it wasn't going to work out, but we humored you and played music beds for about 10 minutes.  In all honesty, we thought for a half of a nano of a millisecond that it MIGHT work.  We had Ryan in a sleeping bag between your two beds in your room, Ellie in one, you in the other, although it started off with you AND Ellie in the sleeping bag, Ryan in the bed, then you in the bed, Ellie in the sleeping bag, Ryan in the other bed, then Ellie in the twin bed with you, then Ryan in the other bed.  But at last, it was you in one bed, Ellie in the other, Ryan in the sleeping bag.  I read a book to you three, we kissed everyone good night and turned the night light on and the other lights off and walked out and even down stairs.  There's where that little bit of hope cracked through.  But within a minute we were back up there, the lights were on, Ryan was ready to go down to sleep with his Mom and you and Ellie wanted to be in the same bed.  SO, Ryan went downstairs and we TRIED letting you and Ellie both lay in the bed together but eventually Aunt Steph separated you and within minutes, you were both asleep. Whew!!  Good news is it's getting better and better with the two of you (Ellie and you) sleeping in the same room.  By beach trip next year, you will be pros! Bad news is when Ellie sleeps with you, you wake up SUPER early.  It was 5:45 when you flipped on my lights.  5:45!!!! You (nor I) haven't seen that time in a LONG time, nor should we be, and I tried my best to get you both to go back to sleep, but alas, we were all up and at them (except your sister who decided to just sleep on in, the morning i was up at 5:45.  always works out like that, huh).  Anyway, so everyone was up and nothing says an early morning wake up call like a good Mickey Mouse Christmas Show!  We also figured out how we're going to take pictures next time - stick a TV in front of you all!!!!

 Oh cutie patooties!! Who cares how early it was when you look this cute!
Up next on the Christmas slumber party list was breakfast, and what better breakfast is there than reindeer pancakes with a candy cane on the side! Again, the Mommies were pretty thrilled with their talent!  I will say, we MAY have gotten a couple of these ideas from Pinterest, but half the battle of Pinterest is remembering to do the things you save.  The other half is doing them correctly.  We succeeded on all levels, again, if I do say so myself :)

And everyone seemed to think they were tasty! No question what you went to first...

After breakfast there was a little more playing time and a couple marriage proposals from Ryan, but eventually everyone gathered their things and headed out the door, well, except Ellie who hung around and played with you for a bit longer.  Everyone, including the mommies, had a blast at the Polar Express Christmas Slumber party and there is NO doubt that this will become an annual event!  I may start making it a weekend event because at noon, I took you to one room and Ellie to the other and told you both that you had to lay down and take a nap and BAM, you both did without a bit of fussing AND both slept for over an hour and half!!!  Please note you DO NOT take naps, ever, like never, much less go to your room and close your eyes and sleep without hesitating!!  I was super proud (of you, that is, not me, well, a little of me because seriously, I headed up the stairs with all three of you girls at 12 and by 12:15 all three of you were asleep.  I mean, come on, I totally should get a little credit for that.  Again, proud of you, too, though. Totally proud!).
So, as you can see, a GREAT 8th day of Christmas with an awesome Polar Express Christmas Slumber party!!!  Love you!