Merry Christmas 2011!

Thank you Betsy for capturing such wonderful photos of our family (as always!)

http://www.betsymariephotography.com/

Ho! Ho! Ho!

It's Christmastime and the kids are ready for it! We kicked of the season by having breakfast with Santa at the neighborhood golf course clubhouse. We went last year and the kids have been talking about it when we drive by there ever since!

Nothing brings out a parent's pride more than watching your children in some sort of program. We were quite impressed with the school Christmas program when they performed last year and were told that the triplets would be on the front row this year since they would really project and perform during practice. Payson and his good friend, Ryan, really took their roles seriously and followed their director's every move. They were like two perfect peas in a pod!

Ryan and Payson performing in perfect symmetry.

Notice how many of the other kids have lost interest while Ryan and Payson stand front and center, still following the director's lead. These boys were unstoppable!

Meanwhile Hayden and Madison were doing a little bit of singing and hand motions here and there, but were generally more distracted than their brother.

In fact, Hayden was pretty nonexistent for the first few songs while she fretted over a lost headband. But, once she found it she was ready to be up front. This video is a MUST SEE as it captures Hayden's vying for the prime position. Be sure to watch her on the left side of the screen. (In her defense [after all, I am her mom- ha!], she was told by the teachers to be in the front but once performance day came and all of the classes were combined for the first time, the front became a little more obscure.)

Nunie and Pops cheered on Madison and her siblings during and after the performance.

Speaking of performances, I took the girls to see a small production of the Nutcracker for the first time. They were in awe of the ballerinas and they have been dancing and twirling all around the house ever since. Hayden has recently had two aliases, one being McKinsey, and now she often wants to go by Clara, the little girl who receives a magical nutcracker on Christmas Eve.

We also took the kids to a Journey to the Manger event at a local church. They got to walk the streets of Bethlehem, pay their taxes and visit the various merchants and crafters of that time.

It was hands on fun as the kids got to help make dreidels and flour and take home treasures such as rings and a bracelet.

At another local church event the kids enjoyed visiting baby Jesus in the manger and petting a real donkey and sheep.

And, they had another visit with Santa Claus! This time they decided to sit with him one at a time. Surprisingly their Christmas wishes have been consistent with each Claus: Hayden wants a stuffed panda bear, Payson wants a stuffed bird and Madison wants a stuffed penguin. Wow, Santa has it easy again this year! (Last year they wanted a stuffed rabbit, balloons and stuffed dog, respectively.)

Our Elf on the Shelf, Alvy, has brought the kids lots of good cheer again this season but this year he's getting into a little more mischief than usual. He found these sprinkles too irresistible.

The grown-up Melkers have also gotten into the spirit with several fun holiday parties. Girls night!

Keith and I had a great time at his company's glammed-up holiday party, as usual. Such fun!

Thanksgiving Feast and Fun

The kids kicked off Thanksgiving with their own little feast at school. They really enjoy dining with their friends and do such a great job of sitting nicely while they eat. Great job to their teachers for teaching them these valuable skills!

The kids were super excited to play in the leaves again this year after last year's Thanksgiving fun at Grammy and GP's house. They started out their exploration with buckets in hand to assist in their treasure hunting.

Like father, like son...

 

Like father, like son. :)

The cousins joined in for our second outing of the day and we headed back to the beloved hill that the kids love to roll down. All lined up ready to roll!

1, 2, 3, GO! 

(Play video below.)

The laughs and squeals were delightful!

 Here's Madison running up the hill to give it another go.

And Payson is on his way back up for more.

Hayden grabs a handful of leaves to shower over her siblings and cousins.

Cousin Emma gets in on the action!

Big cousin Chloe was so sweet and fun to let all of the little kids bury her in the leaves!

And here's Mikayla after surviving her own leaf burial!

Though the fun never did end out in the leaves, the kids took a short break to share a moment with their wonderful Grammy and GP.

Back at the house, hours and hours and hours of Lego time paid off with a mini city that included a building with a swing open roof, street side electrical box and a variety of cars, planes, firetrucks, police squad cars, spaceships and more. Payson (and Keith) were in Lego heaven!

GP and Payson sharing the love with little cousin Marshall.

And the party's never over without late night S'mores on the Melker chiminea. YUM!

Catching Up

Lots to catch up on before the holiday rush! Here's what I got...

Where's Waldo? (Or Hayden, Payson and Madison?) And, yes, they put the stuffed animals on the stairs on their own accord!

What a mess these kids can make in a short period of time!

Picnic at the lake with friends.

 Princess Party!

Mirror, mirror on the wall...

This Rapunzel dress gets A LOT of wear these days!

And a "Rapunzel Braid" is all the rage (with or without adornments). French braids are so last year!

The soccer season went well. We ended the season with one child saddened that it was over, one indifferent and one that was relieved. Yep, these kids are as different as different can be!

They sure make cute little players though! Here are Hayden, Payson and Madison during their last game. Might be the last time they ever play on a team together. Glad we did it while we could!

Playdate with friends!

Zoo time! Funny how we pay to feed their giraffes. The kids loved it though!

Payson and his little buddy Spencer bonded over the sights and sounds.

Sweet Madison.

Photo opp!

 Madison wants to be a zookeeper when she grows up. She is always so loving and tender with babies and animals.

Moms night out!

We hosted a fall harvest dinner party for our neighbors. Butternut squash soup, lamb chops... it was delicious! (If I do say so myself.)

But this layered hazelnut creme crepe cake was definitely my favorite part. Mmm mm!