Closet Beds

Our bedtime parenting basically goes like this: We tuck the kids into bed, kiss them good night, then leave them up to their own devices & don't really fuss over kids who are not-exactly-going-right-to-sleep. Thus, you will not be surprised that the two four year olds who share a room, rarely go right to sleep. They often have a party in their room from the hours of 8pm - 9:00-ish. When we check on them on our way to bed, we often find a fully completed puzzle on the floor, all their stuffed animals out, every book in their closet out like they have been reading, etc. Then there was this one time, we went to check on them & our hearts stopped. THEY WERE NOT THERE. Not in their beds, not on their bean bag chairs, not on the floor, not in their bathroom. Apparently, they found a very cozy spot right on the floor of their closet, which is a perfectly normal place to sleep. I mean when you get really tired, it is JUST SO HARD TO WALK TO YOUR REAL BED.

The Big Reveal

Now the question that EVERYONE asks: Are we all done yet? The good news is that our bank thinks we are done. The bad news is that the city does not. We have approximately one outlet to fix and a few code-fixes-or-what-nots in the garage. We will probably still be working on curtains, decor, re-landscaping, and random trim pieces until sometime in 2018, but who's keeping track?

Winter Sports

Over here at Growing Up Cunningham, we have been pretty busy with our winter sports. 

Connor & I had an epic day to ourselves on the mountain. The morning started out kinda like this...

 ...but we turned it around by the afternoon & Connor went down multiple green runs on his own!

 

Connor also played basketball for the first time on a team. Here's his best defensive moves:

Although swimming is not traditionally a winter sport, its our favorite time to take lessons, because NO. ONE. ELSE. DOES. Kaia & Ashlyn had the pool and the instructor all to themselves, which translated into a LOT of great swimming instruction! Their best move is talking & laughing while they back float, because giggling is still their best sport.

 

They also started a new class that is half tap, half ballet. Here is "crazy color day" which these two translated into "wear your swimsuit to dance day!"

 

And their very first tap routine. They are the two closest to the camera in pink. Please note how they get ALL. THE. STEPS. EXACTLY. RIGHT. like the skip hop in a circle move. #nailedit 

That's my favorite part:)

Performers

We got to enjoy two Christmas programs this year! First, the second graders put on quite a show! Our second grader was chosen for a small speaking role, which he insisted that he practice alone or at school only (it was a surprise for us!). He also shows considerable promise for singing with eyebrow emphasis. Some things never change.

And our little angels...

When our first preschooler was "performing" on this stage, we noticed that he was often in the back row. Tallest child? Or fewest hand motions/singing? We can't really say for sure, but maybe you remember this. Now we have two little performers who really REALLY like to use hand motions. And sing. Either they really do go by height (weird), or the Cunninghams have been promoted to front row performance status.

Snow Day!

 Oh man, we love a snow day! Especially one right in our own front yard.

 First snow at our new (old) house.

We all had a nice day off, played until the snow turned to ice, then did a little extreme ice-sledding (not recommended for beginners).

Decorating, Snooping, & CHRISTMAS!!

We had an epic tree hunting day this year. It starts out with pouring rain, like BUCKETS of rain, and a sopping wet tree. In our living room. On the new wood floor. Dripping for days. Let's just say that we have made better life decisions before. After it all dried out (approximately 5 days later) we got right to decorating that fancy thing.

 Then we received an early delivery of gifts...

 What? Snooping? Not these two angels!!

Then Christmas Eve was finally here. With 27 family members, it was basically lots of chaos, lots of wrapping paper, and many good times! Of course Scott is at the kids table. Typical.

I always wish I had taken more pictures, but clearly we were all a bit busy celebrating!

Jingle

You know what we love most about the Christmas season, right?

.

This year the kids are hoping that Jingle might make a few sneak appearances "just to check up on us" through out the year. I mean WE JUST MISS HIS CRAZY ANTICS SO MUCH. Only time will tell...he is such a crazy unpredictable guy.