Christmas 3 and final! :)

Christmas pics, Laura with the spinny wheel thingee and her red hair predecessor.
Cole with Halo legos that we heard about forever!
Cole with Santa hat and a weird look, but I like the pic
Laura...not sure what she's screaming and finally Hannah proving that it doesn't matter what you give them (at least four year olds)...she's holding a brush and she HATES getting her hair brushed!

Christmas 2

Christmas Eve we went to Mary's to celebrate her bday and eat, scrumptious food, play fun game (Farkle), back at home we read the Christmas story, opened the traditional one present and scooted kiddies off to bed,. Well, one kiddie then we had two helpers. I think Laura enjoyed it. We didn't don our kerchief and cap until 2:00 am and of course the kids were up at 6:00, I'm proud to say we were right there with them.

I have no idea why we're hugging (maybe the Christmas pjs), but I love the picture :)

feigning sleep (can you see the giggles coming forth?)

They're ready for Christmas morning...bring it on (if only mommy and daddy were)

After Santa came...Hannah calls these the "set ups"

Santa doesn't wraps, but names are necessary, cause great goodness if he didn't

and I happen to know this little house gave Santa some trouble in more ways than one

Christmas 1

We pretty much failed on taking pics during the month of december

The Sunday before Christmas at my mom's

Christmas Eve in Florida...short sleeves and pillow pets from pa paw (that's mountainese for Grandpa/daddy).

and...Batting

talking over wood and planning to organize it all, we did that new year's day woohoo

running

biking

swinging



pa paw :)

Our cat snuggled up under the Christmas tree :)..I forgot he was there and was tossing presents on him. apparently he didn't mind.

More Christmas to come :) :) :)...where is the dislike button for uploading pics to blogger????

Kidnapped!

These two children were taken from their school with a surprise visit to the library (to kill time). Also wondering why their little sister got to stay at GRandma's and they didn't. Then they were blindfolded and told no secrets could be revealed of their destination(s). As the evidence above proves they were miserable, begging, giddy, itchy (Laura), restless, dying to know their location. They are finally able to exit the van and hear a familiar sound and ask if it's daddy (the hard to disguise sound of the yoda) and I tell them it's a motorcyle. We enter a door and they smell smells and ask them to guess, they're not sure and it's ....Wendy's! One of their favorite places to eat AND yes their daddy is there (bad timing on my part). We all enjoy a meal together and we ask them if it was worth being kidnapped and they're ho hum.

We leave Wendy's and tell them they have to put on the blindfolds....again!!! dun dun dun dun (or however that goes). By the way, Cole guesses within the first few guesses of where we're going, but me knowing Cole tell them right off I will not tell them even if they guess right (ruin my fun.. I don't think so). So they're giddy, restless and such again and we end up at the movies. Not something we do especially new releases. You have lay down some serious dough for that business. But I happened upon some cheapish cereal boxes with movie passes for every two you bought. I cut them out and tucked away the boxes so they wouldn't be suspicious. We went to see the third Narnia movie. It was really good. C.S. Lewis = awesomeness.

And then it was over, although of course we teased them about putting on the blindfolds again. They said they enjoyed being kidnapped. I love to surprise them...so much fun! Have to start working on my next one ;)

Oh and Hannah nanna had a great time at mom's. We certainly would've kidnapped her too, but she's pretty much scared of her own shadow, which is fine, but Narnia and she would not mix. She got her own surprise with starting the morning thinking she was going to school when she didn't want to and ended up going to Grandma's so it was good for her too.

Rewind

We actually started December with a Carnegie Hall performance at the Ricks Hall. Cole and Laura have done really well with piano...says I, but I'm just their mom, I suppose. Laura played Up on the House Top and Cole played Joy to the World and did a duet with Brandon of Away in a Manger. They both can play their numbers well and know them by heart. Everytime they pass the piano they have to play them. Laura has learned Away in a Manger and has somehow managed to learn to play the first part of the Olympics song, we assume by ear. Brandon thinks it's from hearing him hum it...go figure...Julliard here we come :).

awesome piano teacher, Nicole and Cole and Laura


us...

and making it's debut on the Porter Point of View ;)

is video..

expect lots more, mostly for blood kin, don't bore yourself with our home videos

cause it's usually only interesting if there's some close relation

Laura Porter

Up on the House Top

Cole Porter and Brandon Porter

Away in a Manger

and Cole Porter

Joy to the World

Bear!

We started out December with Cole receiving his Bear rank (?) in Cub Scouts. He gets to move up to Webelos with his friend David. Life is always better for Cole if David's around :).

On the left is Amy, she was Cole's Den leader and did a magnificent job with Cole. I will so much her being his leader. Sister Garrison Metzger is on the right at the outgoing Cub Master and she was very knowledgeable and on task!

"If I ask you a question, will you tell me the truth?"

SPOILER ALERT: If children who can read are around, send them away.



So, it's reading time before bed. Hannah and I with a book on the couch, Brandon and Laura in the chair across the room. I'm pretty sure Hannah's reading to me, because her version of the story is so much better than the one in the book. I'm fairly certain I'm half way checking some kind of list in my head. Then something about the way Brandon's looking at Laura catches my attention...it's endearing, like they're having a moment...awww how sweet. I watch them for a bit then listen to Hannah nanna's story. At some point I hear Laura say, "And then you'll get me up after Hannah goes to sleep and I'll help?" I'm thinking this sounds awfully suspicious. I think I tune out the rest in denial. We wrap up reading time, put girls in bed and I look at Brandon like...What in the world just happened here ? As I'm telling Laura goodnight she informs me she knows the secret of Christmas and is going to help on Christmas eve. Again I look at Brandon like...What in the world just happened here?....I'm not this huge Santa fan..He's great, we love it on Christmas morning...the extra excitement, we certainly use the better watch out, better not pout song, but only once or twice. I love the premise (sp?) behind the whole deal, but being Santa is a lot work and no credit all the while you're pretty much telling "stories" to your kids.
When Cole came to us around the age of 5 or 6 and said Santa can't be real for about five reasons, we caved. Cole listens to all adult conversations and has the memory of a computer so I wasn't shocked. Laura's 8 and while that seems old (in Santa years for some, certainly at our house), Laura is just so innocent to me, she does not care about adult's conversations (not that that makes Cole uninnocent, there's just a difference).

I finally corner Brandon and ask how this happened. He said she started the conversation with....

"If I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?"

...did he have another choice?..I don't think so. He carefully explained the spirit behind it and how "he's" real but not real. Apparently two girls at school were talking about it, one said he's real the other not. This is what public school gets ya ;). At least she came to us to clear it up as I hope she'll do with even more important gems she'll hear at school.

She can't wait until Christmas eve, Brandon said she continually repeated that sentiment.

So I've since wondered why this upset me so, not being the hugest Santa fan and all. I've come to the conclusion that it's such a part of childhood that symbolizes growing up. As you grow up there will often be questions of "how old were you when you found out", "how did you find out", and once you know, you know and there's no going back. It's hard having your kids grow up on you!

I'm excited she gets to help and while I wasn't part of the conversation to explain how this all works I will never, ever forget the sweetness and love as I watched Brandon talk to her.....it was magical.