The girls start gymnastics!!

I had been thinking about starting the girls in gymnastics but thought we should wait until they get adjusted to preschool and swimming lessons first.  The girls and in particular Allison like to hang on things at home.  The weekend before Christmas Allison used the towel bar in their bathroom as monkey bars and ripped it (anchors and all) from the wall.  So last week they started their gymnastics class!!  The girls loved it.  Both did great!  Ben was bummed he didn't get to do it but I told him I also signed all 3 of them up for a multi sports class another day.  

Holes in the bathroom wall

Working on balance

Practicing summersaults

Learning handstands against the wall

Allison getting her hanging in

Samantha

Allison showing off how flexible she is

Bouncing down the big trampoline

Later Christmas Day

Later Christmas Day we had another Christmas celebration with Grandma and Grandpa, and Uncle Ryan and his girlfriend Nicole.

Ready to open more presents

Fun towels, perfect for after swim lessons!

Princess and Monsters Inc sticker books

Scooters from Uncle Ryan and Nicole

Testing it out

Samantha's Minnie Mouse scooter

Allison's scooter took more assembly than the other two

Allison on her Dora scooter

Another assembly, a double baby stroller from Grandpa and Grandma.

Christmas Morning

I thought the kids might sleep in since it took them so long to fall asleep but no luck.  Up at the usual time 7:15ish which is not bad so I am not complaining.  We headed downstairs with the kids and they looked through the stuff in their stocking first, and then opened the gifts from Santa.  Ben opens gifts the fastest, so his was open first and he was very excited to get the particular plane he asked Santa for.  The girls both asked for a unicorn and Santa delivered!

Skipper the plane from Santa

Unicorns for the girls

Samantha the baker

Playing with their new toys, and new shades

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve we spent the day making gluten free cookies for Santa.  I think they turned out pretty well, the kids loved them.  I forgot to take pictures of them making the cookies.  They helped cut them out and put the sprinkles on them.

That night after dinner, we all got on our xmas PJ's and the kids got to open one gift, it was slippers for each of them.  Afterwards we had hot cocoa and a cookie.  Then each picked out a cookie for Santa and we put them on a plate with some carrots for the reindeer.

They all must have been so excited, it took them a long time to fall asleep that night and we were waiting for them to fall asleep so we could get out the Santa gifts and fill their stockings.  It was the first Christmas Eve in a few years we weren't assembling anything!

Opening their slippers

Pic with our new slippers

Allison 

Samantha

Mr Ben

All ready for Christmas morning

Santa liked the GF cookies :)

Christmas #1

Our First Christmas celebration was the Sunday before Christmas.  The kiddos were very anxious to open their first present.  Ben decided he should be the first to open a gift.

They had a great time, love all of their gifts.  Ben must have sat at the kitchen table for a couple hours first coloring and then putting together his 2 new Lego planes.  They kiddos crashed when we put them to bed that night :)

All ready to open gifts

A blue tractor for Ben

Allison all smiles as she opens her gift

This has been the year of Sophia, Samantha and her new blanket

Ben's latest favorites is planes

All snuggled up in her new blanket

Allison all snuggled up with her baby and new blanket

Sophia dresses and dolls :)

Ben and Papa putting together his new Lego set