Some Christmas Clownin'

Does Christmas bring out the sillies at your house, too? Maybe the camera is just nearby more often this time of year to capture the normal sillies on film. Either way, here it is for the Schneider family log book.  Let it forever be known that there's plenty of clownin' that goes on in these parts.

It's not unusual to find at least one Schneider upside down at any given point.

Bea enjoy spending her free time upside down:

Bea and Louie enjoy cuddling and yelling "Maaaammmaaaaa" just to be silly:

Perhaps it's now obvious why Bea enjoys spending so much time upside down:

 We've been playing this game with Josie since she was Bea's age:

 Tick-tock-tick-tock, I'm a little cuckoo clock:

 

 It really is a wonderful workout and is sure to produce giggles every time!

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It's also pretty common to find the kids in random yoga poses for no real reason throughout the day.

And you never know when someone might set up an obstacle course while you're doing dishes. (Hint: someone = Louie)

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Bea hates clothes. Like hates them. This is one example the ended up being pretty hilarious from Christmas in Xenia.  I noticed just how often Bea is naked when she stripped down at Grandma Fifi & Grandpa Bop's house a few days later.  Ha - I guess we hardly notice around here anymore.

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And now for the ultimate in clowning around - the man who pretty much invented the whole idea - Mr. Garry Jim Johnson aka "DD."  I only caught the tail end of this on Christmas morning, but we were all laughing hysterically when he came up the stairs and busted this out.  The only thing funnier was when he went upstairs and surprised Josie and Lyla. The screams and giggles were priceless!! 

The (most perfect) holiday snow day

Truly - how enormous is the gift of a big snowy day to two eager little girls, armed with a new sled from Santa, and their fun-lovin' parents on a day when those fun-lovin' parents were off of work? Add to this the fact that our new house has the perfect kiddo snow hill - right in the front yard!  Add this to an already perfect day of nothing-to-do-but-play-with-new-toys bliss and well, you have yourself the best snowy day in the history of snowy days.  I managed to snap a few pics with a frozen finger on my phone before tucking it away for the first Four Schneiders snowball fight.  Then we all took turns going down the sleds in different combinations, before I snuck inside to make vegetable soup and grilled cheese - with hot cocoa for dessert. This day will definitely go down in the Schneider family history books!

(I'll save the BEST for last...but first some pics!)

LITTLE BEA, BIG HILL

Lou and I had to do at least one trip down the hill togethere

Backyard panorama

This one pretty much says it all

Until tomorrow

And now for the videos!

This is the first one from early this morning when we all woke up to find this beautiful snowy scene outside of our windows.  I'd say the girls' plans for the day definitely came true.





















And now, as I said, the BEST FOR LAST! Two perfect minutes to capture the perfect fun of our snowy day at home...

Speaking of snow

 As I type, the snow is starting to gently float down from the sky and we're expected to get a few inches by morning here at home. This is really good news since we didn't come home to much snow upon return from Christmas (and sledding) in Xenia.  It just occurred to me that I never posted the pics from our first real snow here (and Bea's first snow ever). And I'm quite certain there are more photos to come after tomorrow! (Now that Santa brought a new sled.)

To the snow!

 Anyone notice the favorite activity was catching snowflakes with their tongues? How cute are they?

Honorable Mention to Mariah. What a trooper! Brrrr!

She might not be a total snow bunny like her sister just yet, but she did great for her first time in the white stuff.

Christmas at Home

We signed up again this year for Santa's practice run with his reindeer on the night of December 23rd. That means we woke up on the morning of Christmas Eve to a tree full of presents at home.  There is just nothing better in the universe than being a parent and watching the little darlings trot down the stairs on Christmas morning - just seeing the hope in their eyes followed by the manic joy of unwrapping. Pure holiday magic (as I've said a zillion times this month at least).

Here are some of the highlights, starting first with the video of the Schneider girls descending down the stairs on our Christmas morning.



And now a look back and the whole shebang - starting with our "Night before Christmas."

"Dear Santa. Cookies for Santa. Carrot for Rudolph"

Bea eating Reindeer Food off the floor

 

Always an occasion to strike a ballet pose

Bea eating more glittery reindeer oats

Bea going after Rudolph's carrot

"Dear Santa Claus. I want a model air plane."

And now on to Christmas morning:

No more oats, cookies or milk. Just a note from Santa in its place.

I should add a little backstory here. This is Bea's stocking. With her name on it. I bought this set of four stockings hoping that one day there would be a fourth Schneider. Just this year I added Bea's name to it like the rest of the family has and that was just a really special moment all around! 

With as much rice as these kids eat, it is chopstick training time!

The giraffe was easily the biggest hit of the year! I bet there are lots of people out there grateful for Amazon's lightning deals this year and of course for Santa's elves!!

A new tree ID fandex for Louie from the girls...and an Oven Squirrel. Yea, I said Oven Squirrel.

Josie was more than willing to help Bea sort out gifts.

A new honey pot and tea cup for Mama!

SANTA BROUGHT THE MODEL AIRPLANE!

"THE EXACT ONE I WANTED!"

Bea immediately must try on a new shirt!

If the giraffe was the #1 present, Rudolph with the light-up nose was easily #2!

And the galloping unicorns are #3:

The top three of 2012!

 

And that was just the first Christmas. Coming tomorrow...the recap of Christmas Part Deux in Xenia.