Christmas 2011

First off:  I LOVED Christmas break this year.  It was just so good to have Cache home and for the kids to have such a long Christmas break (they got out on the 16th).  I LOVE my kids home!  However, I knew with such a long break before Christmas that 

anticipation + boredom  {would} = cranky, grumpy, fighting kids. 

 SO. . . I devised a way to get them motivated to do service.  Without revealing my plan, I told them that they would want to have plenty of service points on Christmas day.  It took a bit of talking, but we got them motivated (and convinced) to do as much service as possible.  While it kept them busy, I did not foresee the how much happiness it would bring into our home!  I was just in awe at how much serenity and kindness resided here.  There were only 2 outbursts during that whole week (and they were mild).  I'm still amazed because we have that many or more on any given normal day.  (Wish I could pull that off in everyday life!)

To start off, I gave the kids a service chart for them to track what they did;  it had a few suggestions:

Care package to Nate Write to MissionariesHelp Chandler on Merit BadgesClean another person's bedroomBaptisms for the deadIndexingGiving dollars away at DIPutting wrapped candy and tag on ATM machinesSnow shovelingVisiting lonelyLeaving small change in a box at the library for people to use to pay their finesMaking and delivering treatsService around the home (but it needs to be an effort)Tie Quilt Many other things

Then on Christmas Day we had The Game Show Network!  Most of the games were spin-offs of Price is Right games, but not all.  They all  dealt with questions based on our family's history and 5 talks from October conference instead of money.  If they weren't successful at their game, they could use service points to buy more opportunities.  Just for example:  They played Hole in One.  We had 8 ticker marks on the carpet.  They were given names from 8 generations, starting with themselves that they had to order on the lines.  Where they were incorrect, they had to putt from.  At the end of the games, they used their remaining service points to play a Show Case Showdown, of sorts, for a family activity day during the break.  (We ended up going to BYU for bowling, PF Changs for lunch and to U-Swirl for frozen yogurt.)

Also on Christmas, we did deliveries to a retirement trailer park.  We debated about whether or not to do that again this year because of 1:00 church, but earlier in the month, Caleb told us that last Christmas (2010) he was grumpy on Christmas day, but then we went out and did service and he felt so much happier.  We decided we couldn't dispense of that tradition just because of church.  All of that made things kind of fun---we didn't finish opening up presents until 7:00pm.  (We started around 8:00AM)

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So, so, so sadly, I was too busy playing dual rolls of Rod Roddy and Bob Barker that I didn't get any pictures (I refused to be Drew Carey and whoever the announcer is now. . .).  Tom was also busy as a stage hand so we didn't get a single picture of the gaming (or much else for that matter. . . .).  But here are the few that we got.  Hopefully it will stir up remembrance for the kids of what a great Christmas we had!

Girls dressed up for the Nativity reinactment.  Tessa was so sweet
and let Greta be Mary, even though she wanted to.  She is a shepherd.

Chan with the girls.  He was a shepherd also. . .his costume is made
out of toilet paper.  (Perhaps our costumes are a little irreverent??)

Tessa got a Lite Bright.  They are definitely not what
they used to be and unfortunately it didn't grab her attention
at all. . . . 

One of the girls' games was to pop a sheet of big bubble wrap
by jumping on it.  Greta wanted Daddy to help.

Chan was excited about his receiver gloves.  We actually had a pair
for him, but when we were family-gift-shopping in Sport Authority, he
was eyeing the purple ones.  So we returned the blue for the purple on a later date.
Very happy kid!

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Picture with most of the Porter cousins.  Grandma made everyone pjs or an apron.
Little girls also got matching pjs for their dolls/Barbies.  (This was a New Year's
party, not on Christmas day.)