Legoland

When Marshall was four years old we spent a day at Legoland in Chicago.  Once we found out we were moving, Legoland was the one thing on Marshall's bucket list that he wasn't letting me forget.  My parents were great and arranged for this to be our family Christmas gift.  We lucked out and Richard was working at the VA in January so he had Martin Luther King Jr. day off of work, and of course the kids were out of school.  It was perfect.  

We drove down to Chicago and got to Legoland just 20 minutes after it opened.  We walked right in, didn't have to wait in a single line and spent a good few hours there.  It started to get pretty crowded as we were leaving, but overall, it worked out great.

This girl and her faces.  She kills me...in a good way.

This was a new exhibit for us.  The kids could build their own Lego boats and race them down this three lane stream.  This kept Marshall occupied the longest.  

A fun day!  And one more item off the bucket list.  

Good Bye Binky, Round Three

Three kids.  Three kids who love binkies.  By far, Rachel was the  most attached and also the one to have it the longest.  We tried multiple times to limit it to sleep, but she always wore us down.  Let's be honest, she wore me down!

With the new year though, we were determined to get rid of it and move on.  In December she became a bit obsessed with Super Why, so in keeping with Leake tradition we decided she was going to mail her binkies to Super Why.  We talked this up for about a week and then finally the day came.

Bridget was so cute with her and they decorated the bag together.  Rachel willingly put her binkies in the bag and then had a minor freak out when I taped it shut.  This was when the picture was taken.  :)  But, I scooped her up, we marched out to the mailbox, and she said her final good-byes to the binkies.  Thankfully Bridget was ready and willing to distract her when we got back inside and the day just moved right along.  

Rachel has done just wonderfully.  Not once has she cried for her binky.  She goes to sleep without a problem at night and while she only naps about half the time now, she willingly goes in her crib and is quite content to stay there for over an hour.  

She has also become quite the talker!  She was talking a fair amount before we got rid of the binky, but now that she doesn't have anything in her mouth she just talks the day away!  We sure love this growing girl!

December Wrap Up

The monthly random smattering of pictures from December...

Our December weather started a lot warmer than it ended, that's for sure!  This was our life at the beginning of the month.  Lots of time outside!

Love this girl!

A Saturday afternoon run at the park.  Incredible!

Zoo trip!  The main building was full of Christmas trees.  Of course we had to take a picture by the minion tree with our own little minion.  :)

I got new glasses after almost seven years!

And then I chopped my hair!

And so did this little lady.  

We hosted our annual Christmas dinner with the Hassells and produced yet another Nativity masterpiece.  

The sweetest Mary and Joseph.  

It was a great month!!!

Christmas Break Activities

We filled our Christmas break with friends, fun, and lots of relaxing.  It was a nice week and a half with minimal schedule and places to go.

Matching Christmas dresses!  Love these girls!

A morning at The Domes to see the Christmas display.  Marshall looks so grown up! Stop!!!

Max came over for a play date the day after they got home from MN.  These two were so happy to be reunited and painted the afternoon away.  

The Monday after Christmas we got our first big snowstorm.  It was a doozy to shovel.  Blah!

Krispy Kreme tour and hot donuts!

Late afternoon naps and snuggles with daddy.  :)

Marshall and Bridget had a sleepover at the Hassell's so Rachel got a night out with us.  She was a delight.

I love these two!!!

Putting Christmas gifts to use!

We pulled off a spur of the moment New Years Eve party with the Hassells and Vanhilles.  Pizza and "The Lego Movie" for the kids and mostly uninterrupted conversation for the adults upstairs.  

Non-alcoholic white wine from our neighbors.  We were a bit skeptical to try it, but it wasn't too bad! 

These next four pictures are all so similar, but these kids crack me up so I had to post them all.  :)

Well, that pretty much sums up Christmas break.  It was a good one!

Christmas Day

After eight Christmases as parents, this was our first Christmas that began early.  Now we can't really complain, because our kids went to bed without a single problem the night before, but Bridget came bounding into our bed at 5:30 ready to go.  We held her off until 6:30 when all the commotion started to wake up Marshall.  With two eager kids we began the Christmas festivities without Rachel.  

As the four of us were wrapping up with stockings, Rachel woke up so she was able to join in on the fun.  It was also nice to just focus on her since the rest of us were done.  

We also started a new tradition this year, at the request of Marshall, but we'll see if we really keep it up.  :)  In school he had been learning about how different countries celebrate Christmas.  In one country they hide a pickle in the tree on Christmas morning and whoever finds it first gets to open the first present.  We printed out a picture of a pickle and hid it on Christmas Eve for pajamas and again on Christmas morning.  Marshall just thought this was the best and was so excited about it.  He found the pickle first on Christmas Eve so we made him sit out on Christmas morning.  Bridget was the first to find it on Christmas morning.

Here are a bunch of pictures from the morning.  It really was relaxing.  We did stockings, breakfast, and then the presents under the tree.  The kids were so good to say thank you and give hugs and watch each other open gifts.  These are such fun mornings.

Bridget's new crown coupled with Rachel's minion glasses.  Some of their interests are quite different.  ;)

Again, different interests.  :)  

Rachel is terrified of this jacket.  

Marshall has been using orange peels for mouth guards for months.  We finally upgraded him.  :)

An analog watch!  His dream come true!

If you live in this house you will surely have two things from a young age:  1.  your own cougar and 2.  your own blanket with your name on it.  Rachel finally got her blanket, and she loves it.

You should hear Rachel say, "Each Peach Pear Plum".  So cute.

Homemade gift from my brother and sister-in-law.

Max surprised Bridget with this calendar.  It is full of pictures from the last 4 1/2 years.  Tear-jerker.  

Can't get this girl to hold still.  

Looks like I will have a WI shrine.  :)  But really, these gifts are perfect, and I couldn't be happier about my gifts!

The rest of our day was spent on FaceTime with family, playing with the kids, and eating.  :)  It was a nice day, but by 6:00 Richard and I were beat!  Christmases aren't quite the same when you are the parent, but still a lot of fun, and a lot of work!