Oscar Stew

The final chapter in the Trilogy of Thanksgiving Terror continues…

We got on the road shortly after lunch. The kids all dozed while we flew down the highway. 

We broke out the glow sticks as soon as it was dusk. Drew came up with the ultimate pair of glasses.

Then they colored by the light of the glow sticks.

Since Drew had to miss 2 days of school to make the trip, we made sure we snuck some education in there somehow. We called out letters and he did his best to create each letter with his glow sticks. Not bad!

We arrived at our hotel in Grand Junction in the early evening. We went straight for the pool, and those of us who had swimsuits enjoyed lounging in the pool and hot tub. Can you sense my jealous tone? meh…

Brinley threw us all off and was quite the waterbug. We expected the opposite from her.

Drew on the other hand, well – we expected the opposite from him as well.

Brinley liked the shock of going from the hot tub to the pool and back.

We almost let Rowan take a skinny dip (or chunky dunk in her case), but she opted for just a nice foot soak.

Day 2 was going great until about a mile west of Vail when the highway converted instantly to an ice skating rink, and not long after the traffic came to a grinding halt. 

No, really?

60 mph! We weren’t even doing 6 mph.

The climb up the mountain to the Eisenhower Tunnel got worse and worse.

Look kids it’s magic! The road is disappearing! At this point we were all hungry, we all needed to go potty, and we were extremely bored. Drew & Brinley watched every movie we had twice, ran out of all things crafty, and had to use cups and cloth diapers to meet physiological needs…good times!

Ryan said that his sunglasses were too dark to see the road, but that it was blinding to drive without them. He gave my rose colored shades a try…

And the road is gone…

At 7 p.m., 5 hours later, we finally made it to the Eisenhower Tunnel.

What started out being a 4 hour drive turned into a 10 hour park ‘n’ wait. Next time we’ll just go the “old fashioned way…” It is free afterall…

You know us pretty well by now: cheap and crafty! The Christmas decorating marathon continued as the kids decorated the gingerbread house.

Attention to detail is important. Drew was very concerned about patterns.

That side yours and this side mine…

I don’t think they cracked a smile until the house was done.

This is very serious business, not to be taken lightly.

Now for the landscaping. We’ll start with the porch and then the trees…

We added some fresh snow to cover up any mistakes that may or may not have been made.

The completed masterpiece. Hurry and take a picture before its…

…Condemned. This was only about a week later, and look – Brinley is sporting another one of her coloring projects. Yes, I let my kids eat the gingerbread house, piece by piece. What is the point of a dusty house made of candy at the end of the month? That’s no fun! Swiping candy off the gingerbread house is a right of passage. It MUST be done, or it’s not Christmas. Mmmmm…crunchy!

Rowan was a little wrecking ball herself and snatched up a candy cane when nobody was looking. She has her “I just woke up from my nap” face on. I wonder what that tastes like to a 6 month old? Maybe she thought the candy would give her a sudden burst of energy. And now for the disclaimer: I would never have let my first or second child taste candy at the tender age of six months, but hey – I’m a little more relaxed this time around. And we are talking about seconds here, I’m pretty sure she will still live long, prosper and eat her veggies 🙂

Peppermint drool…..mmmmmmmmmmmm. And still pretty sleepy…

I’m guessing she really liked it, because she smeared the candy cane and frosting on her feet to save for later.

Once upon a time, Drew was an only child. We taught him all about Christmas, and like any other kid he was excited to decorate the “chemistry.” Chemistry? Oh, Christmas tree! Got it. That 2 year old, now almost 6 (yikes!) wasn’t wrong at all; Christmas Trees create and cause all kinds of chemistry!

Once we had made it through the twelve-step Grandma Detox Program (ha!) Drew & Brinley couldn’t wait for Daddy to unpack the tree and dig in to decorating the house for the season.

Whoa! What the heck is this thing?!

At first, Rowan looked to be thinking “Why, is there a pine tree, in our living room?”

What are presents? Who is Santa? And what does this tree have to do with it?

Ooooooh, it has lights!

And it’s pokey! And plastic! What the?!

What am I supposed to do with this?

It’s easy Rowan, just watch adorning ace Drew..

Look at the intense focus!

The tools of the trade.

We put Rowan in charge of ornament inventory & distribution. She may have taken her job a little too seriously… 

Look, it’s Rowan the Ornament!

Brinley looking at the camera AND smiling? Say it aint so!

Merry Christmas!