The Rest of Christmas

Christmas break could not have come soon enough! I have been anxiously awaiting some time off from school to spend with my favorite girls and favorite guy. I was just as antsy as my students for Christmas to arrive! To kick it off, we went to see my brother and sister and families for a Christmas lunch. The kids all played while the adults chatted the afternoon away. Always great to see them. It is pretty neat that we are all an hour from each other and can see family often. Sunday was a lot of relaxing and watching football as it was the fantasy football final weekend and my dear hubby was in the hunt for a few championships! He was a happy camper when it was all said and done. He was even gracious enough to say he was going to share his winnings with me. What a guy ;) On Monday we let the girls open their presents from Mom and Dad. They both really liked their new dolls! Later, we went to Dave and Vickie's for a wonderful evening of food, gifts, games, toasting, and laughs. The meal was amazing as always and the gifts were too numerous to count. We ended the evening with 10:00 mass. By the end, all the kiddos fell asleep. Kelsey gets the award for making it up the longest. That night Santa came to our house and the girls woke up to more presents under the tree. They must have been good because they sure got spoiled this year. Megan knew exactly what to do this year. Kelsey was expressive as usual with each gift and also very appreciative. Santa left the girls a note saying they had been good and to remember to always listen to their mommy and daddy. He also told them that Sparkle, our elf on the shelf, had gone back to North Pole to make toys and help Santa, but she would come back next year. After we finished opening Santa gifts, we went back to Dave and Vickie's for another day of fun. Kelsey enjoyed playing her new games Fibber and Monopoly Party Junior. Megan seemed to have the most fun chasing her cousins. Plus, we all had on sweatpants and there was a ton of delicious food, so we couldn't go wrong. What a Christmas it was. Hard to believe it has come and gone.

Nothing Sweeter

These two are best buddies. Melts my heart!

Dance Program

Kelsey had her Christmas dance recital this week. She waved excitedly as she began and kept the smile on her face the entire time. This child loves the stage! She shook her groove thing and once again made us proud. There were some definite moments of tights scratching and a nose pick as well, but that makes it entertaining, right? She had another solid cheering section. We are lucky to have so many people who live close to us and support our girls.

Preschool Program

Kelsey had her first school Christmas program. We had no doubt she would get up there and sing her little heart out because she loves the stage and performing. She sang all the words and did all the actions to the songs. We were quite proud parents. We were taking pictures and video taping on multiple devices. Afterwards, Kelsey gave us presents that she made in school. They were precious and made with love. Grandma and Grandpa were able to join in on the fun, too. This is the first of many programs to come!

Christmas #3

We celebrated with the extended Skala family last weekend. There was quite a good turnout. I didn't catch a total number, but the place was full. We had an excellent meal, passed out Christmas cards and enjoyed seeing everyone's family pictures, sang Christmas carols, played Bunco, ate some more, and chit-chatted until it was time to go. Our girls love music and they really got into the carols. Megan was letting out a few hearty ho-ho-ho's and a big hey during jingle bells. Kelsey was doing her best to "read" the words and follow along. She knew most of the classic holiday songs. It is always a fun get together!

Daycare Party

Mary hosted a great Christmas party on Sunday. Mary goes all out. The kids got to make ornaments when they arrived. Kelsey was happy to help make Megan's as well. Then, Santa came! Kelsey was really excited for this! She hopped up in his lap with absolutely no reservations and told him the many, many things she is hoping for this Christmas. Megan also sat on his lap and there were no tears. There was not a smile either, but I still consider this a succes to not have her be upset. After Kelsey sat on Santa's lap, she got kind of sad. When we asked her what was wrong, she said she forgot to tell Santa two things she wanted. So we told her she could get in line again and finish telling him her wishes. There was so much delicious food for dinner. Mary is a great cook, and it is a treat when we get to eat her food. After dinner, the kids exchanged gifts and also received gifts from Mary. We feel so lucky to have Mary watch our girls. We see how much she loves them everyday. She is an absolute blessing in our lives.

Baking Day

Our annual baking day arrived and it was good as usual. We each picked a few yummy recipes to try and then we all shared the goodies. We started off with muffins, coffee, and girl talk, moved onto baking up a storm, and ended with some taste testing. The kiddos decorated cut out cookies as well. We all ended up with lots of yummy treats!

Thanksmas

We celebrated Thanksmas at my dad's house. We started this tradition a few years ago where we combine celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas. It allows us to celebrate together, as well we spend time with our other sides of the family and leave time to our own family. We all arrived on Friday evening. I know I have said this before, but it is pretty neat that we can all stay together in one house. The kids love all playing together and getting to have a sleepover. On Saturday we opened presents in shifts throughout the day so we could stop to enjoy the gifts rather than just the mass opening process where gifts sometimes get overlooked. Plus, with so many people opening gifts, we can all see what other people get then. There was a lot of good food to fill our bellies and a lot of good company to catch up with. On Sunday, Matt and Brian went to the Packer vs. Viking game while the girls and I got to spend a little extra time with Grandpa, Grandma, Molly and the girls. Jolene and Rolf headed back a little earlier than us. It was a very relaxing and fun weekend.

 

Sparkle

An elf from the North Pole arrived at our house. A mysterious present showed up under the tree with a note from Santa explaining he had sent an elf to help watch over the girls to see if they are naughty or nice. There was also a book to help explain what the elf could do. Kelsey named the elf Sparkle. Every morning, Sparkle shows up in a new place after having flown back to the North Pole the night before to report the girls' behavior to Santa. It is pretty magical :)

Tennis Lessons

Kelsey started tennis lessons yesterday. She got a racquet this summer and was pretty excited to start lessons. They played a game to get acquainted with the lines on the tennis court, worked on positioning their racquet to hit the ball over a mini-net, and played a game at the end incorporating the skill they practiced. Kelsey seemed engaged most of the time (when she wasn't dancing with her racquet:), although she did not quite get the hang of hitting the ball yet. Afterward, she said, "I didn't even get the ball over the net one time." Matt and I told her we just wanted her to have fun, and she will have to keep practicing.  Here's to getting the ball over the net next week :)

Trimming the Tree

We got our tree up and decorated. I loved sharing stories with the girls about some of the special Christmas bulbs I have from my mom. Some of them my mom brought back from Poland and I cherish them deeply. The girls helped decorate the big tree, but they liked decorating the little tree in their room better. The house is decorated as well, complete with lights on the house thanks to my hubby. I love when the house has all the Christmas decorations out. This is such a special time of year.

Great Season!

The Huskies finished their amazing season at the dome last weekend. Unfortunately, they lost the championship game to Totino Grace. However, we couldn't be prouder of Matt and all his efforts this season. He is such a great coach and puts his all into the program. It was such a fun season to be part of and it will be one for the history books around here. As always, we LOVE our coach!

Happy Thanksgiving

We have so much to be thankful for and Thanksgiving is the perfect time to reflect on how blessed we are. I try to always keep in mind how incredibly blessed and lucky my life is. Although there are bumps along the way that sometimes make me complain or get upset, I need to remember not to sweat the small stuff. Mattey is so good at that. His attitude is always positive and he helps to keep me level-headed at times. Saying I am thankful for this incredible man is an understatement. He is such a wonderful husband and father. Our girls adore him just as much as we adore our girls. Kelsey and Megan are the greatest joys we know, and they make our lives full of happiness and laughter. The amazement of my family makes my heart overflow. We are SO blessed!

To celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, we went to Matt's parents house. We were able to share a family meal, watch football, Grandma planned games for the kids complete with a scavenger hunt and prizes, more food, looking through ads and planning our shopping extravaganza, catching up, and enjoying each other's company. It was a great day.

The night continued on for Stacey, Diane, Vickie, and I as we headed out for Black Friday shopping. It gets pretty crazy out there! It has been a fun tradition to have though.

One More Game!

The Huskies beat St. Thomas yesterday in what turned out to be one of the most intense football games I have ever viewed live. I was cheering, sweating, crying, sitting, standing, and just plain trying to keep it together as I watched the Huskies defeat St. Thomas and move onto the final championship game. Mattey has had worked so hard this year, along with all the players and other coaches. It makes me so happy to watch him do what he does best. One more game! Let's bring home the state title!

On to the Dome!

Matt's team won their first round of state last night! It was a chilly night, but we wouldn't have missed it. So now they are on their way to play in the dome. What a cool experience for everyone involved, including Matt's #1 fans! Bring it on St. Thomas Academy. The Huskies are ready for you!

State Bound

Hey, hey, what do you say, all the way to state! The Huskies are on their way to the state football tournament! It has been a great year and the team is on a roll as they head into the quarter finals vs. Mankato West. I couldn't be more proud of my hubby. He is such a dedicated coach who puts in so much time, effort, and heart into coaching. The time he is away from the girls and I does get to be a lot, but we try our best to make the most of when he is home. Plus, we know how much Matt loves coaching. Not to mention, he is pretty darn good at it (if I do say so myself :) Truly though, Mattey is something special. I love that man more than words could ever say!  We can't wait to watch the team at the next game! The girls and I like to chant "We love the coach" when Mattey leaves for games. We are excited we get to do it for at least one more week. GO HUSKIES!

Happy Halloween

Kelsey has been anticipating this day for months. This summer, she became obsessed with The Wizard of Oz and has been wanting to be Dorothy for Halloween ever since. She somehow convinced her cousins to be scarecrow, lion, and tin man. (Thanks boys!)We added Megan as a munchkin and wa-la! There you have a fine looking crew of kiddos! Mary fed all the daycare kids before we picked them up so they were set to go trick or treating.

 Next up was our first stop at Great-Grandpa and Uncle Steve's house.

Next, we went to Nate and Diane's. They have such a friendly neighborhood that always has a ton of lights on for the kids to go trick or treating. Before we went out, I wanted to get pictures of the girls. Well, Kelsey was not really having it and after a day with my own classroom full of first graders who are beyond excited for Halloween and just wanting some cute pics of my girls, the combination of the two did not make for a pretty outcome. Kelsey had a meltdown and Mommy lost her patience. However, thankfully, Kelsey pulled it together and Mommy realized that they are just pictures, and the rest of the night went wonderfully. I need to be more patient in that area. Something to work on, right? Anyway, the kids all did great trick or treating. Megan even tried to say trick or treat and thank you in her own little language.

When we got back from trick or treating, Kelsey and Megan had fun handing out candy to the last few lingering trick or treaters.

 

When I was snuggling with Kelsey tonight, I told her I was sorry I got upset at her for not wanting to take pictures. She said, "It's ok, Mommy. I forgive you. And I am sorry for not listening. I know pictures are important to you." Talk about melt my heart. She is quite the girl. Needless to say, I cuddled her a little bit extra tonight. Both girls are sleeping peacefully and dreaming of all the candy they got tonight I'm sure.

Pumpkin Carving

It was that time to carve pumpkins once again. I can't say that either Matt or I absolutely love it, but we do it because we hope that the girls have a good time doing it and it is a fun tradition to continue with our girls. Kelsey was much braver than years past and actually attempted to help clean out the insides. She was not a fan of any of the guts getting on her and wanted it removed asap, but it was an improvement. I can't say the apple falls far from the tree because I don't like cleaning out the insides or touching any of it either ;) Mattey got them all prepped for carving and I did the carving this year. The girls kind of lost interest and ended up playing with their babies while I finished up. I am not any kind of artist, so they got the basics. Kelsey did tell me what kind of face she wanted on her pumpkin.

Megan had been off with a slight fever on Friday and Saturday nights, so I ended up taking her in and she has a double ear infection. She has been great about taking her meds and hopefully it is all cleared up soon. We did manage to stop at Ginskeys for some more pumpkin carving fun and family time. Now the countdown to Halloween is here!

Playing with Grandpa

Grandpa Dave came over the other night and Kelsey had so much fun cuddling with him and showing him how to play her Leap Pad. They also got in a few games of Uno. I thought it was cute that I was trying to take a picture without either girl noticing, but Megan had to give a big cheesy smile.