The boys and I have so, so, so been enjoying our break. Sleeping in, staying in our pajamas all day, watching Christmas movies, napping, and catching up on some house projects.
After RF's Christmas Program on Friday afternoon, Nana and Babu checked the boys out of school and brought them on home. When I got off work at 3:30, Christmas break officially began for the Hawk family!
We spent Friday evening at home (Nana and Babu stayed the night) and then got up Saturday morning for a trip to Home Depot. I am enclosing the bottom of our playhouse to use as storage for a gift that Santa is bringing the boys, so Babu and I got to work once we got back from Home Depot cutting 2x4s. We are almost finished with it and plan to finish it up soon. Nana and Babu left Saturday afternoon and I started on a project that has been aggravating me since we moved in to this house - the laundry room.
I decided to use a paint color that I already had on hand and got to work cleaning (our laundry room has become a dumping ground for all things random) and painting.
Beginning the project...
Finished! I cleaned out the laundry room, organized everything (including trashing or donating quite a few unneeded items), and put up some of the boys artwork on the shelves and walls. I still have a bit of decorating to do, but the painting/organizing is done and that makes me happy! Well, as happy as you can be doing laundry, which I hate.
Sunday was a lazy day with me finishing the laundry room and finishing up our Christmas shopping while RA napped with and hung out with the boys. I was able to get everything left on our list at Target including everything for everyone's stocking as well as the four gifts from RA and I for each boy (want, wear, need, and read), a few small gifts for RA (who is the HARDEST person to buy for because anything he finds that he wants he gets buys himself. UGH.), and the dogs (yes, we buy Christmas presents for our four-legged babies).
Monday morning we headed to the grocery store first thing. I usually head to the grocery store for the week on Sunday, but having the next two weeks off from work I decided to do it Monday morning with the boys. We came home for lunch and then the boys played for a while before taking a nap. I spent the afternoon working on meal prep for the week - making RA's lunches, splitting up the chicken I bought into meal specific portions, chopping some vegetables, and cleaning out the refrigerator/freezer. I realized how chaotic my house gets during the school year as I clean out and organize it over breaks like this. It feels so gratifying to de-clutter and organize. We had dinner at home together Monday evening before settling in to enjoy a nice quiet night at home.
Tuesday morning I spent the morning in my pajamas until 10:00AM sitting on the couch drinking coffee while the boys played in their room. Most of the morning was spent with the dogs laying all over me on the couch, but it is SO NICE not to have to go anywhere if we don't want to.
I am his personal pillow...
I really like that he still enjoys snuggling with me.
Daisy decided to join us, too...
After completing a load of laundry, having lunch and having the boys lay down for nap, we finished the grandparents gifts to get them in the mail so that they would arrive before Christmas.
Christmas artwork this year for the grandparents...
When we checked our mail, I saw that a new blow up Christmas decoration arrived from Meme, so we added the nutcracker next to Santa. The boys LOVE these blow up decorations. After doing a little yard work and chasing the puppies all over our yard and the neighbor's yard after they managed to squeeze through the gate, we started dinner and spent the evening hanging out together at home.
Wednesday morning we ran a few errands (oil change and post office) before making a pit stop at Dunkin Donuts for a sweet morning treat. When we got home (and changed back into our pajamas) we sat down to enjoy a nice chocolate doughnut.
Donut and PJ Masks...
Donut and lounging on the couch...
Unfortunately it rained ALL DAY LONG, so the boys couldn't go outside - which makes them very grumpy. We built forts, made cookies, and watched a few movies. After lunch and naps, the rain hadn't let up at all, so we continued our fort building, movie watching, cookie eating fun. By the afternoon, mama was going stir crazy and had to sneak into the laundry room and eat another chocolate doughnut. By myself. In silence.
OMG. They are crazy some days.
When the rain finally let up, we ventured out (in order to keep our sanity) to a local antique/thrift store and to Walgreens to pick up a few cards for different friends/family members.
When RA came home from work, he came bearing a gift for me in the form of a red velvet cupcake. I turned the kiddos over to him and went back to the laundry room to enjoy the sugary goodness in peace.
Couldn't care less that I've eaten my body weight in sugar today...couldn't care less.
Ellis and Daisy eventually found me, but I had already finished the cupcake so I didn't have to share.
Notice the yoga pants? Yea...it's day eight of Christmas break and I've only worn real clothes (jeans) once. Is that wrong? Ah, who cares.
Ellis decided to look through a magazine to do his Christmas shopping (little late, buddy - Santa already has it ALL ready to go)...
Thursday morning I decided to head to Athens for the day with the boys. We visited Bear Hollow Zoological Park first.
These boys love anything animal/nature related...
The park was decorated with blow up Christmas decorations EVERYWHERE, so of course, there were lots of, "I want that one for our house, mommy" comments from two little boys...
Tunnel of lights...
"I really like that snowman, mama."
"Oh! We've got to have that airplane with Charlie Brown and Woodstock, mommy!"
Talking to the owls...
"You know I love hot air balloons, mama!"
"Well, that is adorable. We need that one, too."
"It would be so cool to have a Christmas tree outside, mama!"
He wasn't as impressed with this one for some reason. Maybe it's because it looks like Dasher has had a little too much eggnog...
"Turkeys mama!"
He really liked the turkeys...
We saw a bald eagle, a black bear, river otters, an alligator, and deer. When we finished wandering, we headed over to UGA North Campus to let the boys run wild for a little bit. And run wild, they did!
They LOVE Athens!
Run, boys. RUN!
Run free!
Exploring Phi Kappa Hall - an important piece of their daddy's college days...
The building was unlocked, so we wandered in, but the upper chamber was locked. I told them that their daddy would have to bring them back to explore the hall and see all of the cool pictures on the walls of famous and important Phi Kappans that their daddy worked so hard to get put up.
We wandered over to the Chapel and to the bell...
Exploring Old College!
And taking a peek into the Law Library...
Standing at the gates...why do I think I will have another photo like this in 13ish years?
We loaded up from North Campus and headed over to the Sandy Creek Nature Center for a little more fun.
Turtle tank!
"Hey there Mr. Turtle!"
Exploring the inside of a tree...
Taking a look at local animals that call the inside of a tree home...
Looking at a cross section of a bee hive (active)...
Learning about invasive plant and animal species...
Learning about electricity. This was by far his favorite of the activities at the nature center...
Watching a video about recycling...
Cool signage at the SCNC...
Talking to himself in the mirror...goober...
After we left the nature center, we decided to stop by Chick-Fil-A for a quick bite to eat.
Mama doesn't do lines, but this line I will wait in...
For the yumminess that is Chick-Fil-A French fries and a chicken sandwich...
We headed on home and the boys went down for a late nap while I worked on a few things around the house. We cooked supper together and enjoyed yet another nice quiet evening at home...
Mama enjoyed a nice glass of wine, too...
RA couldn't even get changed out of his suit before the dogs piled on him...
Friday was a slow morning as we enjoyed blueberry muffins and a few episodes of Paw Patrol. RF decided that he wanted to tell the Judge Merry Christmas, so I checked with RA to see if we could stop by for the boys to say Merry Christmas. They had a few minutes between court sessions, so we stopped by and told the Judge (RF is really enamored with the Judge that RA works for) Merry Christmas. We then stopped by Walgreens to pick up a few last minute items for the holidays - photos and a Fed Ex shipment as well as Walmart to get milk and dog food to last us through Christmas. I REFUSE to go to any store on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Not happening.
We had lunch and RA surprised us by coming home early from work and he and the boys snuggled up for an afternoon nap while I worked on wrapping some presents. We cooked dinner together and stayed up late to watch FOUR Christmas movies - the original Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, Grinch, and Charlie Brown Christmas.
Puppies can't not lay all over us when we are relaxing on the couch...
The next few days are scheduled to be LAZY at home enjoying the holidays as a family. We have some fun planned for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day before heading down to Perry on the 26th spend the day with the aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
