Christmas Morning...

Christmas morning started awfully early, now I'm awake earlier every day of the week to go to the gym, but I was kind of hoping to sleep some...

Notice the windows behind the tree...we are well before the sun comes up...

Luke and Lex were pretty organized...they decided they would open the one labeled 'Kieran, Luke and Lex' first and then alternate from there...

Of course, only two of the three were there to open this one...

We told Lex we'd have to find some games for her that we can rent before deciding on games that she'd like to play (even though she's excited to play Star Wars too)...

For Lex, it turned into a Wonder Woman kind of morning --- if you haven't been paying attention or know, she's a huge fan of Wonder Woman, most pictures she takes includes her crossing her arms in the Wonder Woman pose...

Like I said...a Wonder Woman day...a couple of action figures that she played with plenty this morning...

Luke got a couple of shirts from the Science Museum...if you know the Netflix show Stranger Things, you'll recognize it...it's become a huge fundraiser for educational programming for the museum because it was worn on the show.  Luke doesn't know that, he just likes it because it's got a dinosaur and the museum name (which we go to often)...

Lex saved the biggest present of hers for last...

Like I said...it was sort of a Wonder Woman type of morning...one of the first things she asked Luke to do was shoot at her with his nerf guns so she could block them with her shield just like Diana in the movie...she was laughing (and so was Lukie) as he repeatedly fired away at her...

The last present that Lukie opened was this one...

And immediately at that point he began construction...he took a break for breakfast, but got it done...

Lex enjoyed her Wonder Woman morning...and is already planning next Halloween because she said "I can be Diana again, but have a shield and sword too!"

Even Santa got involved on the Wonder Woman theme...over Lex's left shoulder is a Wonder Woman ornament...

Lukie predicted what Santa would bring pretty accurately.  Last night he said 'I think Santa will bring me a nerf gun, some Raider gear since he knows we go to Central, some movies and candy.'  Yeah...he got a nerf gun, both got a Raiders water bottle (Lex wanted one of those since football season), both got a movie and candy they like...Lukie's a non-believer in Santa most of the year, but turned it on as we got closer to Christmas...

Christmas Eve...

The day started out with Lex tracking Santa (he was in Indonesia at the time)...

Then we had to take a picture in front of the tree together (it's also the first time that one of them said 'Kieran should be here with us' or something to that effect.  And they're right, it'll be the last Christmas that all three aren't together)...

We took in a movie at 1:00, Lex hadn't seen Star Wars: The Last Jedi yet...Luke and I didn't have a problem with seeing it again...

After church, we went to Chaska to great-grandma's house for an hour or so, then stopped at the big tree on the way back...Lex was doing her Wonder Woman thing again...

Before they jumped into bed, they both had to check out where Santa was now (he was coming up the Caribbean)...

They're currently trying to fall asleep...wonder what time they'll be up tomorrow morning?

Central Elementary 'Acceptance'

Every month at the elementary school, staff nominate kids for demonstrating different character traits.  All of them have won throughout the years, but a first happened this month.  Luke and Lex were nominated the same month, this time for demonstrating acceptance with other students...

They both received their donuts breakfast for winning...a good day...

Dressing up as Santa...

It was dress up week at school this week...

Monday - Holiday PJs

Tuesday - Flannel

Wednesday - Holiday Hats and Socks

Thursday - Holiday Character

Friday - Ugly Sweater

My Principal and most of the HS staff (which my room is now in the HS) say I won...

Here's how I dressed up on Thursday...

Trust me...it gets pretty warm...it was liked so much that I was asked to participate in a skit during and afternoon pepfest on Friday...

First thing Luke asked on Friday afternoon is if I brought back a Santa hat (of course I had forgotten to), but the good news was he, Lex and I went to a Raider girls basketball game Friday night and we could easily cruise to school and retrieve one after the game...

Of course Lukie wanted to try the wig, beard and a hat on...

Of course he wanted to wear the suit and pants too, but he's not tall enough for that yet...

My Classroom Door...

Luke/Lex and I were going to an omelette breakfast this Sunday morning, but I forgot the tickets at school on Friday afternoon (I had at least three dancers ask me if I would buy tickets) so Lex and I went to school last night to pick them up while Lukie was at a birthday party.

I had forgot to tell the kids that my new classroom door had been decorated by another staff member and students...Lex though it was very cool...

Last school year was the last year that we as a MS spent two hours doing some community and school building events (one of which was decorating classroom doors).  My door last year was decorated so well (by a couple of my last years 8th grade students) that I convinced my principal to keep it up for the remainder of the year.  My plan was to take it down the day after school ended and move it up to my new room, unfortunately, some students who did not go on the last day of school trip to a local park tore it down with other staff...

Here it is...the bearded Olaf from 2016...

I may be keeping the new one longterm...Lukie says he wants to see it in person...

Central Raider Girls Basketball....

The winter sports season has begun...we've been to (I've been to four, Luke/Lex just one) hockey games (the Delano girls are ranked in the top 5 in their class) and I've been to two Raider girls basketball games (they're rated #2 in their class), which gives us a dilemma...

Tonight the Delano girls hockey team played a game and the Raider girls basketball played a game...which one to go to?  My vote was Delano...and I was consistently voted down in order to go to Arlington to watch basketball...

Luke/Lex wanted to watch Mary...I said I've seen them play twice (and they are good), but I wanted to watch my Delano girls play...Luke said that I could watch them Thursday (apparently he knew they had a game)...I said Lukie could watch the Raiders (Mary) on Friday night....

It was back and forth...

We ended up in Arlington...it was never much of a contest between Lukie/Lex and I...I lost that fight early on.  Mary is #32 and they love watching her play.  I'll get to many more hockey games (with all the kids), plus I know we'll get to lots of Raider basketball games...

The problem coming is late February and early March, when both teams will be in the playoffs...and both are expected to make a push for the state tournament...there are going to be tough decisions...