Winter Wonderland

(matt gleason)
Last week we had a couple of snow days for the Gleason family, so we all tried to stay civil cooped up in our shanty. The morning went really well considering and icing sugar cookies was the highlight.



After nap time, the girls were ready to bust out of the house, so we all went sledding off the slope where Mary's yard becomes the tennis court. I thought the girls would last about one or two runs down the slope, then we'd be done. Darby went on two rides with me and two rides with Georgia, then she was done. I figured Georgia would follow soon after, but Georgia was a sledding daredevil today. She even went down headfirst over and over again. Each time, she got a thrill from going just a little farther each time. More than once I had to keep her from speeding into a tree. It was one of those moments I wanted to last forever.

Sissy Friends

First Bath

Mera is sitting up really well now so we got to try out her bath seat. The big girls have been so excited to bathe with her. G got to go first and Mera loved it.




Darby had her turn the nest day and loved it as well.

Sleep Issues

Poor Georgia has been having to go to sleep on our couch due to some sleep issues our spirited child (D-Rae) has. We tried for 2 months to get them to sleep in the same room and finally realized having another body in the room was too much stimulation for G. We have been putting her to sleep on the couch and then moving her in with d when they are both asleep. It works really well but G need her own space so we have decided to close in our screen porch and make another bedroom/playroom for Georgia. She is so excited and so an I. We need a little more space.

Eating a Plate but Nothing Else

No solids for this little one yet. I try every other day or so but nothing seems to please her palate.

PJ Party

This is one of the ways we have passed the days during this cold weather. PJ party complete with decorations and popcorn. The girls are playing thier own version of musical chairs.

Warm and Toasty

Darby's got a new favorite after bath spot: my heating pad.

Peacocks!

Santa deliverded a peacock to my mom on Christmas. We get lots of dumped animals out where we live but this is the first time anyone has dumped a peacock. My mom has a bit of history with fowl in that we always kept geese growing up. She finally got tired of cleaning up half eaten geese parts so she stopped keeping them a while ago. Well, peacocks can fly up in the trees so they are not as easy to pray on as geese. Two days after this one showed up another one joined him. My mom has named them and is feeding them so I guess they are hers now. We are excited for spring to see if they will show their tails.

Christmas with Nanue and Big Papa 2010

Nanue and Big Papa joined us on the 26th for our second round of Christmas. The kids love all the extra attention they get from the grandparents.
Dora clothes strike again.

Opening gifts.





Looking at the annual gleason family calender we have made as a gift every year.

Mera even got some loot.

A game of "Shuckleboard."



The girls love Big Papa and snuggle him lots.

Playing games with Nanue.

A Gleason Family Christmas

(From Matt Gleason)
It's almost February, but here's a recap of our Christmas that went by much too quickly.

Presents are a great diversion the week leading up to Christmas, so we give the kids one present a night for several days. After all, it's discouraging to watch them tear into one gift after another on Christmas day and never really take time to appreciate each gift. I think the kids like the tradition too. The gifts from aunts, uncles and cousins from each of our tribes gets a designated night. Then us parent-folk get our night. Christmas Eve is reserved for Nanue's grand pajama tradition that dates back to my youth. I have more pajama pants than I could ever wear, but I love them. I'm actually wearing a pair of jalapeno-themed PJs as I write this. Anyway, Santa delivered his gifts to the girls on Christmas morning. Georgia got a wonderful doll house (much hitting and scratching has come from that dang thing). Darby got a wooden toy train. I always tell people D's the closest thing I'm going to get to a son. I think she probably would have liked a doll house, too. Oh well. As for MJ, she was oblivious to all the gifts but I can't wait until next year when my three precious girls wake us up eager to see what Santa delivered. My parents came into town the day after Christmas, so we had Christmas Part II pretty much as soon as they arrived. I'm so glad they came. Them coming to Tulsa was the best gift they could give us.

We are blessed.
(Virginia's picture update)
This picture is from one of the pre-Christmas gift opening in which the girls gave gifts to each other.



I found these matching Snoopy dresses at a consignment store and thought they were hilarious. Both are size 5T but since they were dresses I got them and figured Darby could wear it a little long. When I got home I got in to one of my boxes of clothes and found a perfect little polka dot outfit for MJ. They look on Mera's face says, "Why would you leave me here with these two?"









My sister had a great idea to get my mom a tree lit up in the valley for Christmas. It took some team work and a generator but we pulled it off and it was the hit of the party X-mas Eve. We figure the tree was about 500 feet from the house.

My husband wanted to get me a pink tool box but he couldn't find one so instead he got me a black one and haad the girls cover it in 1,000 princess stickers.

Here is Kiki before she popped.

MJ taking it all in.

G and Darby seeing their Santa gifts.



Monkey bread and cheese balls for breakfast.

Christmas morning with the Tulsa family.



Darby got a Dora dress up set adn the shoes alone make it worth whatever it cost.



Darby putting Uncle Billy in a bucket.

Princess Uncle Billy.

Christmas is about special treats like TV and cheese balls.