Thursday, December 30, 2010

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Trains, trains, and more trains

Aunt Karla set up a visit to Van Electric for all the extended McKim cousins to see some electric trains. And when I say some, I mean A LOT.

This is just the entryway...
Rhett was in heaven!
Not sure who was listening more intently... Big Papa or Rhett.
The largest set up was 16' x 32'. All the trains were Lionel trains. Mr. Van and his brother started collecting and building around 1952. They had trains running around the ceilings and, if I remember right, 6 different set ups (including a Christmas village, a circus show, and a set up on a trailer that they take on the road!)
I think ALL the cousins, and 3 generations there, enjoyed the trains. Thanks, Aunt Karla for setting this up!

Wertenberger Christmas 2010

We also spent 2.5 days with the Wertenberger Family this week. Always a good time!

Hangin' out with some cousins. Love Tyler's glasses! I actually took this picture to document that Rhett CAN share (he's letting Drew play his MobiGo!)
Megan's first Christmas... a little snow angel!
Against my better judgment, I made Kyson a hat in KU colors. Luckily this kid looks good in anything!
Grandma Flossie was able to spend Christmas evening with us.
Leah, Tyler, and Kyson watching "God Made Christmas" on the computer.

Santa's Visit

Santa found Rhett & Leah at Papa and GG's house this year. We left cookies and milk for Santa and some carrots for the reindeer.

The theme for Rhett's stocking this year was things to take to Daddy's ball games to keep him busy. He got a MobiGo hand-held game system, preschool activity book, sight word flashcards, and a Llama Llama book.
He likes to "dial" his name on our computer at home and this has a pop out keyboard he is enjoying already.
Leah got some magnetic Tinkerbell paper dolls (also for Daddy's games), some "girl stuff" (aka nail polish), a Llama Llama book, Princess jammies, and...
a Princess play tent!
Even in the process of growing most of her bangs out, she looks pretty cute, huh?!

Fisher Christmas 2010

We enjoyed 2.5 days in Manhattan with my parents, aunt, sisters and their families. Here's a few highlights.

Couldn't resist posting this pic!
Grandpa reading the Christmas story from Luke 2. The grandkids get to help by adding the characters to the nativity as he reads. It was Rhett's year to add the baby Jesus.
Nephew Will LOVES green and soccer. So I made him a green hat with a soccer ball on it. Do you think he likes it?
Luke got a hat too. His has a basketball on the crown. Luke was the only grandkid to get to attend the KSU-UMKC basketball game with my sisters, their husbands, Aunt Karen, Ben & I to celebrate my birthday. The others had to stay home with Grandma and Grandpa.
Rhett excited about the new Lego set he got.

Extended Fisher Christmas 2010

We hosted 36 of my dad's family for Fisher Christmas at our home the weekend before Christmas. Lots of work to get ready and clean up (thanks Mom, Daddy, & Aunt Karen!) but I think everyone had a good time. My kids certainly did!

Rhett & Leah getting ready for company. Great Grandma Warrenetta made the red overalls Leah is wearing. Leah said she didn't want to be a farmer, but we convinced her she was Santa's helper and she jumped in!
Papa Don brought a Santa hat for our nephew Will and he helped Great Grandma hand out the presents.
Rhett's gift was wrapped in Thomas Christmas paper and was a Thomas the Train book. Jackpot!

Monday, December 20, 2010

The first big project

Rhett & Leah currently share a room upstairs (there are only 2 bedrooms upstairs). Well, that needs to change before this baby arrives in April! In order to move them (at least Rhett at first) to the basement bedrooms, we needed to have escape windows installed. Here's a look back at the project (just almost completed Friday).

Although we missed seeing the hole dug, the kids did enjoy climbing on the dirt pile.
The foundation was cut, pulled out and broken up to make room for the new windows.
You can see the forms for the new window wells in the picture above. The kids loved to see the big concrete mixer come to the house.
The concrete forms had a brick pattern to them.
Rhett slept through most of the back-fill process even though it was right outside his bedroom window!
All that's left to do is put up wall board in the bedrooms, replace the bottom piece of siding, and build the well covers and ladders. Only 19 more weeks for that to get finished!

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Success! (with a little help from bribery)

Rhett's Christmas program was held last Sunday morning at church. I drove him into Wichita on Saturday for a rehearsal and he didn't sing a word, despite knowing all the words to every song.
Enter, bribery.
I had ordered a few new Christmas books but had not given them to the kids yet. So he got to pick one that would be his reward for singing at the program.
And it worked!
He sang every song, with a few silly moments of making faces and waving at us.
Great job, Rhett!

His preschool program is Thursday...