The Kassel Family Project Life 365

It was an evening of Father-Son time and Mom-Daughter time.  Andy took John to the Mizzou Men’s Basketball game and they got to watch a Mizzou win.

Laura and I stayed home and snuggled in to watch “The LEGO Movie.”  Everything is awesome….

…for the Force to awaken!

It was a family outing to see “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” today.  It was a great movie and we all loved it!

Tonight, we went to Toys “R” Us to spend gift cards that the kids got for Christmas from Grandpa Ken and Grandma Marilyn.  After much debate, Laura bought Shopkins and Shopkins accessories.  John decided on Pokémon cards, an Xbox 360 game, and a Hot Wheels car.

Thank you Grandpa Ken and Grandma Marilyn!  Big smiles all around!

This was one of those days when you wish you were not right…  I had Laura up at 7:15 and ready to leave the house by 7:30 for a trip to Mizzou Quick Care.  I wanted to be there when they opened.  We were first in line (Yay!), and you know it is bad when the Physician Assistant flinches when looking at Laura’s throat.  We left Hy-Vee at 8:40 with Amoxicillin in hand.  Laura decided that she wanted “adult” medicine this time, so this is her first pill prescription.  I made her take one in the truck before we left the Hy-Vee parking lot.  She swallowed the pill with no problems and was so proud of herself!

About four hours after taking her first dose of antibiotic, Laura declared that she was hungry.  She had not eaten anything in 36 hours, so I was more than happy to get her some food.  She ate about ten bites and then went back to bed.  At about 3 pm, she bounded out of bed ready to go.  She decided to put her Heartlake Hot Air Balloon Lego set together.

Then, she and John put together their Minecraft Lego set.

I think she is on the mend!  Thank you Amoxicillin!

Our Christmas Day did not start *quite* how we had hoped.  Laura appeared at our bedside at 6:20 am not to tell us that Santa had come, but to tell us that her throat hurt badly.  One word from her and I could hear it.  She had Strep Throat.  It was bad enough that I made her take adult ibuprofen.  It is the first time she has ever swallowed pills, but she did it.  We waited 20 minutes or so and she felt well enough to open presents.  Since John had woken up when I was helping Laura, we headed downstairs.  Once Andy turned on the fireplace…

…we got down to business opening presents.  John was very, very excited to see his new camping chair.

He was even more excited to realize it was a Cub Scout camping chair.  He couldn’t wait to open the other presents just so he could sit in it!

Laura was a champ!  Despite visiting the bathroom a few times because her stomach was *very* upset, she hung in there.  She was so excited to see the American Girl Corgi Puppy…

And the American Girl Cozy Christmas Scene.  She was even more surprised because Santa brought it even though she didn’t ask for it.

This was the beginning of the destruction.  It only took us nine years, but we finally figured out that you should get a garbage bag at the ready.  It keeps the mess in check…

Andy must think I am drink obsessed or something, because he gave me these.

Okay, I admit it.  I might be a *little* drink obsessed.  If I made one drink every day, it will take roughly *six years* to get through all these.  I guess I better get at it…

The big presents this year from us were new gaming systems.  We finally upgraded to the Xbox 360 and Wii U.  We had lots of fun while the kids were opening anything related to those by continually asking, “What?  Wait, how can you use that?!?  That doesn’t work with our Xbox/Wii.  We bought the wrong thing!”

Smiles.  All around.

Unfortunately, these were the last smiles of the day for our girl.  She spent the day in bed watching television and, at one point, declared the day, “The Worst Christmas Ever!”  I felt so badly for her.  The rest of us made the best of the day.  We enjoyed a great Christmas dinner, relaxed, and watched John play with his new toys.  Despite Laura being sick, it was still a good day.  Merry Christmas!

It was a busy Christmas Eve full of Kassel Family traditions.  We began the day by saying goodbye to Chippy, our Elf on the Shelf.  He returns to the North Pole tonight.  Santa made sure to lift Chippy’s magic for just a few minutes so that the kids could hug him goodbye.

Grandpa Ken and Grandma Marilyn arrived just a little after 1 pm to spend Christmas with us.  Then, it was time to cook!  Laura and I made a Pecan Pie (my first one ever!) and I made the Night Before Christmas Casserole for Christmas morning breakfast.  Of course, we also made Reindeer Food.  This is an important part of Christmas Eve.  The oats provide food for Santa’s Reindeer and the glitter makes sure that the Reindeer have enough magic to get through the night.

Since Santa has to land in our driveway because we don’t have a chimney, the kids always spread the Reindeer Food on the driveway.

Then, Andy reads “The Night Before Christmas.”

This year we decided to go to the Magic Tree.  The kids thought it was fun that they got to go in their pajamas and robes!

Then, it was time for Christmas Eve services at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church.  Once we got home, we set out cookies and milk for Santa.  The kids left three cookies this year!

I put the kids to bed and then settled down to read a little bit.  Shortly before midnight, I heard some noises in our family room…  I raced downstairs, but the cookies were mostly eaten and the milk was all but gone by the time I got down there.

I knew Santa had arrived because our stockings were stuffed and presents for Laura and John were by the Christmas tree.

Santa Claus had come and gone!

It is Christmas cookie time!  There are very important steps involved in this process and, according to Laura and John, we must follow these steps carefully and specifically..

1.  We mix up the cookie dough and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

2.  We roll the dough out.  John insisted on helping this year.

3.  We cut the dough using the Christmas shapes.

4.  We display (and stop to take a picture) of said cookie cut outs.

5.  We bake the cookies.

6.  We cool the cookies.

7.  We decorate the cookies.

8.  And, we decorate some more cookies.

9.  We take a picture of the finished cookies.

10.  And for the big finish, we eat Christmas cookies!

It was another successful year of Christmas cookie making.  We are almost ready for Santa and his reindeer tomorrow night!