Family Festival at Bright Horizons

Last Friday night was the much-awaited Family Festival Night at Bright Horizons.  Every December the school has a big shindig where each of the classes performs songs, Santa visits, and crafts and snacks are set up for the kids, big and small!  It's always such a fun, cute night.  The teachers are so creative, and the kids have a blast!

This year, I had a brush with insanity wherein I volunteered to sew 37 fleece hats and scarves for Riley's class, which they needed for the performance.  It was actually pretty fun, and they turned out ADORABLY!  Riley LOVES his, and several parents have said that over the weekend their kids wore their hats and scarves to play in the snow!  Yay me!

Here is Mr. Carter, waiting for big brother's performance.  Gotta love it when babies are born right before Christmas...they get all the fun "First Christmas" gear!  I don't think he could have looked any cuter, though!
Check out the butt!
Owen came with Grandma and Bubba to watch Riley's show.
Hats and scarves!  So cute!
Riley, hamming it up as usual!  I'm so glad he's not shy like I was!
He took his performing very seriously.
This is the song "Pack up the Sleigh."  Riley had to bring "Something Red that has four wheels!"  He brought a little red wagon that a flower arrangement had come in when he was born.  He was the one who actually remembered that it was in his room.  
Here's one of our twin buddies!  I couldn't get all three of them in one pic, they had them all spread out across the stage.
This was S-A-N-T-A, sung to the tune of "BINGO"  Blogger was being temperamental, I'll try to get the video posted soon!

Fun stuff

Mom's 60th Birthday party

Last weekend we threw a birthday party for my mom's 60th birthday. Her birthday isn't actually until the 28th, but with the hustle and bustle of Christmas, we wanted to do the celebration early!

Mom knew about the party, but she didn't know that we had invited the family from San Francisco. We were so excited to have Aunt Faye come out to represent the family! Boy was mom surprised! So surprised that when she went to answer the door when Aunt Faye rang, she shrieked and slammed the door in Auntie's face!

She was so excited, though, and it was a fantastic weekend! In addition to the party, we were able to take Aunt Faye to the Garden of the Gods and up to Quarters One!

Enjoy the slide show!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Good News!

We had some good news today.  Little Gavin was released from the hospital and is at home with the rest of his family tonight.  He's still recovering, but doing great.  He's expected to have a completely normal life, thanks to the amazing docs at Children's Hospital!  Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers for our little guy!

Busy Weekend!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends!  If you're reading this blog, chances are, you're someone special to our family.  We're so thankful to have all of you in our lives.  

It was a busy holiday weekend for our little Marsh Fam.  We started out the holiday at Brad and Nicole's house for Thanksgiving day.  Missy's folks came up to join us for an early dinner and great company!  It was fun to be around all the kids, especially 2 big brothers and 4 little babies who bring new light to our lives!

Carter got to check out his first drumstick!
The Marsh side of the fam!  Steve, Rick, Kathie (holding Dalton), me, Carter, Nicole (holding Gavin), Riley, Brad, and Owen (holding Payton)
All the "mens!"  Rick, Dalton, Brad, Gavin, Steve, Dad, Carter, Riley and Owen!
And the ladies! Kathie, Payton, Nicole, Mom and me!
Here's Carter with his stocking that Grandma Kathie bought him!

After Thanksgiving dinner, we met up with the Kings and went to the Nuggets game.  Steve had the Suite tickets, so we got to watch in style!  Carter got his first two Nuggets games in one week!


Towards the end of the game, we got some alarming news.  Gavin had been having a rough day, and was just not himself.  Then, when Brad and Nicole were getting him ready for bed, they noticed that his color was bad.  Brad took him in to urgent care, and they found out that his heart was enlarged.  After transferring him to another hospital, they determined that he had a congenital heart defect called Coarction of the Aorta, which is basically a dent in the wall of the aorta, causing a bottleneck.  His little heart was enlarged from having to pump so hard to get blood through that area.  On Friday Gavin had heart surgery at Children's Hospital, and is recovering really well.  We spent Friday down at Brad and Nicole's house helping with Dalton, Payton and Owen; and awaiting news from the hospital.

Yesterday (Saturday) Steve spent some time putting up our Christmas lights.  The snowfall inspired him to get festive!  It's not quite done yet, but looking good so far!  Afterwards, we went down to Children's to see Gavin.  He's hooked up to a lot of monitors and tubes, but he's in wonderful hands.  Today he was doing even better, and they're really happy with the progress he is making.
Here's little Gavin, recuperating.

Today, we went to a birthday party at the Evan's house, Ty and Tanner turned 4 last Tuesday, so it was time to celebrate and watch the Broncos!  We had a blast, Riley loves hanging out with his twin buddies!

After we got home, we decorated the tree.  Riley was super excited to get the tree all ready!

Putting on the star!
I love all the crazy random decorations we have...they're all from different places and people.  Totally uncoordinated, but lots of history!
Carter's ready for his first Christmas!  So is big brother Riley!
This is our elf named Carmelo Anthony (Riley named him!)  Parents: This is a great holiday incentive...It's called the Elf on the Shelf.  Last year Nicole gave us one, but he was a Melo casualty, so this year a NEW elf has come to visit.  He shows up in November, and is an emissary from Santa.  He hangs out at the house all day keeping an eye on how Riley's behaving (he even knows how he's doing at school!), and at night he flies back to Santa and gives a report!  Then in the morning he flies back and takes a new spot somewhere in the house.  Each morning, we find him and say good morning before we leave for school or start our day!
Back to work and school tomorrow...phew!  

Happy Birthday Steve!

For Steve's birthday we went to the Nuggets game on Sunday.  One of the gals in Steve's office was nice enough to secure the tickets in the suite for us!  This was Carter's first game, so of course he had to have his picture taken with the Nugget Monkey!

Flyin' baby!
Yay, family!
Keith and Holli joined us.
Enjoying Carter's first game!
Tuckered out!

It was a great game, very exciting, and the Nuggets won!

Here's Holly!

Here's little Miss Holly!  She is adorable!  And has reddish-auburn hair just like her mom!  She is doing really well, and hopefully she'll be going home soon!

Aunt Missy got a chance to hold the little lady!

What a Crew!

Saturday night Steve and I got a hall pass to go out with our friends for a "grown up" night.  We grabbed the gang and headed over to Splitz bowling alley!

Me and my Lanes!

H and Sterne!
Brandon and Sterne checking out B's awesome bowling score!
Below, a little video of Brandon bowling.  This was before Zach went and had them put up the bumpers automatically whenever Brandon was up.  So mean...but wicked funny!!!  Brandon's not exactly what one would call "athletic," as anyone who knows him can tell you.  But he's a great sport!  And talented in so many other ways!

Check out the form!  And the bumpers!
They had really good garlic breadsticks!

Here's B thoroughly enjoying one.  He licked it all over, then handed to an unsuspecting Zach, who popped it right into his mouth.  Ick.  Paybacks for the Bumpers!!

Zach recovered, though.

Lala and H snugglin' up!
Yay Lala!

In addition to bowling, Brandon, Steve and Zach kicked butt at the Deal or No Deal video game, winning a whopping 612 tickets!  They got some QUALITY prizes, let me tell you!

 

We had a blast, ending the night with a quick trip to the Lake Avenue Inn bar...local dive...good people watching!  And topping it off with a game of Ticket to Ride, our favorite board game!  All in all, a great night!

Welcome, Holly!

Well, she came about 5 weeks earlier than "planned," but welcome to the world, Holly Elizabeth Hartmann!  Jason called me last night to let me know that Kourt was in the hospital.  On her routine doc's visit, they realized that little baby girl was on her way!  Holly was born this morning at about 8:00 a.m.  She and mom are doing great, and I'll be posting pictures soon.  I'm going to visit them tomorrow!

I've been POO'ed!

Oh man...I don't get paid nearly enough.  This afternoon, around 2:05, as I'm sitting on my teaching stool at the front of the room, watching the kids finish up their math, I become aware of a pungent smell.  Oh no.  Poop.  I think to myself, "Maybe it's just gas.  It will go away."  Hmmm...nope.  Nope, that is definitely poop.  Maybe someone didn't do such a good job cleaning themselves up.  Sure, that must be it.  Nope.  That is DEFINITELY poop.  So I discreetly glance under the desks near me, looking, dreading, wondering where the offending surprise would be.  Nope.  Nowhere to be seen.  So I stand up and take a few steps back, thinking it's somewhere I can't see from my chair.  Then...I see it.  Brown smudges on the carpet.  One, two, three, four, in a little trail leading to...MY FOOT!  AAAHHH!  In horror, I lift up my foot...and there on the bottom of my FAVORITE "shooties" is a glob of mushed SHIT!!  At this point there is no discretion.  I couldn't help my reaction.  "AH sick!  There is poop on my shoe!" I exclaimed.  "UUUUGGGH!" screams 19 fourth graders.  (Hey, one is missing...wonder who THAT could be!  The culprit, perhaps?)  So I hobble to the back sink, remove the shoe, at this point I'm dry heaving, and with about 10 paper towels I attempt to wipe this hideous glob off my shoe.  It is NOT GOING ANYWHERE.  Dumping the paper towels, I now hold the sole of my shoe under the faucet, my eyes watering at the stench.  Finally it softens to the point that I can wipe the rest off with some towels.  Sick.  Can't put that shoe back on for a while.  Hobbling to the phone, I call the office for custodial attention: "Meg, I've got a code brown, repeat, that's a code brown."  "Oh," says Meg, "Tigger's friend has paid you a visit?"  "Yes, that's right.  I've been poo'ed."  So, as I'm attempting to calm the children...learning is done for the day...I wait for someone, anyone, to come down and get the poo out of the carpet.  Finally I call back down and get Karlene, "Karlene, can you let them know that it's not a log sitting on the floor, it's actually mushed into the carpet because I STEPPED in it before I saw it!?"  Eventually Phil comes to check it out.  He can't help right away because, guess what!?  He's in the bathroom cleaning up another poo mess.  But right after the bell rings, Javier will be down with the carpet cleaner.  Thank God it's 2:25 at this point!  Ugh.  Ugh. Ugh.  So many questions roll through my mind.  The biggest one is: REALLY?  REALLY?????  Fourth grade???  It's not like I chain them to their desks.  If you gotta go, please, by all means, go!  REALLY??????  And how did the thing roll UNDER the overhead cart for my unfortunate right foot to encounter it???

Oh yuck.  I hope I can bring myself to wear those shoes again, I really like them...

Just some cute pics!

General and his boys!

Riley helping Carter with tummy time!  Carter's not a big fan...
He gets mad!  But big brother helps him feel better!