Christmas is for wiggle worms

It's been a few days and I'm not sure what to say except that I am walking with some friends of mine through some of the boggiest and most painful things that exist. And I can't write about it, but I'll say that I wish I could just take it all away from them, wish I could wrap this all up in a ball and send it back to the bog.

I wish I was ten feet taller.

I don't have much to write, because this has been taking up most of my spare thoughts. But in between those spare thoughts the kids are killing me with their adorability. Good word, huh? I just thought it up, (correct me if it already is floating around out there) and it describes them perfectly. Kid A kissing my face over and over today, YaYa saying "Daddy is going to be so SO proud of us..." as she's hanging ornaments on the tree, Leaf with his zany sense of humor.

I thought I'd share some of the light: some of the general hilarity that goes on around here when we try to take a photo. [Disclaimer: Yes, that is a scratch on Leaf's nose. He's the boy who wants to stand up. All the time. Even when he falls. And we had technical difficulties the entire time, until at the very end we realized that the camera was on completely wrong settings. Probably because I rushed it.]

Okay guys! Let's take a picture. Sit here... like this. Kai, put your chin up a little.


 
Okay, that's good.  Not so much, though. Smile!



Okay, YaYa, would you put your chin down please. Okay, woohoo! Everybody happy, everybody smile! No, just because I'm clapping doesn't mean you have to clap, just smile!



STOP CLAPPING! Leaf- what are you doing to YaYa?



Come on, hands to yourself.



Okay, what on earth is happening?



That's actually pretty cute, but try opening your eyes, guys.



(Kenya: Circle stone, circle stone... Did anyone else see that episode of Dora the Explorer?)

 

Wow. That's cute.



And that is not so. Cute. Okay kids! Let's get this done! Smile Big!



Kid A, that is not a smile. YaYa, that isn't either. Good job, Leaf.



Okay, Kai, can you try not to be so scary please? Everybody just say cheese!



Hmmm...

And you get the idea, and so on and so forth. We did pick a winner, though, and ended up with this:



I did help it out a little, and I have to say, I do love that airbrushing for unsightly owies. I feel a little bit better, having looked at these. How about you?