Merry Christmas From the Van Cleaves!!!

A Very Verbose Verbal Scrapbook

Well, the holidays came and went...

Mirth was all around me...

Laughter filled the air...

And went completely undocumented!

We had such a great Christmas time, but in all the chaos and glee, I never brought out the camera. So I will have to create a mental picture of our holidays (I got this idea from Diana, who apparently had the same problem I did in not thinking to photograph any of the goings-on... However, she has pregnant brain, and I do not have such an excuse.)

Beware! You may need to take a bathroom break somewhere in the middle here... Your kids may be in college by the time you read through all of my yammering on. This post is really not for the faint of heart: Only the truly devoted among you.
Picture #1: December 24, A Quiet Christmas Eve Involving Crabs, Luke Skywalker, and Anti-Semitic Statements
The pictures of this night would include a delicious crab dinner, which became a tradition a few years ago, when we found that local Dungeness Crab was a decidedly great alternative to the turkey and ham that we had eaten so recently at Thanksgiving. We all sat about the table, crunching our little crustaceans while making Yummy noises intermittently.

Later, the nativity was read from the scriptures, where we laid out the wooden figures representing the major "characters" in the story. One of the wisemen was missing from the set, however, and a Luke Skywalker action figure was the understudy for a time, until it was decided that his bare chested attire was far too risque for the Baby Jesus... So we only had the wisemen that brought the gold and frankincense. "You can keep the myrrh."

After that, we went looking for Christmas lights in the fancy neighborhood that decorated so festively for Halloween, but found it to be quite dark. Nathan's explanation? "There must be a lot of Jewish people in this neighborhood." So, we headed back to the land of Gentiles, looking for some good ol' WASP festiveness and ended up at the L.A. temple to take in the sights there. When we came back home, we watched the Polar Express and drank our traditional recipe for Royal Hot Chocolate at the appropriate part of the movie. By then, it was nearing midnight, so "Santa's helpers" got to take turns assisting in the Christmas Eve duties: Elf-Hayden stuffed the stockings, and Elf-Nathan placed the loot under the tree... And neither of them was a cotton-headed Ninnymuggins.

Picture #2: December 25, Christmas Day with Elephants and Butt Snipers and Torture Pudding.
The boys wake up as soon as the sun peaks out, raid their stockings as quietly as two little elephants can be... At least they sound like elephants at 6:30 am. They graciously enjoyed the limited number of presents under tree as though they were winners of the jackpot at Cesar's Palace. Hayden shot everybody in the butt with his Nerf rifle at least once throughout the day. That evening, we were joined by my sister and her family, my Mom and Chuck, and my cousin Scott and his family. Much more delicious food was consumed in mass quantities (including Yorkshire pudding...or "Torture Pudding" as per the boys... that dripped on the bottom of the stove and filled the apartment with smoke), and we ended the evening by singing Christmas carols, which Caleb seemed okay with as long as they didn't sound sad. Silent Night was apparently much too much for him, but Jingle Bells was A-Okay.

Picture #3: December 27, Wayne's Family's Ginormous Gathering of Relatives We Haven't Seen in a Long Time.
We travelled to Ramona in San Diego County for our first glimpse of the Holgersons from North Carolina, and the Sortors from Utah. This is no small feat, as the Holgerson Horde consists of eight people which DROVE all the way across the country: Mom (Wayne's sister Gina), Dad (Sanders), and their six children... All six of which have undergone major growth spurts of late, and all of whom LOVE to point out how short our family is. We prepped the boys, warning them that the cousins loved to tease, and to be prepared to become the butt of a number of short jokes. Lo and behold, within 2 seconds (I am SOOOOO not exaggerating!) of entering Aunt Rita and Uncle Buck's home, four of the kids blurted out such comments at MY expense. The boys went unscathed, but I counted about 67 other related comments about my diminutive size throughout the evening. Despite the festivities including over 40 people (20-something kids under the age of sixteen), it was absolutely, positively WONDERFUL to get everyone in the same room.

Picture #4: December 28, Murder at Angie's House and the Fluoride Incident of '08
For this event, I am almost glad there is no photographic evidence. It is amazing to me how a group of Wayne and I, his cousin Kelly and Carlton, and his squeaky-clean Mormon sisters and their spouses can start out an evening so well behaved, and watch it degenerate into something the FCC might ban from television. Let's just say, no protected class went untouched in our very un-P.C.-humor, Chubby's dance would have made a porn-star blush... and all the while Lynne kept 12 kids at bay in the party room across the street.

When the children returned, and the evening wound down, I offered to give Brooklyn a fluoride varnish treatment. "Mmmmm. Cherry flavored," I professed as I demonstrated on myself. Now this is the part where I learned why so many people choose not to treat family in their dental practices, as the fun and games quickly devolved into a screaming tantrum of epic proportions, and I watched as my sweet little niece tried to make herself throw up once the varnish had been applied. As Andy patiently put her to bed, he asked her if she understood what the "tooth vitamins were meant to do. "It KILLS you!" was her anguished response. And, as her concerned little sister offered a bedtime prayer on her behalf, Avery said, "...and please bless Brookie that her teeth won't fall out tonight." Thankfully, nobody died, and all her teeth were still there in the morning, and I even got a kiss from the fully fluoridated niece that loathed my very existence the night before.

Picture # I don't know. I've lost count...Hayden Aids in Burglarizing His First House:
Are you really still there?!? This is taking a lot longer than I thought... Good on you if you are still reading this.

Rather than drive back to L.A. county each night after each successive family gathering, we were graciously put up by Angie's next door neighbors, who had allowed us to stay in their vacant home while they were vacationing in New York. Our only warning issued by Angie: "Just don't lock the front door, as they don't have a key to open it. ONLY lock the security screen!" Easy enough? Well, it seems in my haste to pack up and urgently return that morning so I could take any emergency dental calls that could occur... Or maybe I was just a little too eager to chow on Angie's cinnamon rolls for breakfast... But I apparently slammed the front door a little too hard. The doorknob lock was such that if jostled even slightly, would keep the door locked... and again: THERE WAS NO KEY... And my purse was inside.

Thankfully, Andy has super long monkey arms, and was able to reach up through a 6-inch cat door to unlock the garage door on the side of the house, and then Hayden was able to crawl into the house through a larger dog-sized door through the laundry room to retrieve my purse. Who ever said crime doesn't pay?

Last Picture, I PROMISE! and I don't even remember what day of the week it was: Girly Day With Sparkly Vampires and The Reason I Finally Broke Down to Read the Twilight Books (see Nathan's opinion of my literary choices here)
Gina, Kelly, and I finally got a chance to do what we do best: Gossip, giggle, talk incessantly, eat, watch kissing movies, and muse about how it's so much fun to be best friends with family. It's been a long time since I've been able to enjoy estrogen, and this time we did it in style! We went to Beverly Hills to watch Twilight, couldn't find the theater, ate at Cheesecake Factory (which we learned was akin to McDonald's in an area as posh as Beverly Drive) where Kelly almost broke her foot and spent her entire meal getting groped by a touchy-feely waiter who was trying to flirt to get a better tip, saw Norm McDonald of SNL fame (well, Kelly did... I was distracted by sparkly things in the windows), drove back to my place, watched a kissing movie, went to another theater I knew how to find to watch another kissing movie with sparkly vampires, and went our separate ways for who-knows-how-long-until-we-all-get-together-again.

THE END

Well, hang on... I should add that New Year's was totally uneventful, and consisted of Wayne and I rolling over in bed at 11:59 as the drunk people at a nearby nightclub counted down raucously... and then promptly rolling back over and falling asleep soundly.

We're quite the party animals.

Transforming Christmas

When I was in the fifth grade, my parents announced that they were separating and would likely divorce. As time drew on, my dad got his own little one bedroom apartment, and it became apparent that the separation was permanent. My sister and I spent our Tuesday nights and some weekends at my dad's little bachelor pad. We watched the A-Team on a little 13 inch screen and ate a lot of spam in that apartment. While the divorce was relatively amicable, things seemed ugly and dull.

I guess that's how my dad felt at Christmastime when he said he wanted to get the ugliest tree on the lot. The scraggly little twig that he placed atop his homemade oak end table for us to decorate was a hideous little thing--dead needles and big gaping holes, barely strong enough to support the lights strung about its pathetic little branches.

With a bit of care, however, we transformed that unsightly little "tree" into something quite lovely. Despite its drooping branches, the glow from the colored lights somehow warmed that lonely little apartment and brought some Christmas cheer to the three of us.

My dad's intentions suddenly made sense to me: Life was a bit ugly for now, but would warm up and be enjoyable soon... ...Either that, or he was just rebelling against the fabulous 7 foot evergreens that usually adorned our living room at my mom's house. "Take that!"

Why I'm Pretty Sure Ebenezer Scrooge Hailed From L.A.

I was fortunate enough to attend the Nutcracker, performed by the San Francisco ballet, when I was in the second grade. I have never forgotten sitting high up in the balcony, peering down at the dancers below with my dad's binoculars and studying the glittering, beaded costumes. I was taking ballet at the time, and I was studying how remarkably pointy all the ladies' toes were... Would I ever be able to stand on my tippy toes like that? It was a magical experience.

Sadly, I have never had the chance to go back to see the Nutcracker since. So when my mom got our family tickets to see a production by a local dance academy, we jumped at the chance.

And by jumped, I mean sat in traffic for three hours to travel 39.39 miles. That's right folks: on the freeways of Los Angeles, we traveled an average of 13.33 miles per hour. I'm sure I don't have to elaborate on the mood in the car. Let's just say, if I had any delusions of reliving my magical Nutcracker experience from childhood, I got totally screwed by downtown traffic... Or more aptly put: I got scrooged.

Bah! Humbug!!!!

Twelve Days of Christmas Tag

One amusing Christmas Memory: When I was a kid, we had a cabin in the mountains. It had a cozy fireplace in the living room that had been amped up by my dad's favorite obsession in the early eighties: The wood burning stove... Which could thaw the Sierra chill in no time flat.

Above the mantle sat a stuffed bobcat that came with the cabin. We named him George. The taxidermist who stuffed George had attempted to mummify him with a snarl on his face, but had failed miserably--It looked much more like a smile. So we always decorated George with a Santa hat around the holidays because he looked so very cheerful.

After a full day of playing in the snow, we would come inside and dry out all of our wet clothes by the fireplace, sometimes hanging things from various parts of George. So my amusing memory is simply a snapshot in my mind of George the smiling bobcat, smiling ferociously atop the fireplace, with a Santa hat on his head, and a pair of pink underwear hanging from his mouth to dry.

Two theories as to why Santa chooses the chimney as his best means of entry: Theory #1...His first job as a cat burglar was interrupted by a brief stint in a federal prison. As he was being busted for his third strike for breaking and entering through a chimney, he concocted the story about breaking IN to the home to deliver presents, and the judge threw out the case... but the FBI never got off his back, so he's been forced to keep up the ruse indefinitely;

Theory #2...Santa was raised in 'da hood and was afraid if he was seen in his neighborhood wearing his slick red suit, he'd get shot. He would Fo' sho' end up gettin' capped in a drive-by if the gang wearing blue suits (Hanukkah Harry, I'm looking in your direction, yo!) ever saw him walking in through the front door.

Three things you want for Christmas: Warm clothes; Cute clothes; Liposuction to fit into cute, warm clothes.

Four of your favorite Christmas movies: "A Christmas Story," "Christmas Vacation," "Elf," "Love Actually."

Five ways you've been naughty this year: I'll never tell!

Six ways you've been nice: I can't think of anything. Hmmmm. I wonder which of Santa's lists I'm destined to wind up on!

Seven people you suspect are elves: Ummmm. ME?!?; Anna Holgerson; Chris Kattan; Bjork; Tori Amos; Kiera Knightley, Nicole Kidman

Eight of Santa's reindeer: Flasher, Exotic Dancer, Prancer (sorry... That one's just funny as is), Nixon, Comic, Putrid, Mumbler, and Dissin'

Nine uses for snow: Skiing (Side Note: I really like writing words with double vowels in them... Vacuum is another favorite); For some reason, just BEGS to be played in; Finding creative places to put Frosty the snowman's carrot decoration; Making polar bears invisible so they can successfully sneak up on their prey; Cool to look at the individual flakes under a microscope for the split second they survive on the glass slide before the light bulb melts it (I had a fairly nerdy childhood, eh?); Creating a most impressive scene during the aerial shot of outdoor football games in Buffalo; Gives me an excuse to wear cute hats; Fabulous ammo for pelting small, unsuspecting children (plus, the weapon melts or is obliterated without a trace upon impact); My favorite sound in the world is the way snowfall seems to absorb all other sound.

Ten least favorite things about Christmas: Trying to think of creative gift ideas for men; Bragging Family Newsletters; Mall parking lots; Gaining weight because I can't say NO to homemade confections; Hanging the lights on the tree; Taking down the decorations when all is said and done; Boy bands taking liberties with sacred Christmas hymns and turning them into pop crap; Deciding whose house to go to for the festivities; Living in Southern California, where it's likely to be 80 degrees on Christmas day; Receiving a gift that you know has been regifted.

Eleven word associations to "figgy pudding": (1)I'll (2)bet (3)that (4)would (5)look (6)like (7)a (8)big (9)pile (10)of (11)poop.... Seriously. Pudding made out of figs?!? Blehck!

Twelve reasons you love Christmas: Christmas songs (the good old timey stuff and the Nutcracker are my favorites!); Hunting for impressive light displays; Christmas Eve crab feed at home with the boys; Quietly reading the nativity to focus on what Christmas is really about; All the homemade goodies that make me fat; Only one hour of church the Sunday before Christmas, and it's usually an hour filled with beautiful music and great, uplifting stories; Cold weather (in every part of the country except So.Cal); Christmas movies; The smells of Christmas (fireplaces, baking pies, pine trees, cinnamon, gingerbread); Visiting with family and friends; A little extra time off work; Feeling like there is still magic to be had... No matter how old you are.

I tag the first twelve people to get through this entire post... Just sign your name in the comment section when you accept the challenge.

"Clark Griswold on Crack"...and a bunch of other stuff I pilfered off of other peoples' blogs because I sucky suck at finding anything good on YouTube

I'm hoping to have 12 posts about Christmas done before the holiday actually arrives.
You know... 12 Days of Christmas and all that.

That would be a great idea if I had any talent for finding good stuff on YouTube (which, I have learned, is a wonderful means of filling up your blog with really funny crap with very little effort... BUT, also means you have posts for which nobody takes the time to pause your music player, and will probably pass up the opportunity to watch the funny crap and become enlightened...) But I digress.

My point is this: I have no knack for finding anything good on YouTube. Whenever I try, I end up stuck watching cute little babies burping, or kittens batting around balls of yarn. Or even better is when I find some embittered chick with hairy armpits ranting about the oppression of mistreated avocado farmers. So I give up. I will just stumble around the blogosphere on occasion and happen upon little gems like these.

May you delight in the Holiday mirth which I have been enjoying so much on the blogs of those far more imaginative and YouTube-capable than I.

First, I pose a question: What if Clark Griswold did crack? Imagine what his house would look like at Christmas time. If "Sparky" could have gotten his hands on something a little stronger than the egg nog he shared with cousin Eddy in his festive Wally World mug, I think his house would have had a similar resemblance to this astounding display.



Secondly, I wish to share a little Christmas story I stole from Wayne's sister's blog:

Once upon a time, a little babe was born in Bethlehem. A star shone in the East upon His arrival. It was a magical night, and visitors from many lands came to pay homage to the newborn king: Shepherds travelled far after learning of his coming from a Heavenly Host. Wise men came bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, myrrh. And a great big gorilla tried to snatch baby Jesus and carry Him away to Jane Goodall. But Mary and Joseph fed the gorilla a nice banana, and the great ape was placated. THE END.

At least that's the gist we got when our little two year old niece "enhanced" the nativity this year... Although there is still some debate as to whether or not it was really her, or if perhaps her daddy snuck one past mommy when she wasn't looking.

Lastly, in honor of the Twelve Days of Christmas, here is a video that makes me smile, no matter how many times I watch it. And you betcha... I stole it from my sister's blog in light of my disability with all things YouTube. I wish I were this amazingly talented. I think it's true genius when you can SING comedy.


Thanks to all who posted their super-fantastic uncopyrighted material.

And (once again) Merry Christmas from the Van Cleaves!

How could this POSSIBLY be worth $10 an hour?

• Fake Santa wig and beard: $25
• Jenny Craig plan to aid in working off those extra pounds used to get into full character: $100
• Dry cleaning bill for urine and puke stains on red velvet suit: $30

Terrifying kids 8 hours a day all in the name of Christmas Cheer: Priceless!

In Lieu of Fancy Schmancy Christmas Cards

I used to be quite the Martha Stewart... Handmade, glittered, stamped, sealed-with-a-kiss Christmas cards for everyone. And none of those generic,obnoxiously bragging newsletters that so many are fond of: "Nathan scored 837 on his IQ test last month. And Hayden wrote his own piano concerto for Easter this year. We're so proud of them." Nope. They were hand written, baby! But alas, I have resorted to this form of greeting for all of my loved ones... At least the ones who check my blog. I even went one step lazier than last year, as I sent the "Elf Yourself" greeting via email last year.

So enjoy your Holiday Greeting, Van Cleave style. Notice Timmy has returned to the family, thanks to an astute and very highly regarded friend back in San Rafael. Thank you, Christine for sending him back to us. It wouldn't have been Christmas without him!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Poor Me

No. Really, REALLY poor.

You know it's bad when you start looking around the house for things you might be able to post on Craig's list to score a little extra coin. I wonder if there is anyone out there in cyberspace who would like to buy a periodontal surgery textbook for somebody on their naughty list.

But this post is not meant to be a pity party. I've learned a lot of cool stuff from being flat broke...

Such as: when you can't afford presents, you don't have to get trampled to death by greedy shoppers. I can't go shopping right now, therefore, I get to avoid the crowds and think about what I would buy for all the people I love if I could. And that gets me thinking about why I love them. And then I get to spend my time thinking about all the really nice things people have done for our family instead of wondering if they would like the harvest spice tealight candles or the ones that smell like cucumber-peppermint-chamomile... Which they would probably end up putting in a drawer somewhere in their house, never to be lit... Or even worse: Regifted at their office white elephant gift exchange.

I also LOVE to put up my Christmas decorations. Especially my tree. It looks like a glowing snowball when it is all lit up, and it reminds me of the strange and wonderful circumstances by which we acquired it.

A few years ago, while we were living in Riverside, we all got the nastiest of flu bugs. We all felt like dying. To make matters worse, our heat was not working, and the gas company could not come out to fix it for a week. There was a ridiculous cold spell, such that we could see our breath in our own living room. And to top it off, Nathan needed to go to the doctor to get some antibiotics because he had an excruciating sore throat and fever that made me suspect strep. However, I was in no state to take him and neither was Wayne, so my mother-in-law kindly stepped in. While at the pharmacy, she called to see if we wanted a tree: Green or white. I quickly said green (as I am such a traditionalist), but was persuaded by Nathan to try the white, as he believed I would really enjoy it once I saw it. And he was quite right. We also enjoyed the heat Lynne brought along with her in the form of portable space heaters from the same drug store. I have the hardest time taking down that tree every year, because I love to bask in its soft glow every evening. And each time I do, I think of that Christmas, where we hung our ornaments clutching our barf bowls, and basking in the warmth of our little space heaters.

I've also learned how abundantly rich we are when it comes to family. Between my divorced parents and my in-laws, we have a plethora of choices as to where to spend the holidays. Granted, this has its pros and its cons. We recently got calls from both sides of our families dictating our holiday schedules: "Here's all the goings-on... Sorry you'll have so much travel time, but at least the gas prices are down... We'll have so much fun, we'll be whistling zippidy doo-dah out of our ---holes! (Sorry. It's a movie quote. Just think EARholes if you want the G-rated version.)" I first felt annoyed and a little put out by the presumptuousness (Sorry Mom and Mom, but it's true). And I thought, "Does this side of the family forget that we have that side of the family to accommodate as well? What about my own little family? When do our traditions get to happen? WHAT ABOUT ME?!?"

However, I have chosen now to look at the situation this way: "It is wonderful to know how many people want to share the Holidays with us! That's pretty cool!" While it is not likely we'll be able to make everyone happy and attend every family gathering we have been invited to, I will still enjoy spending time with some of my favorite people at the time of year when I feel most festive and joyous!

'Cause family is great. Isn't it?

Happy Birthday to Me

Halloween is almost here! Time for creepy movies and trick-or-treating... AND BIRTHDAY CAKE!!! When Wayne first told his mom that I was born on Halloween, she replied, "She's a SPOOKY little girl." Here's a fun little online quiz that confirms her assessment of me.

You Are a Witch

You are deviously brilliant and a perfect manipulator. You somehow always end up getting what you want - without anyone knowing you're working behind the scenes. Crafty and cunning, you can work your way out of any jam. And it's easy for you to get people to do what you want, whether you're working for good or evil. Your greatest power: Mind control Your greatest weakness: Making people your puppets You play well with: Ghosts

What Kind of Monster Are You?

Nato Potato

We officially own a teenager now.

With all that's been going on lately, the poor kid hardly got any recognition on his B-day. (His birthday was on the 8th, which was the last day of the boards, and a night when I came home exhausted, curled into the fetal position, and cried softly to myself as I fell asleep on the couch at 6:00 p.m.). Wayne got him birthday pie because Nate is a cake snob. So around 7:00 we lit the candles, sang the birthday song, and then I passed out again, still on the couch. The only thing he asked for was to go see "Kung Fu Panda". We took him the next night, and it was HYSTERICAL, by the way! But I still feel like the kid was gypped. So Nate, this is my lame attempt at making up for your lame birthday. Hayden and I are going out this afternoon to get you a real present, and here is a little bit of gushing from your Ma:

Nathan is a great guy. And I use the word guy, rather than "kid" intentionally. He's not much of a kid anymore. He's grown so much over this past year (all by himself...no growth hormone injections needed). His voice has changed. His attitude has changed (*clenched teeth*). His smell has changed... But he is still a good guy to the core. He loves his family dearly, and we have a great understanding of one another. He has a strong personality and leadership qualities. I love you tremendously, Nate! Now, my son, use your powers for good. And never join the dark side.

I wuv you, my Widdle Punum!

One of my Favorite Mother's Day Moments

When Nathan was around 5 or 6 years old, he took it upon himself to join in on the tried and true Mother's Day tradition of bringing Mom breakfast in bed. Wayne had purchased yummy food to be cooked that morning, but he was apparently too slow for Nathan. At the crack of dawn (and I mean at the butt crack of dawn... It was E A R L Y!), Nathan comes in with a breakfast tray, brown liquid sloshed all over, a neatly folded napkin already absorbing the stray chocolate beverage. A tall glass, brimming with chunky, frothy fluid sits proudly on the tray. He says to me, beaming, "Mommy, I made you a Slim Fast with EXTRA chocolate in it!" How can one turn down such enthusiasm? I chewed that Slim Fast with complete disregard for the gourmet ingredients that sat unused in the fridge. This breakfast in bed was straight from the heart and the first of many from my very own son.

This morning, I sit like a princess locked away in her tower: certain that I will be allowed out of my bedchamber once my little princes release me with their heartfelt creations. I can smell the aromas of another homemade masterpiece wafting from the downstairs kitchen. I can hear the clinking of cutlery and the slam of the microwave door as I sit in anticipation. What are my boys creating today?

To my Moms

Happy Mothers' Day to my moms. I am who I am because of these remarkable women:

To my wonderful mother, Linda Henry... I am someone who cares very deeply for her family because of your example. I learned how to empathise and serve because I watched you doing the very same. All that is tender in me, I learned from you.

I am also a big-time goofball... wholly because I watched you break loose publicly on so many occasions (much to my utter humiliation as a teenager). I learned to find joy in life because you fostered that in me. Thank you, Mom. I love my life, and that is due to the undying optimism that you instilled in my very nature. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

To my wonderful step-mom, Jeanette Berger... There is so much of me that has learned to be tenacious and strong because of your influence. I have an enduring spirit and am willing to stick my neck out because of you. You have encouraged those traits in me, and I would not be able to do the things I do without them. It is hard for me to imagine what my life would be like, had you not entered my life in my preteen years. You are a remarkable woman who I am lucky to love. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

And last (but certainly not least): my "Other Mother," Lynne Van Cleave. You have been an influence for almost half of my life. To you, who raised my favorite person in the whole world: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You have shown me perseverance and loyalty. You love your family so very deeply, and your devotion is astounding.
I am a lucky woman, indeed. All of these remarkable women, like a kaleidoscope, add color and sparkle in my life. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love you all so much. Happy Mothers' Day!

Happy Easter!

THIS is what Easter looks like in the Van Cleave home. I don't get to buy cute little Easter dresses, and the boys don't really care about Easter egg hunts anymore. This year, we got to go to Uncle Chad's family's home to enjoy yummy food and Lesa Sobek's amazing hostess skills (She actually made See's candy eggs from scratch!) Hayden was a bit shredded after the pick-up B-ball game with Uncle Chad. He looks like a little strawberry!
At least Angie and Maeby got to dress up for the occasion.