Bret Hedican & The Anaheim Ducks

For those of you who follow my blog, you know that we are hockey fanatics! You might also know that Kurt has a high school friend that plays in the NHL, Bret Hedican. Well, Bret played for the Carolina Hurricanes, but now plays for the Anaheim Ducks. Luckily for us the Ducks are in the same division as the Dallas Stars, so we have more opportunities to see him play. Matthew joined Kurt at the first game in Dallas, it was a game of a lifetime for him. Not to mention it was the first NHL game he attended. Hopefully he will understand you don't get to go under the arena after every game to meet the players. Well, Matthew (and Kurt for that matter) are still glowing after seeing Bret!

Matthew & Bret Hedican.

Getting close to the action during the pre-game skate.

Pre-game warm up.

Bret's Slap Shot.

Game On!!!!

Christmas Morning

On Christmas morning, the boys couldn't get upstairs fast enough....

Sam is super excited to attack the ultimate puzzle......Rubik's cube!
The most requested item this Christmas. Indiana Jones Sound Effect Whip. Kurt is so very afraid his tv it going to take the brunt of this item!

I don't even remember what gift made Matthew this happy, but he was out of control!

We all were very blessed this holiday and are thankful for everything we receive...materialistic and not. We have had a few bumps this year but we are a family and that is the most important thing. As crazy as Christmas gets, I am most thankful for that God sent Him to be with us on this day....and everyday!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Making a Gingerbread House

While Kurt went Christmas shopping (on Christmas Eve) the boys and I made a gingerbread house. Now I know I'm sometimes Martha Stewart-like. But I totally cheated on this...or I should say Grandma Wagner totally cheated on this....everything was store bought & we just put it together. The boys had a ton of fun licking and eating more than putting stuff on the house.

The finished product.

Time to eat!!!!

Matthew's Christmas Party

Matthew's Christmas Party at school. He got to make reindeer food, eat pancakes, & make a gingerbread ornament. We both had a lot of fun.

Sharing with your children

One of the things I love most about being a mother is that I get to share things that I loved as a child with them. One of those things with Matthew is the "old school" How the Grinch Stole Christmas. He would watch this movie all year long, in fact, we have watched in during the summer. When I saw this shirt, it didn't matter how much it cost, I had to buy it!

Peace Preschool Sing-A-Long

The child of the Creative Movement teacher has the be the one who participates the least! Sam will sing Jingle Bells at the top of his lungs while on the potty, but not in front of anyone! It was a great show (not to toot my own horn), I hope the parents enjoyed it!
The best pictures came after the performance!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

Well, the decorating has been done for a while, but the pictures are a different story. Here they finally are....
Our new purchase this year...a pre-lit 9' tree. We have been using a hand-me-down for about 6 years. Last year we thought for sure by the end of the season it would be flat on the ground. It made it, but we splurged this year and got a new one. It is great, there is plenty of room for the ornaments. However, most of the ornaments are near the bottom to about 3 1/2 feet up - the highest the boys could reach!
This is our section above the TV. It is one of my favorite spots because it has the matruskya dolls we got in Russia when we adopted Matthew.
These are my sticky reindeer & the boys picture with Santa. There is also a new addition of snow this year. Amazingly the boys have played with it very little. (Maybe it was the threat of cancelling Christmas if I found it all over the house.) Either way, it has stayed put.

The entryway with a special handmade Christmas skirt by Grandma Wagner. (Really, did she ever expect me to really put it under a tree & cover it with presents?)

This is something I did when I had left over garland and some balls. I know, I'm starting to tip over the edge.

Dept. 56 Village. Oh yea, more snow. I have found the snow on the top of the houses here, sprinkled with the help of Matt & Sam.

This is by far my favorite Christmas item....a wood carved nativity from Russia when got when we adopted him.

Stockings hung with care. Sam is the only one with a store bought stocking. I am diligently working on it (and have been for the past 2 years) so hopefully it will be done by the end of the season.

Our Elf on the Shelf, Chris.

Sam & Matthew's impersonation of Chris the Elf.

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Chuy's Children Giving to Children Parade

We officially started the Christmas season the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We headed to downtown to go the the Chuy's Parade. It was our first time because we thought the boys were finally old enough to walk the many blocks to get to the parade, then have the patience to wait for the entire parade to pass. We were right, they were troopers! The only problem we had was that the boys didn't fully understand why were were buying "new" toys for the kids who might not otherwise receive a Christmas gift. Matthew kept saying, but I have a lot of toys I have at home that we could give to kids that don't have any. Awhhhhh, my sweet boy. Sam was super excited to go and pick out a toy that he loved to be able to give to someone else that will enjoy it as much as he does!

Bakugan

Kurt & I are not even sure how these toys are suppose to be used. We know there is some sort of game with the cards that come with them. Matthew knows how to use them, but when a 7 year old tries to explain a game to you, he leaves some details out. When the balls roll across the magnetic card, they pop open. Anyway, Sam loves to play with the and he loves to act out the commercial.

Thanksgiving Day Play

The practice was over. Standing still for 20 seconds. Learning a line with 10 words. Matthew's performance was flawless.

"We're thankful for each one of you seated here today"

Then we had fun taking pictures of ourselves.

Trick or treating....Trick or treating

.....and presenting the 2008 Wagner Halloween participants.........

Obi Wan Kobe

Optimus Prime

Fighting evil together

Then counting their loot......

HAPPY, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Parent Pumpkins

Ok, I know that I am over the top with a lot of things, but what the hell happened to having a pumpkin carved with triangle eyes & nose and a big circle for the mouth????? My kids find a pattern book at Target, beg me to buy it, pick their favorite one, they go play football in the front yard while Kurt and I are punching about a million holes in each pumpkin, then carving it with a 2 inch blade & bam!!!!!!! Super happy, excited kids.....oh yea, that's why I'm over the top! To see the happiness on the boys faces when they have something extra special......

Matt's choice

Sam's choice

First Grade Fall Centers

At Steiner Ranch Elementary, Matthew's class celebrated Halloween day with Fall Centers. He got to decorate pumpkins, make a spider on a stick (lookey there, you can put anything on a stick) , and as always, eat some more sugar!!!!! Yea, Halloween!!!

Peace Preschool Halloween Parade

The Halloween parade at preschool was extra special this year. Since I'm the Creative Movement teacher and it is that teacher who prepares for it, it was all my puppy this year. And it was wonderful.

All the kids paraded through the route, sang their hearts out, and showed their parents their best dance moves. I am so proud of all the kids, but most of all, one in particular...a transformer by the name of Optimus Prime (aka Sam)