Christmas Shenanigans!

I cannot wait to do this for my kids!! I'll have to update this blog later with how it went... but for now, here is the plan: 

We are planning on going to Mexico in January (we have plane tickets and reservations, but you never know these days #2020 so hoping this plan doesn't get messed up!!) My kids don't know so we are going to tell them on Christmas morning with this scavenger hunt. 

I'm gonna start with giving them a present with nothing but this piece of paper and their first clue in it. I'm sure they will expecting an actual present... so to get a piece of paper will hopefully throw them off enough to make the rest exciting. Then at every place there is a clue, we also left a hint..... 

These are the clues & hints I plan on using: 

Then at the end, they will open one last gift with pretend plane tickets, hotel room key and a countdown. I think by the end they will have figured it out, but we can tell them exactly where and when we are going :)

I'm going to put these files on my ETSY in case anyone else could use them. They would work for ANY scavenger hunt you'd like to do.... whether at the end you want to surprise them with a trip or maybe a puppy or anything else. You don't have to use hints at each clue and this can be used simply as a way to build up to an any awesome present. 

This took me about 30 minutes to put together... I backed the clues on cardstock so they read like a card (with the clue inside) and put the chain together with the countdown labels and construction paper. 

 

Some other projects I've been working on.... 

CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE 

Kindness challenges for the whole month of December. You can have them come from the elf, or just give them to your kids randomly. Good way to help them add to the Christmas spirit!

SILLY ELFIE ASKS A QUESTION

Labels for questions Elfie could ask using strictly 

house hold items for an EASY and QUICK elf set up!

SCAVENGER HUNT FROM THE ELF

Quick, easy and FUN scavenger hunt from your Elf!

Emmett Brent Houghton

7 lbs 8 oz

19 inches long

Born at 12:22

September 10- lost mucous plug

September 14- Monday night I had lots of contractions, Tuesday at OB appointment I measured maybe 1.5 and not very effaced...  and then contractions were pretty quiet until Saturday morning.

September 19- in the morning I was super cramping, tons of contractions and lost more mucous plug. Then by around 11 am... not much after that 

September 21- back labor all morning (3am-8am) quiet during the day, then night time tons of contractions and back labor that were getting stronger and more painful. Thought this was it, then as soon as I asked Julie to be on standby, it totally stopped 

September 22- Doc appointment, membranes stripped. Measuring 2 and 50% effaced 

September 23- Not much. Contractions here and there until middle of the night... 

So I woke up around 3 and I was having contractions. I started to walk around and they wouldn't go away. They were getting worse but I wasn't in a TON of pain yet. Some of them were every two minutes and worried that if I didn't go to the hospital, I would have this baby at home! So we called Julie and Jeremy came over, and we went to the hospital. We got there at 4:45. 

The nurse hooked me up and monitored me for while. When she came in to check me even though I was contracting A TON, she said I was barely dilated to a two. SO disappointing to hear. She said they usually don't admit people unless they are at a four. Since I was 38 weeks and I delivered my others at 38 weeks she left it up to me whether I wanted to be induced or go home. I did not want to be induced, but didn't want to go home in pain. She could ask the doctor to prescribe some pain meds that usually help relax the mom enough to start real labor. I said okay and she left the room to go do that. 

By the time she came back the contractions had gotten way worse. Each one I had to grip the bed to get through it and they were at least every 5 minutes. One look at me and she said "ya, you're not going home". She admitted me. When we got back to the room the nurse checked me again, and I was at a 4. I believe at this point they started Pitocin and I got my epidural. 

 9:30 AM Dilated to 4

10:30 AM Dilated to 5

11:10 AM Dilated to 6

I usually go real quick once I get to 6.... 

12:22 AM BABY!

Emmett is my first baby where my water did break on its own!