None of your Beeswax! (Candles, that is)

What a wonderful Christmas we had!  The girls all loved their gifts, but more importantly, they loved watching people receive their gifts that they had made.  The rest of the day was spent playing with all of the new toys and just being together.  Elise played "Thomas" all day long.  I don't think she would even require any tracks because she roll plays with them as if they were her dolls. (Ok, she might eventually want some tracks)  Her opening presents was asking one of her sisters to open it, her eyes lighting up at another Thomas toy and adding whatever it was to her game she was playing at the moment.  Hannah and Chloe were serving sandwiches and sushi (Melissa and Doug style) to us throughout the day from their kitchen.  It was really the ideal day.  Staying at home with the family, just enjoying the company.  

Right before dinner, we had the lights go out on us a few times, which sounded like this: Me: "Someone get to Lilly!" Elise: "Turn the lights back on!" Lilly: Wahhhhh!" Rachel: "I got to Lilly right before I stepped on her!"  We quickly scrambled for some beeswax candles that my dad had dipped for us, found the matches and....the lights went back on.  Then they lights went off.  Then the lights went back on.  Then the lights went back off.  We decided that we would eat our Christmas dinner a la candle light.  Then the lights went back on.  Everyone sighed very disappointedly and that was when we decided we would do it anyway.  We turned off all of the lights and enjoyed a very calm, relatively peaceful candlelight dinner.  I think a new tradition has been born, and this one that is way easier to carry on than the making pj's for 3 little girls. (wait!  There were 3 when I started it....6 is so much harder)

By the way, I am so grateful for all of this snow.  I know a lot of those folks out there have hated it.  I realize that it has kept a few families apart this Christmas, but it did a great job of keeping us together.  It has been such a gift to force us to slow down, spend less time running around , spend less money on worthless presents and more time just being together.  I have had numerous deep conversations with the girls about the season that I am not sure I would have had if I had been running around like a chicken with its head cut off.  (Including the not so deep conversation in which Rachel remarked that she likes Christmas because I am nicer during the Christmas season.  Thanks, Rachel.  Note taken.  New Year's resolution added.)

And now, for the challenge of this post.  We've played a little game at the Kang house, somewhat spuratically, that I'd like to challenge you guys to play along with.  It is very easy and requires little to none planning. (That is very important over here)  Whenever we are making a little treat, buying a yummy snack or something along those lines, I will ask all of the kids to guess a number one through ten.  It is always a little out of the blue, but the kids always know what I am getting at.  (I guess if I was a little more creative, we would use something besides guessing a number EVERY time, but in another life....)   Whoever guesses my number chooses a person to receive the surprise and we go sneak it to their doorstep.  It is always a secret, normally a person we don't even know and it always makes for a great little game.  So, as you are finishing up your holidays, or as you are starting the New Year, whenever you have a second to spare (that is all it takes), join in the fun and play our Very Random Acts of Kindness Game.  Your kids are bound to have a blast (and start requesting that you play it more often) and you are bound to feel the lovin'.  Everyone, get your game on.  Ready, set, go!  You can even share your fun in the comments.  Pretty please?