At first…after 5 years … there were only 2 plus a dog…..

Peaceful and Calm….at home….2003

Then at the new house in Wisconsin….still just the two little spawn……and visiting Santa …. 2004

Posing so nicely 2004

Yeah…no WAY am I sitting on HIS lap…..

2005 brought an addition to the picture…..

Still fairly calm….2005

By 2006…things started to get a little dicey…..

And yes, I used this for our card!

2007…..and now the true chaos begins….

Poor boy…the one and the only boy…..2007

Can I drop this thing?!

This is as good as it gets…2007

2008…things really started to get dicey….

Ummm….no.

We’re at church – can’t you be good in front of baby Jesus?! And Eldest Female Spawn is only putting Littlest Spawn’s nukie in – she’s not trying to ‘silence’ her….

2009 was a tad bit calmer…..

Visiting Parents of Evil Joy….2009

By 2010 – I had learned….

I’ve given up….I just hold Littlest Spawn….2010

2011…Dr. Evil was discharged on Christmas Day….getting ready to go home where he belongs…..

Best.Picture.Ever.

2012 is here…I haven’t taken the exact picture I want yet, but these are pretty good…..

We have scissors and suckers and know how to get the best of parental figures with both of them!

Courtesy of Maria Mulfort Photography

So from us to you – Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday, and Happy New Year.

EJ out…..to hug a spawn.

Share the spirit of the season…click on the Top Mommy Blogs icon to cast a vote for Evil Joy Speaks.  One click.  That’s all it takes.  Thanks!!!!

Click here to enter our Scared of Santa contest by uploading your own picture.

Santa made a special stop to visit us.

There no pictures of Elly with Santa. As soon as Santa arrived, Elly screamed and ran into the kitchen. When I picked her up and brought her back into the room that Santa was in, she spent the entire time convincing me that we should go upstairs, or in the kitchen or anywhere but where Santa was at.

Though for the record, she did love the book that Santa gave to her.

Did you guess who was Santa?

If you said Dan, then you were right.

How do you enter? 

Submit a photo of your kid(s) with Santa.  At the end of the contest, FOX6 will randomly select one photo to win Flowers for a Year from Welke’s!

Start submitting your Scared of Santa photos today, the contest ends at 2:00 P.M. on Thursday, December 20th, 2012.

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Many parents look forward to the trip to see Santa Claus– and taking pictures of the visit for their scrapbooks and photo albums….

But it doesn’t always go as planned.

We want to laugh WITH you—  as your kids squirm or cry or SCREAM when they visit Santa Claus this year.  Enter our contest by filling out the form and uploading your photo below.

At the end of the holiday season, we’ll choose a random winner of a great get-away after the hectic holidays.

Winner will receive a one Night stay at the Inn at Weston Landing in Weston, MO, use of a McCarthy Automobile for the weekend (some restrictions may apply) and $200.00 in cash courtesy of McCarthy Automotive Group / Lauren Wants to Know. Total value of $500.00

Click here to enter on your mobile phone.

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Here’s my very own entry; Granted I’m not petrified… but I did have serious issues when I was younger. And no I don’t still have the jumper!

I love the holidays. I listen unapologetically to Christmas music, I like the lights and all the sparkly stuff, I love all of the smells and the 10 bajillion calories and getting to dress up and the sounds of bells ringing and the process of thinking about gifts for people and wrapping them and the fact that checking the mail is actually exciting for one month and the pervasive sense of unity that abides. I do, I love it.

Having a child has made me think more about the magic of this time of year, of creating traditions and knowing that there’s comfort in the love that goes into this attentiveness. I am already cooking up plans for celebrating the solstice with a dark house and candles to drive the darkness away, we will read the story of Joseph and Mary’s trek, we will bake cinnamon buns from scratch and throw reindeer food on the roof, we will write letters to Santa that will begin with all that we’re thankful for and conclude with all that we wish for–not just gifts. I’m telling you, my brain has been going at hyper speed thinking of all of this.

And yet.

We did this:

And I’m thinking that maybe I need to give some of my plans a wee more thought.

I’m pretty sure that “New Parents” might be at the top of Asher’s Christmas list this year. For obvious reasons we’ve refrained from telling Asher that this man will be coming down our chimney in the dead of night to touch our things and eat our cookies. We’ll cross that bridge in a couple of weeks.

This whole Christmas thing is looking a little funny from this side of the coin.

falalalalalalalaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Don’t answer that. The Santa at Yeager’s ruled.

The idea of this book came to fruition 5 years ago when the Chicago tribune asked its readers to send in pictures of their little ones petrified by Mr. Claus.  After millions of viewers have checked out the site dedicated to the project, and thousands of entries, Denise Joyce and Nancy Watkins, both editors for Chicago Tribune sifted through the entries and compiled the best of the bunch to make Scared of Santa: Scenes of Terror in Toyland.  With cleverly titled chapters like “Want A Smile?  It’ll Cost Ya,” the family photos of crying babes, and quotes from the parents who dared to send their children’s photos in, this book is gauranteed to entertain during the holidays.

In other news, I have my wireless network at home completely operational and secure, so that’s good news, and I’ll begin Operation Build tonight as I foray into the great build-my-own-computer adventure. Perhaps the most important thing of note is that tomorrow is Chester Greeenwood Day. I think we all know just how great a man Chester was, and why he has a day named in his honor. We’ll be heading out for the parade, but I think I’ll pass on the Polar Bear Club dip in Clearwater Lake. Tomorrow’s supposed to be wicked cold out here. Anyone else having any Chester Greenwood Festivities? I’m sure you’re all jealous that I now reside in his home town, the “Earmuff Capital of the World.”