009 saves the day!

One of my favoirte Christmas trap stories happened when KP5 and KP6 were still very small. My parents used black thread and jingle bells. They were SO hard to see in the dim light! We weren't sure where my parents were sleeping so we didn't want to use any lights that might wake them up, but touching a SINGLE black thread could be very noisy!  

As we approached the stairs we realized that the concentration of theads increased. For about an hour we tried to find a way through the complicated web, but eventually we realized that our biggest problem was that my little sister and brother were too small to accomplish some of the difficult stretchs, and leaps our plan would take.

It was then that I noticed a small hole between the landing and the stairs that would allow us to get through easily. We would have to climb down the stairs by standing on the railing (my parents would have horrified to see us doing this) and then crouch through the hole simutameously twisting so that we would land feet first on the other side.... but again, HOW to get the kiddies though?

The answer is simple: I did the entire thing with KP5 on my back. That's right. Then I went back and did it AGAIN with KP6.

I felt like a War hero going back for a fallen comrade. In fact, I am pretty sure that I was!

The score!
Kids -  9
Parents - 1

You are going to have to step it up a notch from now on Parents! Good luck next year!

Video Camera

We were watching home-made videos yesterady for my brother-in-law's birthday. It was so much fun! Oh what would I give to have 4 kids on Christmas eve this year? My husband and I are determined to video tape them trying to get through the trap!

Anyone else thinking the same thing?

Popcorn Balls

Apparently my popcorn ball recipe is famous! I have gotten TWO requests for the recipe since I made them for my cousin's baby shower! both requests were from Palmers... I got this recipe from my mother, who says she got it from her husband's mom...who is a Palmer! My mom got this recipe from my grandma when my dad said it was one of his favorite Christmas treats! Therefore I will dub this a Palmer Christmas Tradition!

1 Stick of butter
1 Bag of Marshmallows
3 bags of microwave popcorn (I like to use food kettle corn)
Food Coloring!

1. Melt the butter and marshmallows in a large pan (yup just like Rice Krispy treats!)
2. Mix in food coloring
3. Mix in popcorn!
4. Roll into balls
5. Allow popcorn balls to harden on wax paper!

Enjoy!

"We were so sneaky!"

The Christmas before I got married was one of the best for us kids though. Brandon was married and he and Darci said they were gonna spend Christmas with her family. Heather and Aaron were in Texas or with his parents so supposedly it was just Taylor and I. Taylor would sleep in his room and I would sleep in mine. Taylor and I decided to even things out a bit by taking all of the jingle bells in the whole house and stashing them away so they couldn't be used in the trap. (Anyone who has been through a Christmas trap knows that jingle bells are the bane of ones existence through these times.)

We went through every decoration with a bell on it from the Christmas garlands, wreaths, squeeze-me singing Christmas toys, both Christmas trees, to my moms craft stash. By the time family prayers came around we thought we had gotten them all, but as we knelt down, Taylor and I both realized at the same time there was ONE jingle bell at the very top of our 12 foot tree. How were we gonna get that without being seen or our plan being figured out?? As a look out for him, I stood guard after the parents dispersed and he got the last one. After getting ready for bed and feeling very confident that jingle bells wouldn't be a part of this Christmas, I got a text from Brandon to call him when we were getting ready for bed.

I called him and he and Darci were waiting outside. They had a plan. they would come in my window and wait for me to distract my parents somehow, then Brandon would sneak in to Taylor's bathroom and sleep in the bathtub. The tricky part was that that bathroom was right next to my parents room and the office my Mom was working in all night. Mom even went in there once to wash her hands or something. At least she didn't go to the bathroom!! Awkward!! Brandon kept texting us updates through the night how he was doing. It was really funny. Unfortunately, I cant remember if he was discovered or not, or even if we got through that Christmas, but I just remember feeling really cool because we were so sneaky.

Entrapment!

Here's a good example of my dad being really sneaky- he set up a panel of sheets in the hallway blocking our view to the next segment of the trap. the next segment was lined with two big mirrors on either side, and red lines criss-crossing back and forth between them. come to realize, my dad was going all out with laser technology. we couldn't believe it!! Lasers??? Then we realized how expensive something like that would be and pulled back the sheet to find laser pointer key chains taped to the wall. Good one dad!

-From B&C W.

Tip #2- Baby Monitors Tricky and Easy!

From the B&C C. Family!
   
My dad once used this trick to get an unfair advantage over us! He bought a baby monitor and put it next to our door. We were expecting the usual tricks behind the bed room door. But he didn't have to trap us in- just set that baby up outside the door and wait for us to start trying. As soon as we woke up to start figuring out how to get out, he beeped through and told us we were caught. Not fair dad!

Baby's First!

A fun video from the B&D C family! So much fun to have video of a baby's first Christmas trap!  Let us know what you think!