'Tis the Season!

 I have a problem when it comes to Christmas. I ADORE Christmas time. I long for it every year beginning on December 26th.  However, since having kids, I find myself adding one more Christmas tradition every year and I realize this year there is just TOO much to do!  I may need to scale back a little bit so we can actually ENJOY each fun activity and not just check it off my ridiculous list. We have, of course, been having a great deal of fun this month. Despite illnesses of many sorts, school responsibilities, and tropical-like temperatures, we are making the best of our Christmas. 

Here is proof...

Snowflake, Josh and Emily's Elf from the North Pole, arrived in style on December 1st. He zip-lined across our kitchen and brought with him Josh's new Lego City Advent Calendar. What a treat!

 One morning, Snowflake was found reading The Story of Jesus' birth. Josh helped him read the words and was thrilled to get to read to his Elf. 

 As I joyfully set out to adorn our home in Christmas cheer,  I was reminded at how fun it is to decorate with a toddler in tow.  Oh well, I compromised and we are now the owners of a plethora of red and green glittery SHATTERPROOF Christmas balls. 

We went to a fun Christmas parade dowtown and saw all sorts of Christmas favorites. 

When we walked by a Gingerbread Man, Josh stopped to take a bite. 

It was awkward.

 Josh LOVED it when Sipder Man came by us on a float. 

 Emily was very confused, but completely captivated by all of the things she saw. 
(Please take a moment to enjoy her cute feet).

 We went straight from the parade to buy our Christmas tree. Last year, when we took our Christmas tree buying picture, Emily wasn't here yet! It was fun having her join us this year.

Baby Emily was being such a helper while we were unwrapping the precious, breakable ornaments. As you can imagine, she was in heaven with all the new "toys" she was seeing. Eventually, we had to contain her busy paws to her exersaucer. Soon after... 

Tada!

The finished product! Absolutely LOVE discovering all the old ornaments.

Pickles was in town and was sure to share months worth of snuggles and giggles with her main man. 

Here they are looking through Pickles' Pinterest Board made especially for Josh . It is full of funny pictures, Lego things, games, and anything that will make Josh say, "That is too cool for my eyes!"

 Pickles decided to have her Aunt Pickles Christmas for Josh and Emily while she was in town. Of course, Pickles can't just hand over her gifts. She has to have a plan- well thought out and executed.  For Josh, she created a scavenger hunt of clues that led to each gift to open. She is SUCH a cooler mom than me. Lucky kid. 

Josh's school put on a big "Holiday Show" one night. It was a big deal.  The Kindergartners got to wear their PJs and get on stage and sing to all the parents. As the kids were about to perform, I watched as two teachers came over to Josh and whispered to him. Then, they made him come down to the front of the stage. Oh. My. Goodness. I was terrified as to what was about to happen. As some of you know, Josh is quite the silly performer. But, instead of a solo act, they had Josh carry the giant yellow submarine across the stage (see him in the very front). 

Now, what was a giant yellow submarine doing in a Holiday show, you may ask. 

I have no idea. 

Seriously, I still don't get it.

But, who cares? I was just so happy he didn't get up and start playing his air guitar for everyone.  

One of my favorite nights of the year? 

The Christmas pageant at church.

Katie and Josh sure put on a good show together. 

  Best Buds. 

They don't care if they go to different schools. 

They don't care if they play with different toys. 

They don't care if anyone else is in the room.

First person on Josh's birthday party list? 

"Katie. So, Mommy, that means girls have to be invited. And, I'm okay with that."

 There was that ONE day it was cold. We woke up to this on my car. A little bit of snow. It's not much, but people, when it's 75 degrees two days before Christmas, I'll take what I can get. 

 Walking home from school in style. 

 I brought Emily to the mall to see all the fun Christmas things and we stopped to say hi to the ducks and turtles. She LOVES watching animals.  And I love watching her! 

 Josh had his first skate party ever! It was soooo 1980's and he loved it.  A skate place full of kindergartners who have never skated before- now, that is what I call entertainment! 

Another great part of Christmas time with the kids is getting the fun annual ornaments they make at school. 

Emily's says more "Bah Hum Bug" than "Merry Christmas," but it's still a memory. 

 This was sent home with Josh last week. It's a letter to Santa. Please, let me translate for you:

"Dear Santa, 

 I like you Santa. Please bring me a rainbow racetrack. I love you. Love, Josh "

Chris and I are very unsure what a Rainbow racetrack is. Amazon doesn't know. Toys R Us doesn't know, either. I am praying that this Santa fellow can figure it out in ..... 36 hours. 

Chris and I treated ourselves to a fancy night away at a historic hotel all dressed up for Christmas. It was so pretty and so relaxing to be kid-free for 18 entire hours! Thanks for holding down the fort for us, Aunt Ginger! 

 Just in the nick of time, we made a giant Gingerbread man to decorate and cookies for Santa.  Josh was very serious about the Gingerbread man's anatomy this year. It very much distressed him that Mr. Gingerbread didn't have any ears and had a giant heart shaped hole cut through his body. 

Emily had no problem destroying the Santa shaped cookie and didn't worry one bit about taking his legs off one by one. 

Poor Santa.

 Another favorite Christmas tradition,  loading up in the truck and driving around town looking at Christmas lights. This year, we had a Christmas scavenger hunt for Josh to mark off things like reindeer, stars, candy canes, angels, wreaths, etc. When we stumbled upon this home,  he hit the jackpot on his scavenger hunt list. You can see him in the foreground marking off his list. Oddly, "Big Tex's giant burnt head" was not on the list of typical Christmas decorations- he could have checked that off after seeing this crazy house. Do you see it? Right above the door on the roof? Crazy, right? 

 But, the greatest of Christmas traditions is visiting the big man, himself. Here is Emily, waiting patiently in line to meet Santa for the first time ever. 

 When Josh climbed atop Santa's lap, he was not shy to ask him how he was doing. Santa said, "Fine, thank you." Then Santa asked Josh if he was a good boy this year. And, this is what Josh looked like when he answered. He pondered and said, "Wellllll, yea...... I am pretty sure I have been really good. I've been on green all week!" (They use a color system for behavior in school- Green is good). 

 And, I will leave you with the greatest Santa picture in the history of all Santa pictures. 

Emily was NOT a big fan of the big man. 

However, Josh (and Chris and I ) thought it was super hilarious. 

Poor baby girl. She will come to appreciate him in the next few years. 
Merry Christmas!