More of December. Part 2

During all the busyness of the month, we found time to make some crafts, decorate cookies, make gingerbread houses, sing Christmas songs and watch lots of Christmas movies.

We went to the Uptown Whittier Christmas Parade.  I have a picture of me and Addie at this parade from three years ago when she was three weeks old.  And look at her now!

 We mostly went to cheer for our little buddy Haylee and her cheer leading team.  She's Garrett's best friends big sis and if you ask Addie, they are BFF's even though Haylee is more that twice her age.

Garrett and his best friend, Ryan.  They wrestled on the ground for nearly the entire parade.

Right after the Parade was over, we headed to Irvine to go on the Christmas train and see Santa.

Addie was fighting back tears, Charlie was crying the whole time, and Garrett wouldn't look at him or smile.  And I still feel the need to do this every year.

We did lots of the overpriced activities to make up for making them see Santa.

 

We started a new tradition this year called Cocoa Jams Night.  It's where we all get in our pajamas and go to Starbucks for hot chocolate and then drive around looking at Christmas lights while listening to Christmas music.  I'm going to have this be the night every year where they get new Christmas jammies, instead of Christmas eve.  I've always saved the Christmas ones, but then come Christmas morning they're old news.

Garrett had a Christmas party at school.  It was a formal pizza party and I went and helped.  Garrett looked so handsome.  They did a book gift exchange.

He was so excited to give his teacher her gift.  He made her open it before he left.  It was a Target gift card, but the card had a tree on top of a car and a button to push that made lights blink on the gift card.  He loved it so much that Santa put one in each of their stockings with $5.00 on it, but they have no interest in spending them. 

Me and the kids also made a quick trip to Downtown Disney a couple days before Christmas to get some Lego's for a gift I wanted to put together, but I never got around to it.  That's when Garrett told me he wishes he could have a Lego birthday party, so we'll see if that lasts till September.

And along with all of this fun, we had Mommy and Me preschool, tumbling, Fridays at the farmers market and park with friends.  Paul's Lion's club party...  I'm learning as life gets busier that it's impossible to document everything.  But I need to try and keep up as much as I can because it's crazy how quickly I forget things.  Up next will be our North Pole Party, Christmas Eve and Christmas.  Resolutions... New Years... Things in November I forgot about...  ZZzzzzz

 



Preschool prep

I know I still have two+ months of life to catch up on, but who knows when that will happen. So for now, I'm just going to do some 'real-time' blogging. Garrett starts preschool, well, pre-k, in five days. Pre-k sounds so much more official than preschool. Next year will be T-K (transitional kindergarten) and then Kindergarten. So I still have two years before it feels really real. 

Conversations I had this morning with Garrett before 9 AM. Sounding all grown up... 

Me: Garrett can you get your shoes on so we can go to Trader Joe's?

Him: No, I'll stay home and take care of Charlie.

Me: Well Charlie's coming with me too.

Him: Then I'll stay home by myself. I can put on some shoooorts. I can read a boooook. I can take a naaaap. Then I can go for a waaaalk. And walk in the streeeets. Without holding haaands. 

He drags out the last word of sentences when he's explaining or trying to convince me something's a good idea. I think I do that to Paul too. 

Me: Garrett, tomorrow is meet the teacher day. Are you so excited that we get to go to your preschool?!

Him: And you too?

(I thought he was asking for some reassurance.)

Do I said: Yeah! I get to go with you! 

Him: No, you can stay home, just I'm going by myself. 

Me: But it's not school yet, it's just to go see your classroom and meet your teacher. 

Him: I need to go find my new friends. You can stay home with Charlie and Addie. 

Then later, he said out of nowhere, "Mom, I love you. But I love my friends and my boys and my girls at school too." I said, "I love you too." And he said, "Schools are just for little kids mom. But I'll call you on my black phone, and you can call me back if I need you to pick me up." 

I'd probably be a wreck if he wasn't so excited. (And I'm still a little nervous about how he'll act when he knows I'm really leaving him there.) But it's a happy/sad feeling, watching them grow up right before your eyes. And I know he'll just get more busy, involved, and independent from here. 

Also, I found out today that we had last years supply list so we needed a couple more things. And also, that he'll be at school for lunch time even though he's only half day. So we had to pick out a lunch box, too. Taking lunch to school and not having me there to force the vegis?! How will I make it...