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

 



Busy, busy, December... Part 1

Isn't there a love song that says, something about it being over before it begun?  ...yes, Celine Dion, When I fall in Love. Ok, Nat King Cole, but also Celine.  Anyway, that's how I felt about December!  I remember doing a felt nativity scene advent calendar as a child. Feeling every day like it took soooo looong to get to the next day so we could take another piece from it's pocket, and it seeming like there were a thousand little pieces, each representing a day of December.  What I would have given for a couple of those slow, endless days/weeks this last month! 

Around new years I told Paul, I have to sit down and make a list of everything I want to do different next year so I can plan better, fit more, manage time easier, stress less.  Now I can't remember any of it, except, buy it when you see it!  I'm kicking myself about a hat I wanted to get Paul and an ornament I wanted to get Addie that were gone by the time I got to stocking shopping.  Note to self: Things sell out quick, and all month feels like Black Friday in California. 

Anyway, here's a start of the wonderful month we had.

As soon as we got home from Utah, I was in food prep/décor mode for two nights of candle light services at the mortuary.  We got home Monday night, and the services were Wednesday and Thursday.

  Garrett had his first Christmas program at school.  All during November his teacher told me how nervous he was and how he would often want to sit by her and not stand on stage.  I was a little worried about the program.  Dress rehearsal, the day of, went ok.  Not a lot of actions, and very soft singing, but no crying or leaving the stage.  And that night he was much more animated.  Did the actions, smiled, and sang.  I told my mom how funny it is to watch moms (and be one of the moms) sitting in the crown, doing the actions and quietly encouraging your child along.  When really no one is probably looking at my kid but me.  I know this because at the end of it I was exhausted from all the silent, but energetic encouraging I was doing, and I never looked at any of the other kids. 

 

 

 

We went to an ornament party at a friends house.

We went to the uptown tree lighting and holiday fest.

We went to a Dog themed 1st birthday party for the kids' little buddy.

And that was all in the first week back from Thanksgiving.  More of December to come...