'tis the season

Time for a little potpourri. My Christmas gift to you. I'm feeling very generous.

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The kiddos are loving the Christmas lights we see around town. This house is their favorite. Lucky for us, it's only a few blocks away.

I took this picture one night on the way home from the gym. Just stopped right in the middle of the road and snapped a picture. It was 10:00 and I was the only car around. Don't worry.

When we drive past this one I go slowly so they can take it all in (because quite frankly, there's a lot to take in). Danny said one time, "It. Is. So. So. Beau-teeee-ful." He wants to live there some day. I'm not sure how that's going to all go down but he likes to dream big. He told me he thinks old people live there so I guess he's thinking they'll just die and he'll move in.

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I came across this printable manger scene while perusing the internet one day. I thought my kids would love coloring the pieces (you can also print it in color but what's the fun in that?). Cate had fun coloring Mary, Baby Jesus' swaddling clothes and the cow. She got mad at me for coloring the angel's hair orange. It was supposed to be pink. Duh. I ended up coloring the rest of the guys.

I love how they turned out.



Cate wanted us to act out the scene. She's very into that kind of thing. Danny even participated. And Dan too but he was still in his pajamas so I kept most of him out of the picture to protect his privacy (and his messy bed head).

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How to make your very own Santa beard...

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In an effort to avoid the crying this year (although it is adorable right?), we had pictures taken with me dressed like Santa instead. I think they're pretty cute. I'm pretty sure my children would have refused to sit on Santa's lap and have a little chat anyway. They might not have cried this year but you never know.





That box was empty in case you're wondering.

I saved my favorite shot for the Christmas card. I wasn't going to order any this year but after our little photo shoot, I couldn't resist. It's too late to send them out but I'm hoping they'll get here in time to bring around to the neighbors along with their non-chocolate goodies.

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Every morning we change the number on the countdown to cousin Kris' birthday. Then we change the number on the Christmas countdown. Then we eat one chocolate out of the advent calendars that Grandma gave us. Danny usually eats his and mine and Dan's if he can sneak it. Then we add an ornament to the tree I made.




I know. I'm so very crafty. Don't be overwhelmed by the sheer genius of it all. It's just a lot of paper and tape and a little glue. And and even littler amount of glitter.

I don't own a fancy countdown calendar thing-a-ma-bob so I made one. Out of stuff from the closet that I already had. Everything was free. You can't beat free. I'm pretty much a slacker when it comes to the paper ornaments to stick up there though. I had this grand plan to have a whole bunch made so they could pick which one to stick up each day. Yeah, that didn't happen. I turned it into a big now you get to tell me what kind of ornament to make and sit there and watch me while I make it because I'm too lazy and unprepared to make them in advance kind of thing. They don't seem to mind.

There's a lot of snowflake ornaments up there because sometimes I'm just fresh out of creative ideas and snowflakes are easy. There's even a few circles because those are even easier than snowflakes.

I make the kids pick questions out of a jar each morning before they stick the ornament up. All the questions are about the birth of Jesus. Who is Jesus' mother? Who is Jesus' father? What did the Wise Men bring to the baby Jesus? Muuuuuh (that's how Cate says myrrh since she can't say her r's. it's adorable.) After a few days of these questions Danny said, "Are these all about church?" Yep, they are.

Some of the questions aren't really questions. Sing Away in a Manger. Sing Silent Night. Give your family a hug and a kiss (he did NOT like that one). I've got a Christmas matching game in there too that I printed off the computer last year. I have no idea where I got it from or else I'd share.

I know my tree is nothing fancy and you probably have something much nicer at your house. I had a big tall blank wall, lots of paper and two kids who needed to be reminded every day that there's more to Christmas than Santa and presents. So that's what I came up with. I'm sure I'll toss it in the trash when we're done and make something completely different next year.

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We don't have an Elf on the Shelf at our house. I can't say that I really want one either.

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Cate has been watching our Frosty the Snowman DVD a lot. I heard her singing the song in her room one morning just after she had woken up. Her version goes a little something like this:

Frosty the snowman you have to go to your room because you don't have any pickles to eat and you are not going to be my friend but you should go play at Idda's house and we will go to Target and then they want to wash their hands so they don't have pee on them and I want to have a picnic with you so will you do the puzzle with meeeeeeeeee!

That's not a direct quote, mind you.

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I won't be baking any friend/family/neighbor treats that contain anything chocolate. Not because I don't love chocolate. It's because I do. Too much. Just thinking about last year's friend/family/neighbor treats makes me gain 5 pounds. Those were yummy.

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I'm very tempted to do this to my hair on Christmas morning. I'm not sure I can pull it off though since I'm not an 11-year-old girl. Also, I'm supposed to be playing my flute for the Christmas program in church and I don't think Rudolph on the back of my head would be very appropriate. I'm saving it for when Cate has enough hair though. Is it ok to have a blonde Rudolph?

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Guess what I'd make this year if I was super organized and crafty and not overwhelmed and feeling like I have zero time?

Snow globes!

I currently have 13 of those jars. I can't throw them away. They are too cute. And they are perfect for snow globes. Now I'm glad I've been saving them all year. Look out next year, neighbors, teachers and friends. You're all getting snow globes. Don't say I didn't warn you.

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We went to a family Christmas party last night at Aunt Cindy's house. Cate had a blast playing with Rusty. I'm pretty sure she just bossed him around all night but they both looked happy. Mostly.

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We went to the dollar store last week to pick out stuff for the gift exchange at preschool. I don't remember what was going on but I know that by the time I got to the check out I was ready to be out of there. (Three little kids at the dollar store is hard work, even if one of them is strapped into that tiny green shopping cart.) Danny picked out a package of very small Christmas stockings that he wanted to get for his puppy (the stuffed one he sleeps with). There were two little stockings stuck together (on purpose) with one of those white plastic things. I said ok.

When we got to the checkout, the guy beeped our stuff and bagged it. When he got to those stockings, they wouldn't beep. He tried several times and then asked me (HE asked ME), "Are these a dollar?" I just smiled and said yes but what I wanted to say was, "Are you kidding? Do you know what your store is called? EVERYTHING'S A DOLLAR. I believe that's the name of your store. Some people call it the Dollar Store. So, yeah. They're a dollar." Are there things at that store that are not a dollar? Maybe some of the candy at the checkout? Otherwise, don't you pretty much take a chance a figure stuff is a dollar. Do they do a lot of price checks at the dollar store?

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I remember watching Mr. Krueger's Christmas every year when I was a kid. I'm pretty sure that's my favorite Christmas movie. And here's my favorite part, because sometimes I need to be reminded that Christmas is more than Santa and presents too.