ordinary days

P still loves Legos, and one of his presents from my parents this year was a Lego Lone Ranger train.  The day before Grandma Paige and Poppa Fred had to leave, we took turns helping him with the train, and he and my mom were almost done the morning we said goodbye to my parents.  Not long after Grandma Paige and Poppa Fred were on the road, P finished the train and asked Daddy A to take a picture to send to "both my grandmas as a surprise.  One will be excited I finished, and one will be really surprised, since she doesn't even know I got this train!"  Of course Daddy A obliged.

P didn't really need any help with the train, although he enjoys having someone take the pieces out of the bags and look for the correct ones.  We don't mind helping him, since we have time together that way, but I do have to brag a little {it's my proud mama heart} and say that he did lots of this set completely independently.  Way to go, P!

ordinary days

One of the presents C asked for was a "real" tool bench and "real" tools, "so I can be like Poppa Fred".  He couldn't wait to "unbox" his tools and work on "a project" with Poppa Fred.  He stuck by that tool box until Poppa Fred was ready to get to work.  :)

Christmas!

Santa arrived during the night with presents!  Our Christmas was spent at home with family, and after the initial present opening it was low key and peaceful.  We had to say goodbye to Aunt Tiffany and Uncle John after breakfast, but we were so glad they were able to come and stay for a few days.

Christmas Day was so much more relaxed than our day to day lives, and I think we all needed that.  I, for one, need to take time to step back and count my blessings.  We have so many things to be thankful for, especially the little baby boy that was born in a manger for all of us!

Christmas Eve

This picture cracks me up!  Look at the anticipation on his face.  He's trying to pull off a calm smile, but he can't wait to rip the paper off of that present!

After a wonderful church service with family {both of the boys made it through the whole service}, we came home and put out reindeer food on the front lawn.

After the boys took care of the reindeer, they came in and put on Christmas pajamas.  We did let them open one present each, and then it was time to set out goodies for Santa, read the last story in our Advent storybook, and snuggle in for the night.  {They were excited, so of course the last item on the list took a while.}  All the "big kids" headed downstairs to open family presents.  Our family was blessed with a bountiful Christmas again this year - I hope I never forget how fortunate we are!

Eventually, in the wee hours of the morning, we all headed to bed too, knowing Christmas morning would be here soon!

a family visit and a second lost tooth

When we returned from the Grove Park Inn, Aunt Tiffany let the boys each open one of their Christmas presents.  P received a gift membership to Animal Jam, which he's been asking for since June, so once he opened that he disappeared downstairs and stayed on the computer.  C received a coffee maker and immediately started brewing beverages for the rest of us.

After dinner Daddy A and I took Tiffany and John to check out a new local brewery.

P and C were still awake when we got home.  P wiggled and wiggled his loose tooth, and eventually it was barely hanging on.  He finally let me pull it out for him, and he prepared for the tooth fairy and settled into bed.  What a night!

Grove Park Inn

Sunday night, Aunt Tiffany and Uncle John arrived with their dog, Tucker.  We had already decided that on Monday we would head to Asheville to check out the gingerbread houses from the national competition at the Grove Park Inn.  We had an absolute blast!  I am so glad I won't ever be asked to judge something like this, because there were so many amazing gingerbread houses.

We stopped in Asheville for some lunch.  C was happy as a clam {so was P} with his root beer.

Ever the ham, C was perfectly content to have his photo taken.

This is NOT a gingerbread house.  It's a model of the GPI.  I was just taken with the attention to detail.

These are just some of the gingerbread houses that caught our eye.  The final one pictured - the one with the pandas - was the grand prize winner.

The boys also took some time out to drive Santa's sleigh.

The best part of the day was spending time with these guys,

having some family time,

and seeing loved ones.

Grandma Paige, Poppa Fred, Aunt Tiffany, and Uncle John, thanks for traveling so far to spend Christmas with us!

ordinary days

Grandma Paige and Poppa Fred arrived on Saturday, and after church on Sunday we went out to lunch. The boys were waiting for our table and we took a quick picture.

I saw this quote and thought it was great advice. I need to hang it somewhere that I'll see it every day! I hope it inspires you as well.

The Big Chill

The Thursday before Christmas, P's school held the annual winter program. It was a cute musical about a bunch of teachers - and students, of course - who want a snow day. I was helping with the second graders, so after the first graders performed P came and sat with us. That's one of the perks of working where P attends school.

P had a loose tooth, and he kept fiddling with it throughout the first grade number. This isn't the best picture of his group, but it's the only one I have where his hands aren't in his mouth!

At the end of the program, P asked his teachers to take a photo with him, and they obliged. They are so good to him - I hope they enjoy their Christmas break; they deserve a great one!

a Christmas pageant

The night of the pageant arrived, and the kids did a fabulous job!  Daddy A did sneak a few photos during the live performance, but it was hard to get many, and hard to take quality photos subversively.  :)

C absolutely LOVED the spotlight and tried to steal the show.

At the end of the pageant, we tried to have the worship leaders {the "cast"} pose for a group shot to accommodate the parents.  It was a Herculean task keeping the kids still for even one more second, but we did as much as we possibly could.  This is the best group shot we got... I don't know about any of the other parents!

a Polar Express party

A local organization hosted a Christmas party at our church, and our family was invited to attend.  They transformed - and I am not exaggerating, y'all - our fellowship hall into a winter wonderland.  Since it was a Polar Express themed party, all of the guests under the age of 18 wore their pajamas.  C even wore his Santa hat from last year's trip to the Polar Express.

The boys made all manner of Christmas crafts.  Almost immediately after walking in the door they started in on what they called "scratch paper ornaments".  They also made some foam photo frames and colored some Christmas pictures.

After craft time, we all headed to the sanctuary for photos with Santa in front of the Chrismon tree.

Each child was given a handmade blanket and a copy of The Polar Express.  Mrs. Claus read the story aloud.  Then it was time for dessert!  There was a delightful {looking and tasting} Polar Express cake.

My personal favorite was the hot chocolate bar.  Looking at that table made me want to put a hot chocolate station in my kitchen.  Since I'm pretty sure that's not the best idea, I enjoyed checking this one out.

We ended the night by decorating sugar cookies, and then headed home to bed.  It was an enjoyable evening, and I'm glad we were a part of it!

A Star is Born!

P and C are both rehearsing for the Christmas pageant at our church. C is an angel, along with the other preschoolers, and he will perform a short song and a dance.

P is one of the narrators. Despite his young age, he has quite a few lines {he's already off book!} and is saying them with expression.  I am so proud of the effort he is putting into the production.

P is all the way to the left in the front row in this photo of most of the cast.

Here's an "action shot" of P and some of his friends rehearsing the final scene of the pageant.

Much like the nativity in which C has already been involved, this provides an opportunity to have fun while focusing on the reason we celebrate Christmas.  One week til showtime!

The Nativity

The four year old classes at C's preschool put on a nativity play every year.  This year, C was very excited.  "I'm a three king!  There are three of them, and they are kings, so that's why they're called three kings."  I had to work the morning of the play, but Daddy A was able to go, and he took some pictures for me.

C led the three kings down the aisle to the baby Jesus.

He proudly displayed his gift for the newborn king.

Afterward, C posed for some pictures with his friends.

He even let Daddy A take his picture in front of the Christmas tree.

I'm so glad that we have activities like this one to help our family focus on the true meaning of Christmas!

The Nutcracker

After the Cookies and Carols concert, we grabbed a quick lunch and continued with all manner of cultural events.  A friend of ours was in The Nutcracker, so we took in that performance as well.  Both boys wanted to see the ballet, but C was especially excited what with his current love of dance.

When the show was over, I asked both boys which parts were their favorites.  P liked the Mouse King best of all, and C liked "all the fairies," although he was quick to comment that none of the fairies had wings on their costumes, which he saw as a tremendous oversight. :)

At the end of the day all four of us were definitely in the Christmas spirit!

Cookies and Carols

Last year, we discovered an interactive concert put on by a local Choral Society each December.  As the name suggests, concertgoers get to hear {and sing!} carols, and they also leave with a delicious cookie.  We decided to attend the event again this year.

When audience members arrive, each child can choose a snowglobe with a picture of one of the items mentioned in The Twelve Days of Christmas.  The boys opted to choose their ages, just like they did last year, making C part of the four calling birds crowd, while P hung out with the six geese a laying.

When the time came to participate in that carol, P was back and center with the rest of the geese.  I can't even see him in the photo, but he's up there, I promise.

C, on the other hand, surprised me by staying in the audience.  He sat on my lap and we enjoyed the song from there.

Both boys enjoyed the cookies and the carols!  Our family had a great morning together.

dance class

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

The boys were eager to help get some decorations on our tree.

{Why, yes, P is decorating the tree shirtless.  It may be December, but you'd never know it by looking at his attire.  That's how we roll.}

out with the old

The day after Thanksgiving, P's loose tooth came out.  He waited and wiggled for weeks, and then while he was eating a snack, out came his tooth!  I cannot get over how old he looks with a missing tooth.

Never fear - one less tooth to brush doesn't mean P will neglect his dental hygiene.  He told me, '"You have to take care of your teeth.  The Tooth Fairy wants them to be in good condition."

He put the tooth in his Tooth Fairy Box, and he left this note for the Tooth Fairy.  "May I please keep my tooth?"

P is already wiggling his second loose tooth... I guess I'd better get used to his new look!

Christmas is early!

The day after Thanksgiving, we celebrated an early Christmas with Grandma Hen and Granddaddy Rooster.  C {clad in his "attached together pajamas"} received the double decker Chuggington roundhouse he was hoping would come his way.

P and C both enjoyed the act of unwrapping almost as much as what was inside the packages.

They were more than happy to help others unwrap their gifts, too.  Both of the boys got to pick out a present for each grandparent, and they were thrilled to give gifts as well.

As a family, our gift was tickets to Disney World for our trip next summer.  I was incredibly impressed with Grandma Hen's clever wrapping job.  Check it out!

That last photo alone should get everyone in the Christmas spirit.  I hope yours is merry!