I have to say, I am enjoying the Christmas season more this year than I think I ever have in my life. I think one of the well-kept parent secrets is that it is WAY more fun to watch your kids getting excited over the holidays than it was to be a kid yourself! :)
Some of the happenings...
As we put up Christmas lights on the house a few weeks ago, Caleb ran around the front yard, yelling, "It's Jolly Christmas! It's Jolly Christmas!" (Not sure where he got that, except maybe from that song, 'Have a holly, jolly Christmas...') He was one happy kiddo :)
Getting a tree: The kids had a great time wandering around the "tree lot" in the grocery store's outdoor plants section that was converted to Christmas trees for the season.
They especially enjoyed taking a ride on the tree carts. And drinking hot cocoa at home afterward :)
Playing songs on the piano with Daddy and singing Christmas carols: The kids LOVE playing on the piano when Joe does, and they also love to dance around when he plays fast, happy music.
Some Christmas music fun - and Caleb in his pirate getup :)
We also took the opportunity to go Christmas caroling at a local rehabilitation center last week for our Monday night family activity, and the kids enjoyed shaking hands with the residents/patients afterward, and of course drinking hot chocolate with the friends who sang with us.
Decorating gingerbread houses: My mom made us gingerbread houses to decorate almost every year at Christmastime, so this year I decided to continue the tradition. My first homemade gingerbread turned out great, and it wasn't as hard as I thought it might be! We had Uncle Peter, Aunt Lindsay, and cousins Joey & Kimball over to our house for the traditional decorating and eating of the candy :) as well as watching movies & playing games. It was so much fun!
Daddy helping Caleb on his house
The finished product!
We've also put up decorations together--which started the day before Thanksgiving when I was desperate for something to do to entertain the kids while Joe was sleeping post-call; made Christmas countdown chains; made paper snowflakes for the kitchen window; decorated the tree (& re-decorated it, as the kids keep taking the ornaments down to play with... ha!); & played Christmas music as often as we can!
