Another week of cheer!

Monday December 3

We wrote letters to Santa. This took a long time cause the lists were BIG! Also Beckett wanted to write his but he can't spell yet so every letter had to be dictated to him, but he worked very hard and did a great job.

Tuesday
We went to the mall to visit with Santa and have a picture taken. When we got the picture back, I marveled at the long legged giants sitting in Santa's lap (feet almost touching the floor).

Wednesday
Christmas cards were the activity of the day!

Thursday
We dusted off the bin of decorations for the house and made really pretty piles of Christmas things all over :D Eventually, the house looked awesome. I love looking through the collection of hand made ornaments that has amassed in the last few years since school started.

Friday
Tree time!
Troy and Beckett headed out to the tree lot while me and Ethan prepped the site. The tree got to our house at the same time as Isaiah and Papa Chris so all of the boys got sidetracked... (happy hour, video games etc). I went to yoga. Troy put on the lights and the rest of the decorating happened on

Saturday
After soccer, we came home and put all of the ornaments on the tree. The item for today was hidden PJ's.

Sunday December 9
The activity was make a wreath. This involves walking in the forest for clippings as the first step - however, we had a friends 40th birthday the night before and it was a GREAT party, so the boys got to watch a lot of Christmas movies instead...

The Order of Things

The 24 days of December are long enough from what I remember in doing the chocolate calendar countdown. I think if I had to start the anticipation in November when I was a kid the waiting might have killed my spirit. I used to get frustrated that there were so many days of chocolates - life wasn't ok until we got to the tenth. Then once we got to the twenties life was AWESOME!

We are firm about not starting Christmas-ey things while it is still November. The Santa parade was two weeks ago which seems crazy so we didn't go. Bah-humbug! :) we are meanest ever parents!

November 30

Friday, the last day of November, and report card day (Beckett's first). As Troy says, it is hard to take the report cards seriously at this age. Most of the criteria they use are so abstract that it would be almost impossible to celebrate or punish based on one person's feedback done while watching 20 other kids.

The boys did well, though. No surprises, they are bright and learn things easily, energetic, have varying degrees of listening skills depending on the situation and both like to joke around a lot.

December 1

After the excitement of it *finally* being December and getting to open the first day on the chocolate calendars, and seeing what the activity of the day was going to be we had soccer to go to.

Typical Saturday morning picture: cartoons and Lego while waiting for brunch after early morning soccer games.

The day's advent activity was the truck parade with our friends Alex and Molly who we don't get to play with enough so it is always a fun treat to see them. The trucks drove really fast this year it seemed, but it was still a good light display and we were thankful that it stayed dry after the soakingwetday leading up to it.

December 2

This morning we get to go to a fancy hotel downtown for a kids Christmas party from Troy's work! I am not exactly sure what it entails, but I'm thinking Santa and some presents will be there, maybe some good snacks? I'm also thinking we better get the boys in the bath....

Then this afternoon, all the little cousins on my side of the family are going to my sisters house to help decorate the tree and do some cookies. I think this is the fourth year? we have done this. Seems like a new kid gets added to the festive mix of cousins every year :D and it is so much fun!

So this is the first Sunday for us, then maybe Christmas lights put up outside -- Troy? Too much?