Christmas Extravaganza!

Christmas came and went fast! We are in the midst of trying to figure out new traditions for our own family as well as incorporating some of each of our own from our own childhoods. It's been fun and a challenge to figure out how we want our own family's traditions to go. One of the things we have struggled with the most is traveling at Christmas time. It's hard to let go being with our own families of origin to now wanting to be home at our house with the kids. As hard as it might be, this might have been the last traveling one for a while. I really want to have that special Christmas morning at our house. And not have to bring all our presents wherever we go. It's a give and take so we will see what next year brings but I think we might be at home in Bham for at least Christmas eve and day. We were lucky to spend this past one with Adam's family on Bainbridge. What are some of your traditions that you have either kept with your own kids or do now with your kids?

Our little elves!

One of the traditions that I am trying to keep, is reading the "Night Before Christmas" a Tasha Tudor illustrated version from my 1st Christmas in 1979, on Christmas eve. This year Corbin helped by saying the last word in almost every phrase! We also ate some yummy lasagna for Christmas eve dinner and ate too many amazing cookies that Susan makes. Adam and his brothers used to all sleep in the same room on Christmas eve, we thought the fact that the four of us sleep in the same room was good enough to not include everyone any more :-)

We also both grew up leaving Cookies and Milk for Santa (and a carrot for the reindeer!). Corbin was so much more into Santa this year. In fact he wouldn't tell me what he wanted from Santa. He told me is was a secret between him and Santa! Good thing I was standing close by. I think next year we will write a list :-) It was really fun seeing him believe in the magic of Santa. For me Santa is all about being a kid, believing in magic and the spirit of giving. And when it's over, it's about carrying on the spirit of Father Christmas and making it special for someone else.

Corbin was so excited for Santa to come and he had a nap that he was up till just past 11pm! At one point around 10pm he said he saw Santa fly by above the trees. He was worried he wouldn't come back! We told him that he only comes once you go to sleep. He then said that he would just circle until he fell asleep. Eventually Susan went and sung to him and then he finally fell asleep when I came to bed at 11. Silly boy!

Eliza was up earlier than Corbin, so we came down and checked everything out till everyone else got up. She still wasn't so sure about this whole Christmas thing. Next year it might be a different story.

When Corbin finally woke up, we all opened stockings. Eliza was trying to put things back in. We all chipped in and filled everyone's stockings. It was fun to find little treasures!

Every Christmas has to have a picture of a baby in a box! This one is complete with some bat ears.

I love Christmas and getting everyone something I think they will love. I often go way over board with Christmas. This year we had a need to pair down (financially) and well as a desire to as well. We tried to follow a friends idea about getting them something they want (Santa), something to read -books, something to wear, and then we decided to also to something to do (art) and each kid always gets an ornament. We stuck to this pretty well minus just one extra each. We also got them each something small to give to the other. Next year Corbin will help out more with this than he did this year. This year all he did was help wrap his gift to Eliza. We also have started to do gift exchanges with our families. This is also nice because then we get one person something bigger and each person a stocking gift too. It's been really nice.

Santa brought Corbin a Bat Cave. This was what he really wanted. We debated for a while on this...this is his first big plastic commercialized gift we have ever gotten him. We really wanted to get him something he could play with, manipulate, pretend, almost like a doll house or something. When we looked at some of the higher quality wooden things like this the price was almost 3x the amount. And it's what he wanted, so Santa got it! He LOVES it!

Eliza is a little baby obsessed. So she got a baby doll from Santa and Uncle Kevin and Aunt Meghan also happened to get her one too. It was almost the exact same one. She is SO excited to have not one but two babies!

Family! We missed getting Kevin and Meghan in this one...

They both love their Grandparents (on both sides)! Thanks so much Grammie Susan and Grandpa Mark for a great Christmas on Bainbridge.

We are now in Bend with my family. A lower key Christmas since we were on Bainbridge and Jed and Kara are in Kentucky.

Here are the Santa presents...





I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday however you celebrate it!

Loves

Cookies for the recycling man.

Friends reading by the fire.

Warming their toes.

1st hair cut of bangs.

Gingerbread houses

Wow, Christmas is almost here! We have been busy around here getting ready, counting down the days and doing fun holiday things. It's so fun to see Corbin get more excited about it this year. We had fun seeing Santa, making cookies, and decorating the house. We also hosted a gingerbread making party and cookie exchange.

We hosted eight 3-5 year olds and two 1 year olds to make houses on Saturday. Wow it was crazy. Good thing we have a big table! Adam and I made 12 gingerbread houses from graham crackers and royal icing the night before. Then the crowds came in on Saturday morning.

There was a LOT of candy!

Last year we had to help Corbin with the icing, this year, we let him go at it! He did such a great job. And he had so much fun.

Alden tasting it to make sure it was ok to use.

Baynes concentrating really hard.

Corbin and Brody working hard. Corbin might have been asking if he could eat another piece of candy.

Working so hard! He has not figured out that you can eat the candy off the house yet. We hope to keep it that way for a long time!

The finished product! Well, actually after nap he added more. I think it was mostly a plea to eat more candy but he did add more.

Some of the mom's also made cookies to exchange after the party. Yummy cookies moms!

I somehow also thought it would be a good idea to make 9 dozen egg nog cookies; some for the exchange, some for eating, and then to give some to the neighbors, garbage man, mailman, etc. Someone recently told me about giving them to the mailman and garbage man. I thought it was a great idea. So tomorrow we will give them away. I am really hoping the garbage comes before Corbin goes down for his nap, so he can deliver them.

Susan came up to help out with babysitting for a Christmas party and shopping this weekend. She helped Corbin add more decorations to our window.

Corbin is counting down the days with his paper chain. We are almost with shopping. Now we are just trying to stay healthy (although another cold has hit us) and staying in the spirit. Corbin and Adam are watching "Prep and Landing" as we speak. Eliza has been enjoying dancing to Christmas music and we are all eating way too many cookies! We most likely won't get our Christmas/Holiday cards out on time, so from all of us to you... HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Holiday Time

It's been over a month since I have written. I feel so busy and I am only working two days a week. And we have also been hit with more than 6 weeks of sickness. It's horrible and I am ready for us all to be healthy. As I write this I am unsure if will be be going into work tomorrow or staying home. Eliza is on antibiotics and Adam has such a bad cough I cringe every time I hear him cough. I just want everyone to get better.

In the meantime here are some pictures from Thanksgiving and getting our tree this last weekend. I have so few pictures of both kids together. Or our whole family, so I was trying to get a few more but failed miserably.

Check out her combo of clothes & colors :-)

Corbin has been working on coloring inside the lines. He's doing pretty well so far!

Adam has been dreaming of making deep fried "Thanksgiving Balls" after Thanksgiving since last year. We are having a debate about where he should post this... my vote is here but he is thinking Numble...Where do you think?

We went to the same place this year to get our tree, it's cheap and easy and they have a pretty good selection, although the Douglas Fir's are a little too groomed for us. So I convinced Adam to try a new variety this year, Nordman Fir. They are similar to a Noble but less sectioned. The one thing is missing is the scent. But I like the way it looks.

Adam was feeling pretty poor when we went to get the tree and so we just put on the lights when we got home and waited to decorate it. It's also HUGE and takes up half our living room. Adam stayed home and I took the kids to the Lynden Christmas Lights parade. We were a little late but it was a great parade. The boys loved it! I didn't get any pictures of the tractors all lit up but they were pretty cool.

We decorated it on Sunday, it went better than I thought it would. Everyone was in a mostly good mood. Eliza was a little fussy and was being very 1.5, which is to be expected. But Corbin did a GREAT job, being careful, excited, and helpful.

Eliza mostly played in the light beam, which was better than her clinging to me or crying. Or better yet, taking all the ornaments off, which she did plenty of.

Susan bought me this great banner to hang over the mantel. In case you can't read it, it says "Joy, Peace, Hope" which I love. I always love the way my mantel looks at Christmas!

My wreath I made on Bainbridge and my beautiful girl!

I really tried to get some nice pictures of them together in front of the door but I should have realized it was fruitless.

But man, I do love them!

A conversation

Tonight on the way home from Adam's soccer game...

C: Mommy look at the beautiful moon.
M: Yes, it is beautiful tonight.
C: It's white on the outside and the inside. Someday I would like to take a rocket ship up to the moon and get out and walk on it.
M: Maybe someday when you are older you can do that. Today only really special people whose job it is to be an astronaut can do that. It would be fun to do that, wouldn't it?
C: Yes. I could take my soft astronaut helmet at home up there with me. Then I could breath when I am on the moon. Let's put that on my job board so I can do that.
M: That's a good idea to want to be an astronaut some day but remember that your helmet is just a toy, it wouldn't really help you on the moon.
C: I know. Mommy, you are really special and so is daddy and so is Ellie!
M: Thanks Corbin, I think you are really special too :-)
C: I have never seen a rocket ship fly before. Someday I want to see a rocket ship fly in the air.
D: Yeah, Rocket ships go really fast and they don't launch around here.
C: Where do they launch, daddy?
D: In places like Florida, Texas, and Arizona where there are not as many clouds and it doesn't rain as much.
C: Some day I would like to go there and see a rocket ship launch. Is it across an ocean?
D: Nope, just across the country. Maybe someday we can go and see one :-)