Whew!!!

All caught up - did you miss me? December is a little crazy over here - nobody can breathe until after we get thru the first two weeks of Christmas programs (which went AMAZINGLY well - so super proud!!!). It's all past us now, we've had a great week of fun family stuff this week since the kids are out of school, I've enjoyed NOT setting my alarm clock in the morning, Caleb is in full potty-training gear, and we are anxiously awaiting Mom and my sister & her husband arriving! Can't WAIT!!!

Gingerbread Houses and Christmas Cookies

Our week changed a little bit. The kids were out of school last Friday which meant we had the WHOLE week before Christmas off - hooray!! We spent our day on Monday cleaning up and getting the house ready for Mom to arrive on Tuesday!! Unfortunately, on Monday, it was discovered (through some collaboration with my sisters) that my Mom's "cold" was a little more severe. We convinced her to go to the doctor and get some meds and she decided to delay her trip until Wednesday. After talking with her on Wednesday, we realized she really still needed another day before making the trip, so she would wait and arrive on Thursday. Thankfully, I had some fun Christmas projects to distract the kids (only somewhat - we were all bummed that Tutu wasn't here yet, but we were trying to be patient!!!)

First up was gingerbread houses! Our neighbors were spending the afternoon with us (their mom was trying to survive Toys R Us for some last minute gifts) so they got to join in the fun! There was a boys house...

...and a girls house...

Then it was time for Christmas cookies! The kids all picked two shapes that they wanted to cut out and we started the process! The hard part is waiting for that first batch to cool enough to decorate them (which is the REAL fun part!)

Caleb even woke up from his nap in time to get in on the sprinkles action! :)

YUM - sampling the finished products!!!

Once every one had decorated and eaten a cookie, they were ready to quit and watch a Christmas movie! :) The rest was going to be up to me to decorate! :)

Caleb wandered back over a little bit later to decorate a few more...and eat a few more sprinkles...

Max even woke up JUST in time to get himself a cookie! It was a fun day and helped pass the time.

Now TOMORROW is going to be really fun! Mom, Aunt Kristen, & Uncle Chris all should be arriving in the afternoon! We can't WAIT!!!

Christmas Caroling

Our last official act of 2011 was to take the kids choir caroling on Sunday night!! Last year we sang at the retirement center which we LOVED, but since our musical had to do with caroling, I thought it would be fun to actually do it! We caroled at a neighborhood behind our new church property and handed out invitation cards about the Christmas Eve/Christmas morning services coming up. It was pretty crazy - the kids were SO excited and were wanting to run from yard to yard, but after a while it became more controlled chaos! :) When we were finished, we headed back to the cafe at church for some hot cocoa and christmas cookies!

Robin helped me with the barista duties :)

Caleb found his way in his favorite "ottoman" - with his favorite little girl! This is baby Alyssa - he WUBS Baby 'Lyssa. Her mom is a good friend of mine from choir and Caleb began falling in love with Alyssa this season while Callie and Amber (Alyssa's big sister) cheered together. Oh my does Caleb WUB Baby 'Lyssa!!!

As we were taking these pictures, I told Allison (her mom) that we would be playing these pictures at their wedding reception slideshow!! :)

A full day of parties

Saturday was a full day. We hosted our annual Worship & Arts Ministry Christmas Open House. We invite everyone involved in the worship ministry at church to drop in sometime between 11-2 pm for a time of food and fellowship. It's a special way for David & I to thank them for playing such a vital role in the ministry and a neat time to have people from all of the different areas (choir, orchestra, praise band, praise team, AVL team, kids' choir leadership, senior adult choir) together! We loved our time of fellowship with each of them, our kids didn't go too crazy with all the people at our house all afternoon, and the food was delicious!

We had a couple of hours before it was time to head to our next party which started at 6:30 pm. After the long day at our own house, this is how our car looked on the WAY to the party :)

Some tired kids! They woke up when we got there and we had a good time. It was a tree trimming party - where we decorated their HUGE tree in the middle of their home. Very fun, lots and lots of ornaments, tinsel (!!!) and lots of fun (but tired) kids!

Sing a Long and Party Day!

Friday was one of those days that made me SO thankful we live just a few minutes from the school. I had so much to do and knew I was going to be up at school several different times throughout the day. I went in with the boys early to help deliver their Christmas presents to all their teachers, which meant I couldn't go in my jammies and ponytail like I normally am when I drop them off for school :). Then I headed home and we had about an hour before going back up to school for the holiday sing-a-long!

Kindergarten thru 2nd grade was first. They all were in the PE room to sing some fun holiday songs. It was really fun. Callie sat in Jacob's lap :)

Can you find Jacob right in the middle? Callie is in his lap in a purple shirt :)

They sang all kinds of songs - including Joy to the World!!! My favorite moment though was when they were singing "Santa Claus is Comin' To Town" and this is what I heard:

"You better watch out, you better not crah...

You better not pout, I'm telling you whah"

I tell you what - these kids from SC have an accent for SURE!!! :) Hilarious.

It lasted about 40 minutes and then the 3rd-5th graders came in to do it all over again. Caleb and Callie did well, but were definitely starting to be done...

Josiah was a little embarrassed by it all...and I would definitely say that the older group didn't quite sing out like the younger ones did! :)

We headed back home where I had another hour or so before having to be BACK at school for class parties!!! :)

All of the 3rd graders were doing a special "Christmas in the Carolinas" theme since they've been studying all about SC history. They rotated thru all the 3rd grade classrooms and did special crafts and then even their party plates (royal blue for SC!) and food related to the theme!

Peaches (GA peaches have nothing on SC peaches), boiled peanuts (eww...everyone here loves 'em, but I just can't do it), cotton (represented by a chocolate covered marshmallow), and a pb&j sandwich cut in the shape of our great state!

Then it was off to Jacob's class party!

Jacob's class was playing the game where you have to pass things RIGHT or LEFT depending on what you hear in the story. Very cute. When I walked in the door, Jacob yelled "MOM! We're playing that game that we played at church! Remember??" (We had played it at a christmas party at church a few weeks earlier and he loved it!)

Then it was time for more craft fun, some goodies, and a little Christmas bingo! What fun!

My favorite day at PHES

This is one of my most favorite days at the boys' school. It's candelight lunch day!! I remember last year coming in to have lunch with the boys and assuming it was just going to be battery candles or pictures of candles or something and was pleasantly surprised to see REAL candles burning on all the tables and Christmas carols playing in the background!! I love it!!

So the kids and I packed our lunchboxes to head to school for lunch with the boys - we were not going to miss it!!

Even white poinsettias on the tables :)

Jacob's lunch is first, and then we have about 30 minutes before Josiah eats lunch so we headed out on the playground with Jacob's class. Caleb had lots of admirers and help on the playground :)

Josiah loves when we come have lunch with him....except he says Callie always embarrasses him :). She does talk quite loud and doesn't exactly follow all the rules that Josiah knows to follow :)

These two were getting a little silly by this point...we had been at the school for an hour....

That afternoon, we all headed to Marble Slab Creamery to join with them in celebrating National Cupcake Day. They were giving away free ice cream cupcakes and we definitely didn't want to miss that! :)

That night I had to finish up my gifts for the boys' teachers. All of their teachers got a pan of homemade cinnamon rolls (The Pioneer Woman's recipe - YUM!) and then their main teachers got a giftcard to Barnes & Noble too. I was SO sad that I had JUST enough pans because I REALLY wanted to eat some after making them all!!!

Accessories

You like Callie and her bear's earrings made out of hair bows? This girl cracks me up! You can never have enough accessories!

Polar Express Day

It's Polar Express Day!!! A big day for the first graders at PHES! They all get to come to school in the pajamas, and the principal reads to them "The Polar Express". Josiah was lamenting how unfair it was (of course, when HE was in first grade, he loved it!!) and everyone was very jealous for all the fun the first graders were going to get to have that day!

I brought in North Pole cupcakes for his class :)

Here come all the first graders!

Jacob begged me to sit down with him (the other moms were standing around the room...), and then proceeded to climb right into my lap and sit with me. Oh I love this sweet tender boy.

All the first grade teachers had a copy of the book too and were turning the pages, so the kids could look at whichever book was closest to them to see the pictures :) See Mrs. Mitchum in the front in her nightgown? Hilarious.

They went back to the classroom and enjoyed their North Pole cupcakes and hot cocoa :). It doesn't always take much!! :)

Addison and Callie

I got these outfits for Callie and Addison last year and saved them to give them this year. They got a kick out of wearing them the same day and sending each other pictures :)

Friday

He doesn't always, but a LOT of the time, he is RIGHT next to Callie following RIGHT beside her. They are GREAT friends!

David got all of our stockings hung! The people that lived here before us had 5 in their family, and last year we never got around to hanging a 6th hook, so David and I just shared :). He fixed the hooks and got them all up. I LOVE our stockings. They are all very special and it about made me crazy finding the kids stockings that "sort of" matched David & my stockings. I love the tradition of it. The kids love it. I'm a sucker for these memories!