Our Christmas season got off to a roaring start this year. Festivities started on Thanksgiving day. Sure, we stuffed ourselves silly and plotted our yearly shopping trip, but the main excitement was Caleb's birthday. It's hard to believe he's five. He wanted a jungle birthday cake, of course, and picked out the animals for it himself.
Caleb's jungle birthday cake. There's a hippo, rhino, cheetah, yak and ram. He asked for a sled for his birthday. Luckily it had snowed a few days before so Aaron and the kids went out the next morning to try it out. They had lots of fun. Caleb was also old enough this year for a friend birthday party. He invited his cousins and a couple of girls from his primary class, where he is the only boy--poor thing.
Caleb blowing out his candles. Everyone made an animal ear headband. Caleb wore his monkey leash. He was so excited about his jungle party. We played a lot of games where you could run around a roar, so it was a great time for everyone. After the excitement of Caleb's birthday, we put up the tree.
Hannah and Maggie decorating the tree. Maggie will be trying out for Vanna White's job soon. 
Caleb stood on the stool to put on the ornaments. Mom hands out the ornaments and the kids get to put them on.
Where was Aaron during all this, well now that his light stringing duties have been eliminated, he took a nap on the couch.
Just kidding. He actually helped the kids put on the ornaments and took all the pictures. He even had Maggie take the staged nap one.
We always celebrate Sinterklaas with my family. It was fun to have my brother and his wife and cute new baby here to share that with us. Somehow we didn't get any pictures of them. Sometimes I wonder why I am the one in charge of taking pictures. I am so bad at getting the really important ones. Sinterklaas brought all the kids new snow pants and gloves.
Look Dad gloves!
Katrina got gloves too. If only it wasn't so early in the morning.
Where was Aaron during all this, well now that his light stringing duties have been eliminated, he took a nap on the couch.
Sophie coming back for another ornament. Just kidding. He actually helped the kids put on the ornaments and took all the pictures. He even had Maggie take the staged nap one.
Pictures of Dad asleep--there's nothing better.We always celebrate Sinterklaas with my family. It was fun to have my brother and his wife and cute new baby here to share that with us. Somehow we didn't get any pictures of them. Sometimes I wonder why I am the one in charge of taking pictures. I am so bad at getting the really important ones. Sinterklaas brought all the kids new snow pants and gloves.
Look Dad gloves!
Katrina got gloves too. If only it wasn't so early in the morning.Unfortunately, he forgot the snow. We had to wait two weeks to try them out.
We were excited this year to be able to enter a gingerbread house competition put on by our school. We decided to make a gingerbread camp. I put together the tents and set up some of the gingerbread people. We made a gingerbread person for everyone in our family. We even had Dad poking the fire with a candy cane and Hannah fishing in a pond.
The kids kept asking why Dad always pokes in the fire. He just does.
Maggie and Sophie decorating the gingerbread scene.
We were excited this year to be able to enter a gingerbread house competition put on by our school. We decided to make a gingerbread camp. I put together the tents and set up some of the gingerbread people. We made a gingerbread person for everyone in our family. We even had Dad poking the fire with a candy cane and Hannah fishing in a pond.
The kids kept asking why Dad always pokes in the fire. He just does.
Maggie and Sophie decorating the gingerbread scene.The kids did most of the decorating. Sophie made a really cool bird out of starbursts that landed on one of the tents. The gingerbread competition was fun. There were a lot of fun houses and we got to go ice skating for free. The kids LOVED ice skating. They pestered me the whole way home about when we were going to go again. We were also excited about winning a prize for our gingerbread campsite. We even got a "major award"--a commemorative mug.
Aaron and Caleb have the good fortune to spend a few days with his brother in Maryland. They went to see a 3D dinosaur movie. Caleb was so excited about that. You could almost reach out and touch those dinosaurs.
We have exciting plans for our Christmas break. We are going ice skating with the Smalleys. Every day since we planned it, some one has told me at least once, "I can't wait until we go ice skating." We will be watching a fun movie on Christmas eve. We haven't reached a decision yet, but Despicable Me and Tangled are in the running. And, what I think the girls are most excited about, we will be painting Hannah and Maggie's room. We got paint samples at Walmart the other day. According to the girl's plans, their room will be a kaleidoscope of color. I think they have seven or eight colors picked out for various parts of their room. I'm going to try to talk them down to one or two.
We also have plans to stay up to 11pm every night and sleep in until 9:30 every morning. There's the all important TV watching that needs to be done, not to mention the computer gaming. And let's not forget the fudge, toffee and other evil treats that abound at this time of year. Sounds like a great holiday. Merry Christmas to you all!
Aaron and Caleb have the good fortune to spend a few days with his brother in Maryland. They went to see a 3D dinosaur movie. Caleb was so excited about that. You could almost reach out and touch those dinosaurs.
We have exciting plans for our Christmas break. We are going ice skating with the Smalleys. Every day since we planned it, some one has told me at least once, "I can't wait until we go ice skating." We will be watching a fun movie on Christmas eve. We haven't reached a decision yet, but Despicable Me and Tangled are in the running. And, what I think the girls are most excited about, we will be painting Hannah and Maggie's room. We got paint samples at Walmart the other day. According to the girl's plans, their room will be a kaleidoscope of color. I think they have seven or eight colors picked out for various parts of their room. I'm going to try to talk them down to one or two.
We also have plans to stay up to 11pm every night and sleep in until 9:30 every morning. There's the all important TV watching that needs to be done, not to mention the computer gaming. And let's not forget the fudge, toffee and other evil treats that abound at this time of year. Sounds like a great holiday. Merry Christmas to you all!
2 comments:
Merry Christmas! Looks like fun over at your home...plus delicious. Those evil treats indeed.
Actually, due to the time difference, we probably overlapped with our present unwrapping. i think we got up at about 8:30 your time and it takes quite a while since there are quite a few of us. our kids are definitely getting older.
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