Our Christmas

The Christmas festivities started with the school parties...

Gianna's class had make your own sundaes...

Julia's class also had yummy snacks...

Julia's self portrait hanging in her classroom...

and her friends...looks like "Maddie" is giving Julia the evil eye, doesn't it?

and they played fun games like this one...they had to draw a snowman on their head without looking...

I really like all three teachers this year. Look what Julia's teacher has hanging up in her classroom...

So different than the awful teacher Nicholas had in the 2nd grade. A year I am trying to forget.

Nicholas' class also had yummy snacks and lots of fun activities...

Three little girls in his classroom were following him around like puppy dogs. Oh boy. Are we in trouble!

Christmas Eve afternoon was spent at Kimmy's house...

and lots of fun gifts were opened...like this one...







This rock was our favorite when we were kids...we pretended it was a horse...now my girls run to the "horse" when they visit Auntie Kimmy's house...

Classic Gianna face...



Then it was back home for our traditional Christmas Eve as a family...

We make and decorate cookies for Santa...

sprinkle reindeer food on the lawn....



watch the Polar Express...and put cookies by the fireplace for Santa...

Christmas morning...the kids were SO excited! They woke us up at 6:30. We make them sit on the stairs (just like my parents did when we were kids). Oh, the anticipation!!!


They all ran to the biggest gift...it was for Nicholas!

This is fabulous...babycakes donut maker...it makes super yummy donuts!!!

Julia was thrilled to have a new American girl doll under the tree...Rapunzel meeting Kanani...

Gianna got lots of new horses for her collection...

Julia loves to draw and this is a great doodle book for girls...

Gianna's entire Christmas list for Santa was stuffed animals...so of course she was thrilled to open this guy...

A gorgeous new dress from Justice...

more stuffed friends...

a second remote and a Kinect (which DIDN'T WORK!). Ugh. It was their big present too. Very disappointing. But we finally got it to work late last night (two days AFTER Christmas).


And this is always MY favorite present...a new Nancy Drew PC game...these games are so much fun to play...

and another stuffed guy...
and another horse...

and his favorite present...a new street hockey net...

It was a very nice, happy Christmas.

The day after Christmas, we headed to Cape Cod for Nicholas' hockey tournament. Isn't this just the cutest picture of Gianna?

The hotel had a great wave pool and hot tub...

And now it's time to relax and enjoy the rest of the week at home. How was your Christmas?

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, Dad. We miss you.

"They may forget what you said, but they never forget how you made them feel."

Carl Buechner

Cookies with CeCe

CeCe took the kiddies to dinner last night and then back to her house for their annual cookie decorating. They take all their goodies, knock on her neighbors doors, and deliver them. So fun! Such great memories in the making. You have to check out this video of Gianna....here

December

this picture was taken last year...just two days before Christmas...i don't think we'll have a white Christmas again this year...but we can still hope...

Cirque Holidaze

We took the kids to see "Cirque Holidaze" Friday night. It was wonderful!







our tree...


my mantle...I love it this year...(and yes, the stockings are hung by the chimney with care but we had to take them down to have a fire. We didn't need them going up in flames.)


Danny and the kids made home made pasta tonight. So yummy. Then we spent the night in front of the fire playing games and reading Christmas stories. I love my little family.

My babies

December happenings...

We finally got our tree last week. It was a lot later than usual due to our hectic schedules. We even went in the pouring rain but it was still a lot of fun.

KoKo loves when we decorate the tree because he can hide in all the tissue paper...he plays this same game every year...




And lookie lookie what I made! I'm not crafty at all but I put this old thing together in just a few minutes. I'm very proud of myself! It will make a very pretty centerpiece for our Christmas dinner.

The kids made their annual gingerbread house yesterday...


And look how it came out!!!

Well, OK...if you look closely, you'll see there is no way they made THAT one.

It was THIS one...

They are just acting by the way...not REAL sad faces! : )

My sweet Mom bought these for me...aren't they cute?

And why don't we look at that centerpiece one more time... : )

Our friend "Luke" (a.k.a. Elf on the Shelf) has come to stay with us until Christmas. He has been hiding in the best places! The kids have been leaving him notes every night hoping he writes back...and he does! He's keeping a close eye on them to be sure they are being extra good! He goes back to the North Pole every night to report to Santa!




And tonight was our neighborhood cookie swap. Oh dear. How am I going to resist all these yummies?


Tomorrow night we are taking the kids to see Cirque Holidaze. I can't wait! Only a little over a week until Christmas! I'm hoping for snow...what are you hoping for?

Have you seen the movie "Elf"?

We thought it was hysterical! Danny and I kept playing this scene over and over again until my sides hurt!

Elf the Movie: The Angry Elf

Another favorite scene!! "Look at you!!!"