Christmas Preparations

Whew I can't believe December is almost over!  We've been very busy having fun and preparing for Christmas!  We've been doing some Christmas crafts.... 

Alex's

Aurora's

Putting up Christmas decorations.... 

Making Christmas candy and cookies...

Playing in the snow...that's right, we've already had TWO snow storms here in the desert and another one on its way tonight!

Preparing the turkey fryer for making fried turkey on Christmas Day!

And visiting Santa!



I think we're ready!

Grandma's Scavenger Hunt

As I mentioned on the post about Christmas, we decided to do something different this year and designed a scavenger hunt for Grandma S.  She had been wanting a PS3 for several years, and this year we saved up to get her one.  Then we decided she needed to do a little bit of work for it!  She loves watching The Amazing Race and similar shows so I knew she'd get a kick out of it.

I picked up note cards and designed the clues.  Since they were coming over first thing in the morning, I had to pick clue locations that she wouldn't notice while walking around the house.

When we were opening presents, we presented her with this box:

Inside was her first clue..

And they were off! You can experience the fun for yourself:

Christmas!

We had a great Christmas this year!  It started on Christmas Eve when we went to Grandma and Grandpa K's house for dinner and exchanging gifts.  After dinner the kids put their Christmas jammies on and posed by the tree.  (Can you tell Alex just wants to open gifts and Aurora is in mid-sentence, as usual?)

Then it was time to open gifts!  Grandma and Grandpa loved the Wii and accessories that all the kids got for them! 

Aurora and Josh also had a calendar made with the astrophotography pictures they had taken this year, which was also a big hit.

 Aurora and Alex were quite spoiled, especially from Auntie and Uncle Joe!

 When we got home, we read "The Night Before Christmas" and set out milk and cookies for Santa and carrots for his reindeer.

The next morning, Santa had come!!  Grandma and Grandpa S had snuck over early to help us wake up the kids and be there when they opened their Santa stuff.   The kids got new bikes and Aurora got an easle and art supplies and Alex got a tool bench and some power tools.  

Aurora was also excited that she got the Aquasand she had asked for!

Alex was all about the dragons and playsets he got from the "How to Train Your Dragon" movie.

Everyone was excited by the family gift that Santa brought - an Xbox 360 with Kinect!

After Santa gifts, we got dressed and had breakfast and then opened the other gifts.

We had a surprise scavenger hunt for Grandma S. for her big present, which she loved.  I'll post more on that later.

Mr. Alex also got his first very own pet from Grandma and Grandpa - a pair of frogs!  He named them Mr. Frog and Mr. Frog 2.

We spent the rest of the day playing games, eating, and playing the Kinect.  It was a great holiday and a wonderful time with family.  We are blessed!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town...

There is an air of excitement around the house this morning.  Someone's coming tonight and we are ready!  Letters to Santa have been written.

Alex's Letter (transcribed verbatim by me and signed by Alex)

Aurora's Letter

The gingerbread house has been decorated.

Cookies and reindeer chow have been made, the stockings have been hung, and Alex has been singing, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town."

Merry Christmas!

The Christmas Program That Wasn't

Well I wish I could say that Alex has become more like his sister, and, unlike last year, actually sang and performed for his Christmas program, but I can't. 

I really thought he was going to do it.  He'd been singing his Christmas songs since November, and was excited for the Christmas program.   He was going to sing and do his motions, he told me!  So we decided to go ahead and go to it.  We got all dressed up and headed out.

He was happy when we got there and took some pictures.  (Pay close attention to that tree behind them for the ending of this story).

Finally it came time for his class to come out....and he came out crying. 

I went up there and knelt next to him hoping it would make him better...no it only made him worse.

So I decided to lead him out of there so he didn't have to stand there and cry, and to keep him from interfering with the other kids who were performing. 

And as I did so, I slipped and knocked half of the ornaments off of the big tree behind them. 

I then beelined straight for the exit.  I don't think we'll be going next year.

And when I went to tuck him into bed that night, do you know what he was doing while laying in his bed? 

Singing his Christmas songs.

Good thing that boy is so cute!

Candy Making!

This Saturday we had our annual Christmas baking and candy making marathon day!  This has been a yearly tradition in my family for as long as I can remember.  Grandma S and Megan came over and this year we did peanut butter balls, peanut clusters, toffee, cheescake balls, fudge, no bake chocolate cookies, reindeer chow, Russian Teacakes, and sugar cookies.  The kids loved helping us.  They mixed batter, rolled balls, broke up chocolate bars, stirred fudge, decorated cookies, and, their favorite task - taste tested!  

Aurora says that her favorite is the fudge.  Alex is all about the peanut butter balls.  We've got yummy homemade candy for the rest of the month!