Hello, December!

Yay!  My favorite time of the year!

Christmas and the holiday season is SO much more fun as a parent…watching the magic be imparted upon Jack and Emma is so fun.  I love watching them be mesmerized by the lights, the holiday books, and the constant talks of “wish lists”

A friend had a fun idea to compile a list of Holiday “Must-Do’s” – so here is mine!

• make cookies  with the kids to deliver to neighbors
• night walks with the wagon to see Christmas lights with hot cocoa in sippy cups (to which the kids both yell – “Christmas Lights!”
• watch as many Christmas specials with Jack as possible (a special treat during December – more TV)
• leave the Christmas tree lights on as much as possible
• read a plethora of holiday books (our collection is growing!)
• play with our Little People nativity scene
• get a good family xmas picture
• Lots of special treats and adventures planned with Katie
• decorate a little tree in the kid’s room
• make special Christmas crafts for the grandparents
• take Jack to a Christmas play – “Junie B Jones”
• Lincoln Park Zoo Lights (Scott and I went to this for the 1st time on the night of our engagement – 8 years ago!)
• Christmas Eve family church service
• Have a big family lunch on Xmas Eve and then popcorn or appetizers for dinner
• Play Santa with Scott on Christmas Eve with festive drinks (okay, club soda and juice for me and BW3) and an adult dinner
• Watch the Polar Express a hundred times (Scott and Jack’s fave)

Jack has made his list and it is a good one – as read to me.  I must not have been good enough, as I didn’t make his list.    Jack is also very generous with his snacks of apples and toast.  Little does he know that Mrs. Santa really likes macaroni and cheese and carbs right now.    He decided to also tear out corresponding photos so that Santa would know “exactly” what he would like:

(a LeapPad {good luck finding one Pappaw!}, Gardening stuff, a Firehouse, Rescue people {VERY into Rescue}, a scooter, and Busytown)

Santa came to preschool yesterday, so both of the kids got to see him.  Emma wouldn’t have a thing to do with him, but Jack did sit on his lap and tell him Thank You for his gift (but got gun-shy with any other conversation). 

Santa gave him a stop-watch (which I brought) – very practical, but for the ever-practical kid who loves shovels and brooms, it was perfect.  And, he is now OBSESSED with it and timing everything.  Scott is on a trip (and when he is gone Jack and I have sleepovers), and as we woke up this morning I heard Jack say – “Mom, Look!  We slept 10 hours!”  The little bugger had clicked on the stopwatch before we fell asleep and remembered to turn it immediately off.  Hilarious and SO JACK.

**and Jack is hopeful to get a haircut on that Bieber fro this weekend…

We are looking forward to a fun December full of tradition, special projects, and LOVE.

Christmas 2010 – They have grown up SO MUCH!