Our New Year's Eve celebration was pretty simple this year. We made delicious, easy caramel popcorn. We decorated noise makers. We played games. We did family interviews (maybe next year I'll be more ambitious and do this.) We had a yummy dinner that everyone loved (even if the kids were a bit skeptical at first). And we did an indoor parade with noisemakers and mini poppers and horns.... at 6:00pm. And then everyone slept through the night. It was lovely!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
After Christmas
With Christmas falling on a Sunday, Kevin had Monday off, which was so nice! Our house was still a Christmas morning disaster, since we left right after present opening. It was nice to have a day to catch up and put stuff away. We even ended up putting all of the Christmas decorations away that day. It seemed too soon for me, but it was either that day or Saturday if I didn't want to do it alone, so it worked out perfectly!
It turns out that I hadn't thought much about what to do the week after Christmas. We had one really fun (and exhausting) day of tea parties and crafts playing with the toys the kids got for Christmas. They were all super fun, but all seemed to need parental involvement. So by Thursday I was ready for something a little different! We drove out to Stansbury to see friends and had lunch at McDonalds with Amber, Jaxon, and Dylan. It was perfect. Next year I'll know a little bit better what to plan!
Kevin took Friday off to watch the BYU bowl game, so it was fun to have him home again. In fact, since he got the following Monday off for New Years, we all got spoiled, and the girls couldn't believe he really had to go back to work after that!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Merry Christmas!
Cora had a hard time sleeping the night before Christmas-- she was too excited! Violet stayed in her bed all night long, and we ended up waking up Luke to open presents around 6:45. Here are the cute kiddos pre-presents!
The girls headed for their stockings first. They were so excited to see all the little things Santa brought-- even the toothbrushes!
With every single present Violet opened that morning, she said "It's just what I've always wanted!". I'm so glad we were so in tune!
They didn't even notice the big gifts from Santa for quite a while-- a plasma car for Violet and a two-wheel scooter for Cora.
Luke, of course, went straight for his new train table 
After stockings we had breakfast casserole, donut holes, and fruit for breakfast. Then it was time for the presents!
Luke loved opening presents and didn't really want to wait his turn. He also thought he should be opening ALL the presents, not just the ones for him. So present opening went pretty fast this year, as the girls had to open theirs fast to get to them before Luke did. Oh well!
After present opening, we had a bit of extra time, and fit in a bath to try out the new bath toys. Luke had been saying Merry Christmas for a few days, but as you can see, he refused to here. But he does look very cute :).
Later we got a few Merry Christmases out, inbetween very concentrated bath play.
Then we were off to church with Kissie and Pata. There are only a handful of kids in their ward, it was so quiet! Luckily the kids did a great job behaving, I'm such some of the new Christmas toys for the scripture bag didn't hurt!
After a lovely church program, we had lunch, relaxed, played games, and had some rousing rounds of bingo with great prizes. Around 5:00 we headed out to see the lights on Temple Square. Luke was especially excited to see the sheep and cows.
We had a late wonderful Christmas dinner at 7:00 when Shad got off work. Then it was time to open a few more presents-- including Christmas pj's from Kissie, and head home.
Merry Merry Christmas!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Christmas Eve!
Having Christmas Eve on a Saturday was great because Kevin got Friday off too! Friday we did the cleaning and last runs to the grocery store. We played games and relaxed and got to visit with a friend.
Christmas Eve morning we made our favorite pumpkin french toast and then counted down the minutes until Kissie and Pata came (really, about ever 5 minutes I was asked for a new time estimate, but that's how it always is :)).
Kissie and Pata took us out to lunch at Chili's and then took the girls on a secret errand. Later we found out they went to Walmart and picked out surprise presents for Kevin and I-- how fun!). Kevin and I came back to finish last minute preparations and let Luke take a nap.
And then the fun began! I told the girls we were having a Christmas Eve party, and I wanted it more structured with lots of activities the kids would enjoy. I came up with a list of things to do before dinner and things to do after dinner, and put each on a slip of paper (color-coded for before/after dinner). They were mostly pretty simple things, but taking turns picking them out of a basket made for twice the fun.
Before Dinner Activities
Sing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Sing Jingle Bells
Read The Polar Express
Read The Christmas Song
Watch The Coat
Watch The Christmas Spirit
Set the table
Make beaded ornaments
Make Reindeer cookies
Cora tell the Nativity story with a nativity set
Violet tell the nativity story with flannel board
Then it was time for dinner-- steak, salad, sparkling cider, and potatoes-- a yummy treat! We were so full we didn't even break out the pumpkin pie afterward.
After Dinner Activities
Nativity story with dress-ups
Talk about the meaning of the gifts
Watch A Gift to the World
Watch Luke 2, Breath of Heaven
Watch Mary Did you Know?
Sprinkle reindeer food
Set out Cookies for Santa with letters
Open presents from Kissie and Pata 
Luke loved his basketball hoop! The girls were equally thrilled with their dolls-- but somehow we didn't get pictures of them.
Sing Picture a Stable
Sing Hark the Herald
Sing Silent Night
Sing Away in a Manger
Sing The First Noel
After all the activities it was time for a few pictures and then bed.
After that the elves got to work! We were lucky to have Kissie and Pata stay longer to help put together the many many piece train table.
The finished product...
And then the tired little elves finally got to go to bed-- I was so ready!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Advent Books
Every night we read 3 books plus one scripture story chapter to the kids as part of our bedtime routine. Sometimes we read together and sometimes separately, or a combination. But for most of December we read Christmas books each night all together by the light of the Christmas tree. There are an incredible amount of great Christmas picture books out there, and if you are on goodreads with me, I apologize for your having to scroll through all of my evaluations of them! We easily found three different Christmas books to read each night of advent-- so 75 books total. I tried to have at least one book on the true meaning of Christmas and one fun Christmas book each night. I'm sure my list will change with each year, but as a reference for next year, here are my top 25 for each category.
Nativity Story/Christ Centered Christmas books
Nativity Story/Christ Centered Christmas books
- The Crippled Lamb, Max Lucado
- A Shepherd’s Gift
- Christmas Prayer
- Little One
- Mortimer’s Christmas Manger
- The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving
- The First Night
- An Angel Came to Nazareth
- Room for a Little One
- One Baby Jesus
- If You’re Missing Baby Jesus
- When Jesus was Born in Bethlehem
- The Christmas Candle
- Christmas Oranges
- Christmas Tapestry
- A Dress for Ellen
- The Christmas Angel
- Pippin the Christmas Pig
- The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomay
- Christmas Day in the Morning
- Christmas Mouseling
- The First Christmas-Carol Heyer
- Humphery’s First Christmas
- The Legend of the Candy Cane
- The Tale of three trees
Winter or Santa themed books
- The Polar Express
- Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas
- Red-headed Robbie’s Christmas Story
- Ten Christmas Wishes
- Russell’s Christmas Magic
- Millions of Snowflakes
- Gingerbread Baby
- Franklin’s Christmas Gift
- A Magical Christmas
- Angelina’s Christmas
- Queen of Christmas
- The Stocking Stuffer’s Story
- Perfect Soup
- Mater Saves Christmas
- Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire—The Christmas Song
- A Wish to be a Christmas Tree
- The Biggest Snowman Ever
- How Santa Lost His Job
- Auntie Claus
- If you take a mouse to the movies
- Bear Stays Up for Christmas
- Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree
- Christmas Farm
- Mouse’s First Christmas
- Olivia Helps with Christmas
I am ever so grateful to live in a county with such a wonderful library system! It's so great to try out books before I buy them... or skip the buying phase altogether. I've seen a lot of ideas on the blogosphere about wrapping the advent books for each day, either in paper or fabric bags, I might have to try that next year. With an organized list and the holding power of our family's 3 library cards, I think I could get most of them ahead of time! I think the kiddos would get a kick out of that!
Kid Creations
I feel bad when I have to throw the kids' artwork away, but I really can't keep it all. Taking a picture makes me feel a little bit better about it at least!
Here's a picture of Cora with her Cora person. The kindergartners made these in their first unit of the year and they were hung up on the hallways for a few weeks. So cute!
We took some time to craft in December and made these cute fingerprint light stand pictures. I thought they were so cute, the kids were more excited to do their own thing. Which of course they did afterward.
This was Luke's first time painting with a paintbrush. I thought he'd want to fingerpaint, but he didn't want to get his fingers messy and wanted to do just what the girls were doing. His are on the left, Violet's are on the right.
Cora's name in Chinese. This was actually a center I got to help with at one of the days I was in her class.
Violet's turkey, I believe from nursery, but maybe from preschool?
Cora's 'aboriginal' art from the unit in school on Australia
A closeup of the thumbprint lights.
And another...
Violet's candy cane from preschool
Cora's Presentation
Cora's class just finished a unit on the world. They focused on each continent for a week-- had presentations, art projects, and learned facts about each continent. At the end they got to choose a place they wanted to visit and prepare a 1-2 minute presentation with pictures talking about where they wanted to go, why, what they wanted to do they, what they would eat and wear there, and make a postcard to the card from their trip. Cora was dead set on Australia, she was really committed to wanting to see a baby koala bear. We practiced lots, and it didn't hurt that she's given 3 talks in Primary in a similar format and setting. She did a great job on her presentation!
Here she is afterward with her globe and suitcase
And here's her presentation
And one more picture of Cora with her globe.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Christmas Activities
We had a wonderful December full of lots of Christmas activities and fun! I had most all of our presents bought before December started, so it was nice to focus on having fun instead of stressing (Amazon Prime was totally worth it for us this year!). We didn't get pictures of everything, as I haven't been as good at taking my camera along and actually using it too, but we got enough to overwhelm a blog post, so I guess that's good enough!
My parents hosted the annual Ellis Family Ornament Party this year. Their new social room is beautiful and perfect for parties. The kids liked decorating stockings and it was fun to see everyone and catch up. A whole bunch of my mom's family lives in the Salt Lake area, but somehow it ends up that I only see most of them twice a year. It's a lot of fun when we can get together!
Of course there was lots of yummy food, and a fun visit from Santa. Violet was a little apprehensive, and Luke was just very curious... couldn't stop looking at Santa! Cora is the perfect age to visit Santa and was so excited to see him and talk to him about Christmas.
We were lucky to get tickets to the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas Concert this year. Pata was out of town, but Shad, Jen, Kissie, Kevin, and I got to go. It was a really nice show, I always love the decorations and the messages shared.
On Christmas Eve Eve, we took a family trip to see the elves at Gardner Village. We've seen the witches for a few years now, but this was the first time to see the Christmas decorations. They were so cute! We'll definitely do this one again.
See a few extra carolers in there??
We took an evening trip to Thanksgiving Point to see the drive through light display. It was a lot of fun, I think the kids really liked it. We did it in our pajamas though, so we didn't stop to see the reindeer then too. But we went back another day to visit them. I believe this is Dasher and Dancer. Cora and Violet really wanted to tough one, but I think only Cora was brave enough to actually do it.
Of course, it didn't hurt that we stopped inside for 30 cents icecream cones afterward. The kids might have thought that was almost as fun.
A few years ago, one of my wonderful neighbors made us a set of laminated nativity figures with magnets on them. Each one has a scripture on the back to read the story of Christ's birth. I've been wanting to make them myself ever since, and this year was the year. 24 sets! Good thing I started 2 months early! It was a fun neighbor gift to deliver. We also delivered some chocolates and fancy cupcake liners to neighbors, teachers, and friends. The kids loved jumping in and out of the car to do the drop-offs, and they especially loved answering the door to see what yummy treats our friends brought by. We are so grateful to live by great friends!
I really wanted to take the kids to a live nativity, but I couldn't find any information on the great one we've gone to the last couple of years. My mom gave us a coupon to go to This is the Place Candle light Christmas, so it was fun to try that out. It was SO COLD that night. Brrrr.... The live nativity was very much on a small scale. But the other things were fun too, I think my kids might like it better when they are a bit older though. It was all about seeing how the pioneers celebrated Christmas, maybe a harder concept for a 3 and 5 year old to appreciate. Riding the train was probably the biggest hit, and they all loved the puppet show too. Here's Luke concentrating hard on it!
I was planning on skipping visiting Father Christmas, but when we there on the way out there was no line and he was such a great looking Santa! We stopped for a quick picture.
The kids wrote letters to Santa. I loved this form letter, but sadly I can't find the link to it anymore. I may have to copy the idea and make my own for next year.
Here's Cora's...
Violet's....
and Luke's.... Do you think Santa can read toddler scribblese?
We visited Temple Square several times in December. We didn't actually get out to see the lights at night until Christmas Day, but we did see them on at dusk...
... and went to a handful of Christmas concerts at the JSMB. I just love the free concerts there in the winter! I love letting my kids see people perform beautiful music for free in a kid-friendly environment. Wonderful! My favorite was a bell choir concert, we saw a children's string concert and an elementary school concert too. For all of the concerts we attended, we met either my mom or dad or both there, so that was even more fun for the kids. They always love seeing Kissie and Pata, Luke even can say Kissie and Pata now too.. when he wants to.
Violet's preschool did lots of fun Christmas things in December. I got to go help them make gingerbread houses one day, and they had their Christmas performance on the last class of December. Here's Violet saying her part for one of the little poems "C is for candy cane a yummy Christmas treat!".
At the end they did a little nativity scene, here's Violet being Mary.
I also got to help at Cora's kindergarten Christmas party-- they had so much fun! But I forgot my camera. They also got to build gingerbread houses, listen to the Polar Express, drink hot chocolate, and do some Christmas crafts.
We also made Christmas cookies, did Christmas crafts, and made Christmas cards. The girls and I went to see Arthur Christmas and we loved it! We drove around to see neighborhood lights, and drank lots of hot chocolate. We went to a fun sing-a-long party at a neighbor's house and received emailed personalized videos from Santa to both Cora and Violet. Each Monday we learned a new Christmas song and reviewed the nativity story for Family Home Evening with our magnet figures, nativity dress-ups, flannel board figures, or Little People nativity set. December was full and fun!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)