Wednesday, December 16, 2015

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

There is just something so special about the Holiday season.  Even though it is always a busy time of the year, it is so fun to create memories and traditions with the family.

I resisted getting an Elf on the Shelf for as long as I could.  Last year when Hannah was in Kindergarten she kept talking about it and asking if we could get one, because she heard about it from all her friends in class.  Same thing happened this year right after Thanksgiving, so I decided to surprise the kids with an Elf one day after school.  The kids have loved it and it has made getting up in the morning so much easier.  I usually have to drag Hannah out of bed, so this has been a nice change of pace in the mornings.  And I have to admit I had fun with Mr Christmas for the first 7-10 days and now I am tired of moving him every night.
I will do one post of all of his Shenanigans after Christmas, but here are a few things he has been up to.
Crash Landing the day he arrived
Decorated the tree with toilet paper
He drew on the kids picture frame

We have built a gingerbread house and train
Hannah had to decorate a gingerbread man from around the world for school.  Hers is a german ginger bread girl wearing a dirndl and ginger bread heart necklace.
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The kids started opening their advent calendars.  Evan gets really excited every morning.  They each have a play doh one and a gummy bear one.  Bothe calendars came all the way from Germany.  My mom sent the play doh one and my parents friends sent the gummy bear one.  And Nora has a chocolate one. 
I think this little girl has a sweet tooth…….she doesn't mind eating a little piece of chocolate for breakfast with her muffin. 

We have gone ice skating a few times and Hannah is back taking lessons again this year.  She really likes it.
She looks so grown up in this picture…..
Of course Evan wanted to skate as well, but he lasted about one lap around the rink and then he said he was tired.  Hannah had blisters afterwards and Evan kept saying he had blisters too (from his one lap).
Nora has been happy watching/running around the rink and enjoying a few sips of Evan's hot chocolate.



Nora helping to decorate the Christmas tree.  This little girl is a climber!  Scott turned around and she was already on the third step.  I stood behind her to see how far she would go.  Well, she went up a 10ft ladder without a problem.
We have also made our annual Santa visit.  This was last year.
I LOVE this picture
And this year…….Nora was not having it.
And we are done…..
Nora was fine just standing in front of Santa
Also, all other kids were dressed in their Christmas finest and then there is us……Evan wearing a paw patrol sweatshirt and Hannah doesn't match at all!  It didn't seem worth it to me to get them all changed.

Last weekend was a busy one……the Bentonville Christmas Parade, Fayetteville for Lights of the Ozarks and Evan's Christmas concert at pre-school.
Waiting for the parade to start
Evan was super excited to see the parade started with a fire truck
Hannah's school float
Nora kept trying to take sweet Charlotte's sucker, so we finally gave her her own (I am pretty sure Hannah did not have a sucker until she was probably almost 3 years old……third child does everything a little faster)
The Lights of the Ozarks on the Fayetteville Square are always so pretty
It is almost impossible to get a picture of all three kids


Then we went and paid $8 to see a reindeer……I thought we were paying to see Santa, but no it was just a reindeer. Ha!
And then we paid again to take a picture with Santa…..Nora did not want to go near him
Family picture

Oh these lights are so pretty and sparkly
Sunday Evan had his big debut up on stage.  I asked him last week if he knows the songs he will be singing and he said yes.  Then I asked if he could sing the songs for me and he looked out the window and said "Oh its getting dark outside, I can't sing them now".  Well there you have it, can't sing when its dark outside.

We were walking out of the church after his program and Evan said "Now we go to a restaurant". We were not planning on going out to eat, but since our almost 3 year old expected to go to a restaurant after his big performance we ended up walking to Flying Fish for dinner.
Last night we went for our third annual Starbucks run in our PJ's.  Then we get in the car with our hot cocoa and drive around looking at lights and listen to Christmas music.  I saw this idea on a blog a few years ago and it has become one of my favorite traditions.
We started it two years ago when Scott was still sick and we were in Lincoln, NE
Look how little Evan was
Last year when Nora was only a few weeks old
And this year
Nora wanted in on the hot chocolate and Evan was nice enough to share
Merry Christmas!