Christmas fun!

  We have crossed the Christmas activity threshold with reckless cheer and abandon.  I feel it in the air now, it was only a matter of time!!

  We have done something Christmas-ish every day starting since last thursday.

Warning:  loads of sugar ahead!

  Thursday:  Christmas cookie decorating with new friends.  Ava was the oldest one, which is quite the change from the norm!

  I think she might have missed a couple of spots that could have fit more frosting and SPRINKLES!!  Haha.

  Friday:  Bethelehem, live nativity.  We did this last year and Joel remembered the guards and did not want to go back!  He ended up being fine after a little pep talk and reminder that they shout at you for pretend.

Registering in the census.

  A little clip, I hope it plays for you.  This is seriously the most amazing Christmas event and it is about everything that Christmas should be about!!

   Saturday:  Santa at our swim club.  Joel also did not want to attend this event.  Because Santa.  I told him that he didn't have to talk to him, sit on him, or touch him.  This Santa was so great, by the time it was story time, Joel was snuggled right next Santa and nestled under his arm.  Joel cracks us up!

  Saturday night:  Took our eldest daughters to a winter ballet.  We scored last minute tickets from a friend whose daughter was in it.  We took them out to dinner beforehand and then they were both excited to stay up past bedtime for the ballet.  It was very entertaining and the girls did great!

     A lady sitting behind us thought our girls were so cute she bought them each a bouquet.  Which they held throughout the rest of the show!

  This was right before we left.  Ava had to be included in the pic!!!

  Sunday:  We did our annual gingerbread caramel wrapping session.  Even Mike helped out!!!!! There was no sneaker elf this year, she was really helpful and was good about smelling her fingers and not licking them!  "Ooh, that smells good."  Haha.

I could barely keep up with cutting the parchment and the caramels into squares while they wrapped. We wrapped 363 caramels in 45 minutes.

Monday:  This morning Ava and I got to work in the kitchen again.  We baked lemon bars, brownies, butterscotch cookies, and made dough for gingerbread houses.  We even took a quick break to run to TJs for some nuts that I needed!

  Aside from being so stinking cute and telling me how she loved me super much, she was actually quite helpful!  Unwrapping the butter, measuring flour, and stirring batter.

And I can't forget licking the spatula!

I've got Christmas spirit, yes, I do.  I've got spirit, how about YOU?