A Little More Christmas

Grammy and Grampy came down to celebrate a late Christmas and New Year's with us.

I finally let Bryce eat the gingerbread house.

Christmas Lights at Scentsy

So pretty!

White Christmas Fun in the Snow

After playing with new toys for a while the kids went outside to play in all the fresh snow.  I pulled the sled down and we walked over to the gully across the road so the kids could go sledding.  I stayed and watched them for a while but then had to get back home.  They played outside for quite a while.  Then came home to warm up and later eat dinner.  After dinner they wanted to go sledding some more.  There were some other kids out this time and they had a blast.  But it was so cold!  Bryce told me later that night it was the best day ever because of the presents and playing in the snow.

Christmas Morning

I heard the first footsteps about 5 am.  Awesome since I'd finished wrapping presents around 1 o'clock.  There were some whispers and around 5:30 Bryce came into our room.  He told me it was "the real Christmas day!" and that he wasn't on the naughty list because Santa brought him a skateboard (just what he'd asked for).  It was pretty darn cute.  Claire came in and we all snuggled a little bit and then they just couldn't stand it and so we went out front to see what Santa had brought us.

Carlo wanted to help.

Bryce was so excited about every gift.

Claire was about the most excited I've seen her opening gifts, too!

What 5 (almost 6) year old doesn't want his very own weather station?  Bryce totally digs it.

Christmas Eve | Dec 24

We celebrated Christmas Eve with dinner at Samira and Sarah's house. Sarah made a delicious dinner for everyone.

I knew Bryce probably wouldn't eat any of the yummy Christmas dinner, so I made some special Christmas Tree peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Would you believe that little imp wouldn't eat that either?  I think all he ate that day was Christmas cookies, strawberries and milk... and maybe some fudge.  And a candy cane.

Sarah had a pretty table set for us.

Christmas Eve... or "Christmas Eek" started out a little rough for Bryce.  He thought that it was Christmas day and he woke up thinking he would get to open presents (which had already been an issue).  I think the Advent Calendar threw him off because the 24th is the last day on that calendar.  We started out with an argument about Christmas Eve and Bryce telling me that "Eve" was not a word and that it was not Christmas Eve it was Christmas Eek.  After a quick vocabulary lesson involving the dictionary he conceded that "eve" was a word. 

However, he still was angry and wanted to open presents (note, there were only two wrapped presents under the tree at this point).  He threatened to shoot me with a Nerf gun, and that was when I threatened to take away the Nerf gun if he shot at me in anger.  And to take away ALL the Nerf guns.  I also had to threaten to return all of his Christmas gifts.  (None were wrapped yet anyway so it wouldn't have been that hard! ha ha)  Then I told Juan I was leaving to go shopping and have fun this this kid at Sunday basketball!  Luckily by the time they got back from basketball Bryce was back to his happier self and worked on redeeming himself throughout the day.  He was a little concerned about being on the naughty list all day.

Before we left for Samira's house I quickly wrapped two little gifts for the kids to open at their house.  While Bryce was holding on of the wrapped packages I asked him what he thought might be in it (below).  "It's not a drone," he said.  Yeah... that's true.  It was a book about Christmas (I thought he needed a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.  So much for that idea... he took one look at the book and told us it was boring.  Fail.  The other gift I brought which Claire opened was Jelly Belly candy canes which made both kids happy.

I think the kids were running on pure adrenaline on the drive home... also the candy canes might have had something to do with it.

Back at home the kids each had one more gift to open (the only other gifts wrapped at that point.)

They were actually both pretty happy about their new pajamas.  (No one even told me they were boring.)

Teeth were brushed and Claire read Bryce "The Night Before Christmas."

The kids decided to both sleep in Claire's room.  Claire read to Bryce a bit more and Juan and I got to work wrapping presents.

After a couple hours... Christmas Magic!

Cinnamon Rolls | Dec 24

After taking a couple years off I decided to make cinnamon rolls for Christmas again this year.  Claire was a great helper!  The recipe makes a lot so we gave pans to our neighbors and had a couple to save for ourselves.  We polished one pan off on Christmas morning and the other is in the freezer to have as a treat on another day.

Christmas Tree/PJ Photos

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas Cookies

We finally decorated our Christmas cookies on Friday afternoon.  Jade had helped the kids cut the cookies out and bake them when she babysat the other night.  The kids did all the decorating all by themselves.
Bryce didn't want to look at me for a picture so this is what I got:

 I think they need more frosting.

School Christmas Parties

Thursday was the kids last day of school before Christmas break.  They had their Christmas parties that afternoon.  Claire's class had a mug exchange.  Her teacher read a story and every time she said "right" they had to pass to the right... every time she said "left" they passed to the left so you didn't know which gift (mug) you would end up with when the story finished.  Then after last recess they had hot chocolate in their new mugs and watched a movie.  I helped rinse the mugs and fill them with hot chocolate and then went over to Bryce's classroom to help out there.

Bryce's party had three stations.
Crafts: 

Food/Cookie Decorating: 
Note that I had also volunteered to bring fruit (as requested per the sign up) and so thanks to Pinterest I made these cute Grinch fruit kabobs (a green grape, sliced of banana, strawberry, and mini marshmallow).  After sitting for several hours they weren't as cute as the Pinterest pictures of course.  Several kids (including my own of course) didn't want one but I forced them to put it on their plate and said they could throw it away.  Who wants a fruit kabob when there are cookies and frosting in front of you!  Well school nutrition advocates, all I can tell you is we tried.

And Games: 

We had a party at my work on Thursday, too.  This is our new manager, Pinky.