Christmas Cheer

I rounded up my little elves this afternoon to assemble some Christmas Cheer for their classmates.  I was completely elated when I wasn't met with any resistance from the senior elf {that would be Jack}.  It seems the trick was to start without him...he could hardly resist the temptation to join in.  

Per our usual routine, Jack and Maggie counted and filled bags, and I added the bag toppers.  We tried to include the baby elf this time.  And to no surprise, it was a debacle.  So we set her up with the ipad and got back to work.

Once that was settled, the bigs and I had a nice conversation about giving and how it makes others feel and the joy we feel in return.  I'm hoping they are getting more out of this then the left over candy that awaits them at the end of our holiday projects.

{we also sang a few rounds of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer}

When we were finished we had 57 bags of Reindeer noses ready to share with our school friends.  I grabbed this cute printable off of some adorable website {ashamed I can't remember where now} and picked up some Whoppers and red gumballs to fill the bags.  Not sure gumballs are exactly age appropriate, but Fireballs were the only other option and I could hardly see that being successful.

And though this is completely unrelated, I could not resist sharing.  Daddy has no shortage of helping hands around here {whether he likes it or not}.  I peeked out the front door yesterday to see this entourage returning a ladder to a neighbor.  I can only imagine how long it took them to get across the street.

'Tis the season for helping hands!

Rudolph

I took my sweet girls down for a showing of Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer for this "Fun Friday" {as we like to call them}.  It's been a seasonal tradition for as long as I can remember.  

I absolutely hated {like a stab to the heart} that Jack was not with us.  But, somehow I could not rationalize pulling him out of school and his Saturdays are pretty booked with friends, etc.  It was so painful not to have him in tow.  If it's important enough to him next year, I vow to make it work...somehow.

Even with missing Jack, us group of girls had a very merry time.  To my shock, Lucy was, indeed, upset with the Snow Monster.  She insistently shouted, "go away monster". However, the rest of the show was just how we remembered it.  Complete with a happy ending.  The best part for me was being snuggled between these two Candy Cane Princesses.

Post show time, we headed upstairs to the Create A Puppet Workshop.  This year it was Rudolph himself we were making.  We couldn't have been more thrilled.  Although Maggie made every effort to make her Rudolph a girl.  It was complete with a pink tutu, purple leg warmers, a heart necklace, and a bow.

Would we expect anything less from Princess Maggie?

And while Maggie diligently worked, for what seemed like an eternity, on her girlie reindeer, Lucy was finished in a flash.  With a few scribbles and a couple drops of glue her two year old self could sit no longer.

Proud she was though!

While we waited...and waited...and waited on Maggie, Lucy gave the shadow screen a try.  She just couldn't bear the thought of standing behind the screen and not being able to see her puppet in action.  Lu tried just about everything, short of standing on her head, to make her puppet perform and view it at the same time.

There is no doubt, I always get a kick out of this little ones antics.

Maggie was more than proud to show off her Rudolph that's "not really Rudolph, but a girl".  She's beginning to display more and more of the creative side that we see in Jack. It's pretty fun to watch.  I think I may just have two artist on my hands.

And surely you spotted Lucy pulling one of her funny girl stunts in the corner of this picture?

We are loving this month and all the joy surrounding it.  These little ones just bring so much spirit to the season.

And believe it or not, Clay and I are actually getting a little adult celebrating in of our own.  Woohoo!  As much as I hate to admit, a baby free house is lending itself to teeny tiny bit of freedom.  Tiny.

Santa's Lap

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...and what better way to kick off the season than with a visit with the jolly ol' man himself?

The good news is we all got to see Santa, the kids shared their Christmas lists, and Lucy only cried for a brief minute before settling right in.  But, the great news is...Santa's lap is still dry!  No accidents from Lucy.

Okay...I know you are probably tired of hearing about Lu and the potty, but I can't deny for one second that I wasn't biting my nails in fear of an accident right there on Santa's fancy red pants.  {exhale}  We made it and Santa didn't have a clue he was holding a ticking time bomb.

I broke the no flash rule on my last click.  I was hoping it would do something to enhance the whole "behind the podium" obstacle.  However, there is nothing I can do about Jack's new tucked under lip smile.  And trust me I've tried.

All three kiddos went through their lists with Santa.  I could see a whole element of surprise in Santa's eyes when Jack flipped his full page list over to the back which was yet, another full page.  I've been reminding Jack that this is a "wish list".

Maggie basically rambled on about every piece of Frozen merchandise known to mankind.  And Lucy requested a purple tricycle.  {Uh-oh, I think Santa may have already painted it pink.}

After taking Lucy for a potty break in the luxurious stalls at Nordstroms, I sat my kids down in front of that gorgeous tree housed behind Santa's post.  Thankfully this area is rule free and I loved the sweet smiles I captured.

I'm  thinking my trio were in the Christmas spirit....just look at all that love!

We've checked off our visit with Santa.  Now we've got to get on to tree decorating, light hanging, and all of the other joys the season brings.

Ooohh...I just can't wait...

The Big Game

I was able to snag "A" picture from the big game off of Clay's phone.  Most definitely worth sharing, if only for nostalgia's sake.  The quality is certainly lacking.

So there you have it,  a pack of Cibula boys in their Florida State finest.  From what I can gather it was a long day, but well worth the victory.  Go Noles!