Seattle holiday week end

The day after Thanksgiving we woke up the kids bright and early and headed to Seattle for a fun holiday week end. First stop, the Macy's holiday parade! We arrived early enough to secure a front row seat. I'm not a big parade person but I do enjoy a good Christmas parade. The marching bands sounded great and the highlight was a Frango chocolate landing in my lap. After the parade we were starting to feel a little chilly and luckily were able to check into our hotel early. When we had warmed up it was back out to take a ride on the holiday carousel. While waiting in line a very 'thoughtful' man gave Amelia a duck whistle. I think it was the background' soundtrack' of our entire weekend.  At Seattle Center we checked out a giant Christmas village train display. Then it was time to try our 'blades of glory' on the ice at Fisher Plaza. Dale knows how to skate, I don't know how to skate, Aiden doesn't know how to skate, and Amelia doesn't know how to skate. It was a lil comical and scary at the beginning but after a couple hours Aiden and I had achieved beginner skater status. Amelia was a speed demon with the walker, of course. That evening, we watched the giant Christmas tree lighting at Westlake Center and the Macy's firework show. It was an entirely exhausting but fun filled day.

christmas week review

This past week has been a whirlwind. For the first time ever I got the 'Christmas crud' sniffling and croaking my way through the holidays. I improved just in time to welcome Dale's sister and family for a week of visiting from the east coast. We kept busy checking out the aquarium, the new museum, painting at creativitea, swimming, bowling and keeping 5 children happy. Then we turned around and it was time for them to fly home.

christmas checklist

Ahhh the week of Christmas. I've compiled a little list that will hopefully help me stay on top of my game...

-laundry (do as much laundry as possible before the 24th) especially make sure Christmas jammmies are clean, halfway decent pj's you don't mind being photographed in {I always have a rock star hair-do and hate pics of myself in the morning} clean Christmas outfits for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day
- do any possible baking and cooking before the 24th
- plan what you're eating for Christmas morning breakfast (we used to make a breakfast casserole but you had to put it together Christmas Eve and I'm pretty sick of cooking by then and run out of room in the fridge) This year will be yummy eggs benedict with the Knorr sauce packet. Quick, easy and yummy.
- make that last minute grocery list and try to shop late at night when the store is much quieter
- stock up on batteries (AA's and C batteries seem to take care of most needs)
- make sure camera batteries are charged
- assemble any gifts you can before Christmas Eve. Last year Dale and I had the unpleasant surprise of assembling a play kitchen for over 2 hours when we were tired and cranky. Not so Merry Christmas!
- have a Phillips screwdriver, scissors and knife accessible but out of children's reach for opening gifts
- have the recycling bin or a big bag handy to put wrapping paper in as you unwrap. Seeing the piles of paper and boxes all over the floor makes me itchy (OCD, I think not!)
- wrap gifts - have hostess gifts wrapped and ready, divide stocking stuffers into separate bags for each person
- pour yourself a drink and sit in front of the Christmas tree and remember everything important has already been done and everything else is good enough.A happy Mom and wife is the best gift I can give my family

12 days of Christmas

I put together this sweet little project from Treasury of Memories. I've decided to use it to countdown fun family activities. Here's the list! (I'm going to decide which one will be able to be accomplished each day and place it in the correct slot)

drink hot chocolate by the tree
make a gingerbread house
hike the new trail
visit the mall Santa
make snowflakes
go sledding
drive around and look at Christmas lights
bake cookies for Santa
watch a Christmas movie
write a letter to Santa
go to the Festival of Light
wear red or green clothes

christmas program

Aiden had his big debut today at church today. It was briefly distracted by a celebrity sighting at church but I played it cool and didn't snap a picture. Truthfully, I hadn't noticed anything until my Mom pointed him out. His 6 foot 6 plus frame was blocking my view and he probably drove back to his home on Lake Samish afterwards (that's all the hints I'm giving.) Aiden played Joseph in the Christmas story and it was a sweet little program that followed a wonderful sermon and finished with us exiting the church to the first snowfall of the season. We had everyone back to our house for lunch and lazy afternoon of visiting.

christmas books

We put all all our Christmas stories in the living room this year. It's a fun to read our books by the light of the tree each night before bed. The magic of Christmas.

christmas corners

My nativity set was completed for my birthday and I am so happy with this beautiful set.