Gardens and Villages

I always have grand plans of taking the kids to every Christmas event there is, but always fall short. And this year we fell way, way short. But in our defense this December was unusually packed with extracurricular activities like lots of basketball games and volleyball practices. So I'm cutting myself some slack.

One thing we were determined to do was to visit Santa's Village. However when we arrived we discovered that the Santa who had been decorating his house for it for the past 30 years died this summer! No more Santa's village.

The kids all wrote a remembrance or a thank you on the sign. Sade wrote, "This was my favorite place to come."



The only other place we visited were the Cactus Gardens.



Chillaxin:



There were actually some workers there making chocolate, which we have never seen. Talk about excitement! Check out the ghostly windowed picture of Sade.



The Cactus Gardens are cool every single year.

Christmas Day 2013

I heard the kids get up around 6, but then promptly fell into the sleep of the dead until they came to wake us up at 7:20.

Santa came!



As per usual, we started with stockings and then took a break for breakfast.



The kids received these balloons in their stockings which they couldn't get enough of:




Tucker could somehow tell exactly what gifts were his and was going crazy trying to get to them, so we let him go next:



I have a parenting theory. It being that if you strongly forbid something, then kids will obsess about it and want it even more. Well, about a year ago I saw the Monster High dolls, thought they were weird and scary looking and told Sadie I wouldn't buy them for her. Well, guess what toy she has been obsessed with every since? So, for Christmas she got 5 of them!



She also received lots of games, books, and arts and craft supplies:



Jackson received lots of books, HotWheels cars, a roller coaster building set, games, and iTunes gift cards:



The number one item on his list was Disney Infinity, which I totally forgot to give him. As we were cleaning up Eric whispered the reminder to me and I had to go and find where I had hidden it in the garage! I also found a shirt for Megan I had totally forgotten about. My mind!

He was happy to receive it.



Megan received, clothes, clothes, and more clothes. Plus lots of accessories like scarves, make-up, and gift cards:



Jackson and Eric opening their new Seahawks hats from me:



Eric and I received lots of things too, especially things we needed, like new knives, scissors, and bedside lamps, along with some items that were more on the fun side:



The opening aftermath:



I just love Christmas morning!

We spent the afternoon opening and playing with toys:



Then went and had dinner with our Baird friends. Amy's mom made her traditional Bean Soup that she makes every Christmas.



This happened while we were there. It's marker, but washed right off!



Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Christmas Eve 2013

Our Christmas Eve festivities started off with a trip to Target for the kids to choose gifts for each other (procrastinate much?). It was dinner time while we were leaving, so I suggested Roberto's Taco Shop. Mainly because I had heard about someone eating there on Thanksgiving so I knew it would be open.

We do not frequent Roberto's and consequently ordered WAY TOO MUCH FOOD.



While eating I took time to admire Sadie's cute elfin ears, which put me into the Christmas spirit.



Upon arriving home we started work on the foam gingerbread house I purchased this year. Surprisingly it was totally fun!



Megan's vision:



We of course did lots of Santa tracking:



Then we opened our traditional one Christmas Eve gift:



Jackson opened this heavy duty basketball hoop that hooks over his door. It has been a fun but noisy edition to our family.



Sade opened an Orbeez ladybug toy:



And Megan received a new shirt:



Two cuties:



Before bed Sade made a special reindeer concoction that included oats, peanuts, chocolate chips and Nerds.



All ready for Santa:



The cute note Sade left him:



He appreciated it so much that he left her one in return.

The kids were in bed around 10, and Eric and I made it around 1 am, which probably is a new record for earliness.