December 12, 2010

On Wednesday for our advent calendar, I took the kids toboganning after school. We brought some friends along too. It was the perfect day to go. It was the warmest day (for winter) and the kids had a ton of fun on the hills near the overpass. Tyson (who has never gone toboganning before, and is kind of cautious when it comes to things like that) loved every moment of it, and did not want to leave. We also had hot chocolate afterwards with whip cream. (Nobody seems to be selling chocolate whip cream this year, which is my favourite to put on hot chocolate)

I took Kaitlyn to singing lessons and then after we got home, Grant took Kaitlyn shopping. She needed some new dress shoes for church and Grant wanted to get her 2 new dresses for when she turns 12 and goes up into YWs. I was a little worried about what they would come home with. As they were leaving, I was like "Please don't buy anything crazy or awful" (so supportive, I know). I was surprised with their great choices when they came back. Here is a picture of one of the outfits that she ended up wearing today for church.

On Thursday I had a photoshoot during the day downtown. As soon as I got home I did a little christmas craft with the kids (that was our advent activity for the day). We made snowmen with styrofoam balls, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, brads, and yarn and toothpicks. Nothing elaborate, just simple and fun. Then it was time to get dinner ready and then head out to take McKenna to kickboxing. Grant had to take Kaitlyn to the school to watch her christmas band concert. Kaitlyn plays the trumpet. After kickboxing, I went to the church for our Relief Society Christmas dinner. It was very yummy, and a nice little program.
On Friday night the kids had a christmas movie night for the advent calendar. They watched "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" and others. They had a nice array of treats for the evening and Grant and I went over to my sister Charity's house for her annual adult family christmas party.

It was a fun filled night full of games, yummy food, family and presents. Charity always comes up with fun games and puts a lot of effort into making her parties fun and festive.

mmmm....yummy!
Grant and Seth had an arm wrestle for fun.

Grant and I in front of Charity's lovely Christmas tree.

It was a fun night! Saturday was another busy day. I had to drop Kaitlyn off at a friends party, then I took McKenna to a kickboxing tournament. She didn't enter this one because she didn't feel ready. She just wanted to see what it was like and what was involved. It was fairly intense. Afterwards was the big grocery shopping trip. I was so tired, but it needed to be done. We had dinner and as soon as Grant got home from work, the kids drew names (each year we do a kids draw, so they have the opportunity to buy for eachother)  and then we went to the mall to let them shop. I took 3 of the kids and Grant took the other 3 so they wouldn't see what they were getting. I think Catcher ended up getting the best deal of the night. He was buying for Damian. He really wanted to get Damian a scooter, and I told him that he probably wouldn't find a scooter for $20 (their limit). We were in toys r us though, and he fell in love with this awesome looking scooter. I took a look at the price and it was regular $50 on sale for $24.99. I pitched in the little extra since it was such a good deal and exactly what he had wanted to buy. Blessing in disguise for my little guy.

Dec. 7, 2010

Saturday was a busy day. Drayton and Presely and Isabella had slept over the night before. I had to take Maiya to a friends b-day party. She got to go to Chuck E Cheese, and had a blast. Then I took Damian to gymnastics for his last class until January. He got his badge. He's been doing so well. Then I had to go pick up Kaitlyn from her friend, Averys sleepover.
For the advent calendar we decorated sugar cookies. I hate making sugar cookies because they take so long and never seem to work out well for me, so my friend Megan (who sells her baking) made me 2 dozen sugar cookies that I bought off of her for the kids to decorate.

When Grant got home we got ready to go to our ward Christmas Party. It was a turkey dinner. I believe there was supposed to be a small program as well, but we could only stay for the dinner (so yummy, and the kids had fun). Then we had to go home and get the kids ready for bed. Kaitlyn and McKenna babysat while Grant and I went to the Kyles house for an adult Christmas Party.

Lots of yummy food, great friends and fun games. I love Christmas. Always lots of fun.
Along with this time of year also comes sickness. We came home to Tyson vomitting. Catcher and Maiya had been sick for 1 day each during the week. Then on Sunday Damian and Kaitlyn woke up sick and vomitting. Grant was up a lot in the night cleaning so the house didn't smell like vomit and so it was cleaned up for when I woke up (what an awesome and thoughtful husband). We didn't end up going to church. For our advent on Sunday we decorated our tree, and had our special layout of treats. Poor Kaitlyn and Damian couldn't really enjoy it because they were feeling so awful, but they watched us decorate and put up their own ornaments. One of our traditions is to get each child a christmas ornament that they pick out from the Hallmark catalogue. It's fun to see what they pick, and I think it will be a good trip down memory lane for them to look at them when they are older (like, I remember when I was into that). Here are the ornaments they picked this year

Damian - Indiana Jones, Catcher - Ironman
Kaitlyn - Harry Potter, Tyson - Spiderman
McKenna - Alice in Wonderland
Maiya - Barbie.

The tree always makes Christmas feel official. We were going to watch the First Presidency message on tv, but we couldn't find it. So we had a family home evening lesson instead.
Monday was my day for feeling ill. I did not go as far as vomitting, but I was exhausted all day and could barely keep my eyes open. McKenna also was sick. I fell alseep at 6pm while the kids were watching a movie, woke up at 7pm and then went back to bed at 9:30pm. Our advent was supposed to be toboganning, but we decided to do it on a different day because of feeling so yucky.
Today (Tuesday) I woke up feeling 100 percent better. I also woke up to a thoughtful gift from Grant. I have been saying that I want to get a nice nativity at some point, but every year goes by and I don't buy one. He left one out displayed for me this morning, and I love it.

 After we took Maiya to school,Grant and Tyson and I went to the mall to shop. Just a few last minute gifts. Grant started feeling pretty ill while we were there, and was full blown sick by the time we got home. I took McKenna to kickboxing and then when I got home I got the kids ready to go out to the Festival of Lights (that was our advent activity today). The weather was pretty decent, so it was good timing. The kids got to decorate cookies in the kids tent, we walked around to look at the lights and they "skated" on the pond. (We didn't bring skates, so I should probably say that they slid around on their boots on the pond).

December 3, 2010

So we officially started our advent calendar countdown on the 1st of December. My kids love this tradition. It gives them something to look forward to each day. On day 1 it was Kaitlyns day to open the container. Each container has a slip in it with something christmas related written. Day 1 (Wednesday: Everyone receives a candy cane.

Along with their candy cane, we explained the symbolism behind it.
I went into Calgary to do a newborn shoot of a sweet little boy. He was an angel. Here is a sample picture of a Christmassy one I took of him.

Kaitlyn had her singing lessons, and then Grant and I went out to the mall to look around and get a bite to eat. It's always fun going out alone together.
Today was our second day of the advent calendar.
Day2: Candy Cane Ice Cream after school. I LOVE candy cane ice cream. It's my favourite. Too bad they don't sell it year round.
(You'll notice Catcher is missing his two front teeth in this picture. He has been losing all of his teeth at once it seems)

Maiya had the afternoon off of school, so she got to hang out with me today. I had some baking to do. McKenna needed me to bake and decorate a dozen cupcakes for a penny carnival they are having at their school. Her class is in charge of a cupcake walk activity. I made her a caterpillar cupcake scene complete with grass, caterpillar, ladybugs and a sun (which Damian thought was an octopus, haha)

I made a wreath with the leftover cupcakes for the kids for dessert.

Maiya helped me make some cookies today. You always seem to need to bring a plate of cookies everywhere you go during christmas, so I figured I should start making some.
Here she is adding the finishing touches:

I took McKenna to kickboxing (she is doing really well. I love watching her). Then it was a night in, full of vegging in front of the tv and editing the newborn shoot.

Today Damian opened the calendar.
Day 3: Open Christmas Books
I got these extremely new looking books from a yard sale in the summer for 25 cents each, and knew that they would be perfect for my advent calendar, so I saved them until now. We will be reading them tonight for bedtime stories. Tonight Kaitlyn gets to go to her friend, Avery's house for her b-day to sleepover. I am just heading out to do some christmas shopping for Grant. Hopefully I'm beating the weekend rush while the kids are in school.