Enjoying the Holiday Season

The holiday season is such a wonderful time of the year.  Erin usually has to remind me to slow down and enjoy it all and not just wish for Christmas to be here.  We made a list of things to do through out the month and got everything marked off.  I don't have pictures of it all, but do have a few to share.

Doing a little Christmas shopping with these three.  I love hearing their ideas of what we should get people.  I don't always go with their ideas, but still fun to hear.

 Got the kids in their festive shirts to do our Santa visit.  I like to go to Bass Pro.  They have a big set up and we have had good luck the past two years there.  This year we got there a little later in the evening which didn't work out so great for us.  It was quite a line, which the four people with me were not real excited about waiting in.  So instead we walked around and checked out the store.  We decided I would return the next day with the kids when the line should be shorter.

Wild thing at heart!

The line the next day was much shorter and we got in very quickly.  Lawson kept busy by singing his Rudolph rendition to the Elf while we waited, which she loved.  The boys both jumped up there and told Santa what they wanted. Laney was good watching and I had high expectations, that is until I put her on his lap.  Can you guess where I am standing??  Giving me a long of complete betrayal, poor thing.  She didn't even want the candy cane from the man.  Maybe next year.

I also wanted to take the kids on a Christmas light tour.  I once again had high hopes and envisioned this wonderful evening drinking hot chocolate in our jammies, driving around listening to music.  I got the boys some holiday travel mugs for a $1 at the Target bins and thought they would be perfect.  Of course it started out too hot and they had no problem waiting for it to cool.  However once cool Lawson spilled his whole drink down his pajamas and all over his car seat (fail #1) We headed to Lees Summit where there is a park with all sorts of lights to drive through.  As we entered the park and saw the first lit up elf we made the mistake of getting the kids out of their seats.  We were still a good half hour from the entrance.  We now had three children bouncing all over the car and wanting to drive (fail #2)  We had the Christmas music playing in the car, but apparently not the song the boys wanted.  At one point I looked at Erin and we just laughed.  The boys were each singing their own song and the radio had a third.  We got to the lights everyone enjoyed them so still a successful night :)

Luke had his preschool program.  He sang his little heart out with a big smile on his face.  I can't imagine trying to get 40+ 3-5 year olds to learn all of those songs, but they did great!

Kelli got to come watch and get in the Christmas spirit

 I also got to go with Luke to his school Christmas party.  He loved playing all the games and the bounce house.  I liked getting to watch him run around with his friends and interact.

We did some baking, wrapping, and more shopping as well.  The teacher in me even got some crafts and scavenger hunts in with the kiddos before we headed west.  It was a great month!