Another week of Christmas fun!

Each day I try to do an activity from our advent calendar with the kids. It's been nice having it up because it gives Sydney a visual representation of how many days/activities we have to go until Christmas. Funny though, Sydney then got the idea that if she moved the day 25 activity up along the line that Christmas would come sooner. I quickly told her the calendar does not have power over time. Poor thing. I had not planned to wrap the presents and put them under the tree until maybe the night before Christmas but I was getting a lot of presents together for being shipped off to my various family members and so I didn't want it all getting confused. The morning after, Sydney asked if it was Christmas and we had to tell her "no". So now every day, we get asked at least 3 times if she can just open her presents already! I didn't dare put bows on the presents, they would just get ripped off.

Sunday's activity was to Sing your favorite Christmas songs. Sydney's was "Jingle Bells" but she also loves singing "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas". Brian's is "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" and "Carol of the Bells". I love "O' Holy night" as well as "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings" by Bare-naked Ladies and Sarah McClachlan. Been having lots of fun listening to Christmas music on Pandora.
 
Another activity this week was to make paper snowflakes. Sydney helped me cut out the squares and then I cut them. Then she helped Brian and I with putting them up in our hallway.

 
We went to Christmas in Roseland where they have light displays in a Rose Garden. It's a family tradition I remember from my childhood since living here when I was younger. We met up with my sister's family and my grandparents. The weather was a bit cold but the kids still had lots of fun riding on the train and walking around to see all the lights.

Sydney and Jonas loved this moving Santa's Workshop scene.

 One of the neat nativity scenes there.

 Train ride!

Great- Grandma and Grandpa

 And then some goofy cousins!

 I thought this pool noodle tree was cool!

 And here is a great example of Cajun Christmas fun. Gotta love the gators and the pelican! Drea thought the gators looked more like gator-seahorses with no legs.

Earlier in the week it was pretty cold to play outside so the kids made some indoor fun! They love trains and so they often line up the chairs and play!

Jonas loves saying, "Choo choo!"

Don't quite know what this face is for...

Oh, and you might notice I cut Sydney's hair. She had taken scissors to her own hair a few days before her birthday party and I had been trying to just hide it but anytime I brushed her hair, it just stuck out so bad in the short area compared to the rest of her long hair. I decided to make it all match so the short spot wouldn't stick out so bad. Sydney was ok with it but then she looks at our family portrait and says she wishes her hair was long again. Well, we tell her, it would be if you didn't cut it! So lesson learned, I hope!

We look forward to traveling to Grandma and Grandpa Tuck's house later this week and having cousin Liam over a couple days before we leave. So far the Christmas season has been filled with Christ-centered activities, fun and family get-togethers and the kids are loving it. I am too, it's been a great celebration of life and love and I am trying to get as many pictures as I can and enjoy my blessings!