Twenty-four. Pip.

"Let's see what you made for each other - it's time to open the Sib Gifts!"





I'll probably post more about that on my other blog soon, but the kids made great gifts for each other this year - they were so proud and happy and there were lots of hugs!

(We open those on Christmas Eve so that the kids really appreciate each others' gifts and they're not compared to the bigger gifts they open on Christmas morning).

Twenty-three. Pip.

"Time to make Christmas cookies!"



We made gluten-free sugar cookies, and regular. It was the first time we got out some cool forest animal cutters from IKEA.


Can you spot a moose, bear, hedgie-hog, fox, and squirrel?
Oh, and a purple penguin.

Twenty-two. Pip.

"After all that sledding, you must be hungry - who wants french fries?"



They just opened an In-n-Out by our house - which is great because it's one of the few places that the middle boy can eat gluten-free.

Because it's a new one (I guess?) they had approximately 57 teenagers working there, who hooked the kids up with sticker pages and paper hats. Awesome.


Yum.

Twenty-one. Pip.

"Let's go deliver some Christmas cheer!"

We delivered our neighbor gifts. Since the air is smoggy, I pulled the little asthmatic guy in the wagon with the bag of goodies and he was in charge of giving them to his big brother and sister in turn who rang the doorbells.


Crocheted dishcloths with dish soap - my kids were not impressed.

(HOW is this post number 21 for this year??? It went SO fast!)

Twenty. Pip.

"Let's learn more about the real meaning of Christmas"



We watched "Joy to the World" (get your own free copy here).
We watch it every year. It's probably my favorite church movie.



Pip also came to church with us. He thought that the choir program was much better than last year.

Nineteen. Pip.

"Let's go to the movies!"



Today Grandma was in charge of Pip's adventure. We hid Pip in her tree. She and Grandpa and Aunt Kellie took the kiddos out to see "The Princess and the Frog" (while Aaron and I went to lunch and shopping).

The reviews of the movie (from my fam) were all good! Yay!

Eighteen. Pip.

"Pizza for dinner!"

No photo was taken - we were too busy with the whole "Om nom nom" thing.

We got takeout to celebrate the start of Aaron's Christmas vacation. We all love when he's home.

But really? I didn't want to make dinner.

Seventeen. Pip.

(Christmas mazes - I haven't been putting notes on the self-explanatory ones).

nineteen. ollie.

"Happy Christmas! Let's try a fun English tradition!"



I've been saving this one for a day when we'd have enough time to do it right, and finally, today was the day. So Zach and I grabbed tissue paper, construction paper, markers, and some paper tubes I've been squirreling away, and we got to work. Soon the table was set for a party.

We played parlor games and told jokes. Zach's was, "What did one man say to the other man? Bah, humbug!" We're on a Christmas Carol kick.

There was a lot of toasting. The boy does love to clink glasses.


Zach wanted to make a crown for Mike, and said he could be the king. He spent the whole evening calling Mike "Your Majesty" and doing whatever he asked. Here Mike is ordering him to sit on the floor.


Our "crackers" didn't actually pop, but they were still fun to rip open. And then we could play with the loot!






We'll definitely be doing this one again. Happy Christmas to you!

eighteen. ollie.

"We need to hang up all these snowflakes!"

seventeen. ollie.

"Let's wrap up some little gifts for your friends!"

Zach wrapped these neat little packages himself.

sixteen. ollie.

"Can we bake cookies today?"

fifteen. ollie.

"Let's make a treasure hunt to surprise someone!"

Done and done. That's all I'll say for now.

fourteen. ollie.

"No snow yet. Let's make our own!"

There has been such a flurry of snowflake making in the house all week. I'm a bit concerned that we'll be buried in the blizzard. If not us... then at least Ollie may be.

Sixteen. Pip.

"I want to show you some reindeer!"


This was actually kind of lame because 1 - they're elk, not reindeer - but I couldn't resist. 2 - I was trying to swing by on the way to drop the girl at a dance rehearsal but it was farther away than I thought so we ended up on the far side away from the big group of them and 3 - we just stayed in the car.

BUT, during the rehearsal the boys and I went to the store and finally found gluten-free graham crackers! And everyone loved them! So Thomas got his first 'real' s'more! That should have been the treat that day. I over thought it.


It was sticky and delicious.

Fifteen. Pip.

"Help me make some Christmas wreaths!"

Fourteen. Pip.

thirteen. ollie.

"Tonight there will be singing... and cookies, too!"

(Here's an unrelated photo of scripture time. Three candles lit for the third Sunday of advent.)

Today I sang in our stake's Christmas cantata. I'm a bit of a choir geek. Our stake choir is quite good, and I love the music we sing. And so it was a nice night. And hey... cookies!

Thirteen. Pip.

"Let's light some candles for dinner!"

Twelve. Pip.

"Let's go see T dance in the Nutcracker!"


Once it started, Thomas was WAY upset that it wasn't the REAL Nutcracker - we've spoiled him by watching the Royal Ballet one on tape. But at least there was 'the battle' of sorts between the mice (jazz dancers) and the soldiers. That made him happy.


Even though it wasn't 'real', it was still fun and Christmas-y!

And the girl did brilliantly in both of her dances.
Bon Bons (jazz):


And the Waltz of the Flowers (ballet):

We're proud of her!