Christmas Jammies

Just the girls getting ready and snuggling with dad in their Christmas jammies! Of course you have to be silly before bed time! Usually there is a little wrestling action that goes on too!

The stockings were hung....

Allie reading a few of our Christmas books....

Last year at this time, Paige was content playing with tissue paper and empty boxes in the bassinet.


What a difference a year makes. She was just as excited as Allie about decorating. When she came down from her nap the lights were on the tree and she said "peety" (pretty). I could have bet Geoff a lot of money that is what she would say. She loves "peety" things! She loved looking at all of the ornaments and was very gentle with all of them. Allie loved looking at all of the ornaments and playing the musical ones to show Paige.




There is something magical about decorating for Christmas. We had lots of "wows" as we decorated. I love looking at each of the Hallmark ornaments and remembering Grandma Rosie. She LOVED selecting just the perfect ornament for each of the grandkids. Gramps still keeps up the tradition and it is always fun to see the new ornament that will join the rest on the tree each year. We inherited a few of Gram's decorations, so it is fun to see all the Christmas stuff around the house. Tis' the season!

Allie's little tree at the foot of her bed...

Christmas stuffed animals galore....a few of Gram's bears

Bo the Elf is back.....

This little magical Elf always seems to make his (now her...more on that later) way back to our home around this time of year. It is so fun to see the "magic" this little one brings. Allie has been talking about Bo's appearance since Thanksgiving (that is when the book says he comes out). Grandma Ganne bought The Elf on the Shelf for all of the grandkids way before it was "cool". She always finds the neatest gifts. Now, Elf on the Shelf is all over the place, on TV and in stores everywhere. With all the publicity of course there are now skirts to make your elf a girl, and our Bo is now a girl. Allie said "Mom, since there are not many boys in our house and more girls, Bo should be a girl and have a skirt". She saw the skirt at Target when we were shopping one day. So Bo looks quite cute in a skirt. Her first appearance was on the tree, then the talking doll house. She has been on the mantle, chandelier, bookshelf, who knows where she will be next. Each night when she returns from the North Pole, after reporting to Mr. Claus she ends up somewhere different in our house and excitement to find her every morning is awesome. She has only had good reports so far....hope it continues!! Welcome back Miss Bo the Elf.

Preschool Christmas Tree Farm Field Trip

Today was a beautiful day and we had a great time with Allie on her preschool field trip to a local Christmas Tree Farm. Mr. Sun was shining bright today, 70 degrees and sunny on December 2nd is not to bad for a Christmas Tree hunt. The whole fam got to go, so that was special.

Photo of Geoff take by Allie!!

Allie loves school, field trips and everything about school but she has been a little nervous to go on this field trip. She was afraid she might get lost in the woods. I assured her she would have fun and that Geoff and I would both be on the field trip so she did not need to worry about getting lost. We got to the "forest" and all of the kids tromped through the woods to find the "perfect" Christmas Tree.

Allie telling Mrs. VanSant she found the perfect tree....

They each got a turn sawing down the tree, and it just so happened that it fell when the last kids made the cut! This is a perfect science created by the teachers..we love the Great Day teachers!!!


Next, they carried the tree back to the truck, which Allie helped with a bit but it was too "poky" after a while so she just walked with Paige and us through the woods.




It was time to feed the animals. There were 2 donkeys, a sheep, goats and chickens. Paige was eye level with one of the sheep when he poked his head through the fence and she said "scared"....."sheep scared me."



Allie fed the donkey and looked at the animals with Paige and then asked what was going to happen next. She told her teacher. "I already enjoyed the animals, now what is next? I am ready for snack". I guess the teachers don't need help when the little task master is on duty!


It is a good thing we had Allie's field trip, because this year we didn't do much "hunting" for the perfect tree...it was more like pull the truck up to Costco, have the workers unwrap a few trees and chose the second one! Now time to decorate!! Tis' the season!!