Fun Weekend!

I am getting so excited the Holidays are here! I know a lot of people get exhausted and stressed during the holiday season, but I have always just loved it. Particularly after having kids and now that Emma is of an age where she gets the whole Santa thing and starting to understand the meaning behind the holidays, her excitement just rubs off on me. I love starting to create new rituals and traditions for our family during the holidays. I love thinking about Emma being all grown up and looking back to her childhood holidays and having really fun memories. Although I really miss seeing Mike's family and spending the holidays with them, it is so nice not to travel during such a hectic time and be able to spend Christmas morning in your own house. Emma and I have been busy crafting this week. Yes- I said crafting! We made thanksgiving turkey napkin holders for thanksgiving dinner at moms this week. Then we decorated bags with all kinds of Christmas glittery things and made an advent calendar to count down the 12 days of Christmas. I am going to hang it up with a close line and we painted clothespins in Christmas colors to attach the bags. Each of the 12 days of Christmas when Emma wakes up, there will be a little surprise in there for her (I think Abby is too little this year.) I will take a pic of it once it's done. I can't take credit for the idea though, it is from this month's Wondertime Magazine.

The girls saw Santa yesterday and took a hayride. We met Nana and Papa at Otten Brothers Nursery for their holiday open house. This has become one of those traditions for us. Rather than waiting in crazy long lines and paying ridiculous prices to visit a mall santa, we always go here. They have a fantastic, authentic looking Santa (real beard!) and its free and never crowded. Abby just stared up at him in awe, very close to freaking out, but she held it together. Emma babbled on and on about wanting Alexa and Leana dolls and a horse drawn carriage, and a basketball hoop. She asked Santa if his elfs know how to make those things. It was cute. Then we all went on a horse drawn hayride and then out to lunch. A really fun day. Santa visit- Done! I also managed to get a pretty good picture for our holiday cards.

Last night we had a babysitter for Emma's & Abby's school fundraiser. It is called an Evening Out and it's drinks, food, silent and live auction and games. It was a blast. I won $250 by playing a game called heads or tails. They flip a coin and you put your hands on your head if you think it will be heads, hands on your behind if you think tails. The last person standing gets $250 and that was me! I kept my hands on my tail the whole time! Mike loved the joke about my "tail being worth more than $250......" We won some baskets at the silent auction and donated some money to the school. It was a fun night had by all. The money goes to improvements for the school and also to fund at risk kids so they can attend ECFE or preschool classes. Such a great program and I am so glad to be a part of it.