Tis the Season

There are so many things GOOD things to do in December. Fun traditions, activities and social events. But, even the good things can be a bit overwhelming. I read somewhere that if a certain activity or tradition is going to make you crazy (or yell at your kids/husband), drop the guilt and don’t do it. I’ve tried to make that my motto during the Christmas season :) Even though our kids are little, it’s such a busy time of the year. Our key to making it fun is to keep it simple! 

We continued our tradition of cutting down a live tree. We ventured out with my family to the tree farm and everyone came home with a winner. 

 
It was a beautiful winter morning to be outside. Clara liked learning how to make/throw snowballs with her new uncle Dan. 

Luke was an adorable outdoorsman. 

Decorating the tree was an adventure with the two kiddos. Luke LOVED the lights and Clara didn’t want him to touch anything! Clara liked putting the ornaments on the tree and added lots of beautiful Clara-made treasures throughout the month from daycare, preschool and grandma crafts. 

Clara also got to decorate a gingerbread train with her grandma one Saturday morning. She enjoyed snacking while she worked and admired the finished product in our window all month long. She also loved decorating Christmas cookies. These were both perfect Grandma activities. Grandmas have more patience. 

We are slowly adding to our Christmas story collection. We tried to grab the kids and read a story or two in the evenings by the tree. “Clifford’s Christmas” may have been the favorite this year, but I’m hoping that a little of the baby Jesus stuck!

One of the joys of having little kids is adorable footed Christmas jammies. I think they are going to be 12 and I’ll still be trying to get them in a pair. Our daycare provider started a brilliant tradition of “warm winter Wednesdays”, which just means we didn’t have to get the kids dressed in the morning and they rocked their jammies all day long.

On the last day of preschool before break, parents were invited for a little sing-along and craft day. It was really fun to see Clara at school, and she enjoyed showing us around. Her teachers always tell us how cheerful she is, which is about what we’d expect.

Throughout the month, the adults found time to enjoy some social events and office Christmas parties. We’re thankful for a fun-filled Christmas season. Holidays are great because they encourage us to get out of our everyday routine and do some special things as a family!