Away in the Manger

Charlotte's class was assigned Away in the Manger for the Christmas show.  We practiced frequently even having her stand "on stage" (on the bottom step) to sing.  She was too sick for school early in the week but her temperature dropped below 100 degreess so she went for her school performance.  I did a terrible job at recording it but she proudly sang the words loudly for all to hear.  Note: I can't get videos to upload here, let me know if you have any tips



As usual, Charlotte tries to get away



This is how we kept Cailin quiet



Aren't they purdy?



Sitting on stage with their halos



Playing in the class after the show.  Cailin was in heaven



So proud of our big girl



Young love

Creating Traditions

This is Charlotte's 3rd Christmas and Cailin's 2nd.  We are working hard to come up with family traditions that they'll remember from year to year and into adulthood.  This area provides tons of fun seasonal things to do and we've taken advantage of most of them.  In hindsight, we should've researched all activities and selectively chosen a few.  Even though the individual activities are fun, it's been so rushed trying to squeeze them in that it's not enjoyable.  No reason to dwell on it now, but I want it in print as a reminder to next-year-me: Don't overschedule!


Christmas festival at MacArthur Mall

A break from shopping



Ready for Daddy's work party

 

GermFest 2012

I really want to be "in the Christmas spirit" but the germs have stolen the show these past few weeks.  Currently Cailin has 2 ear infections, Charlotte has a cold/flu bug, Matt has food poisoning and I have a sinus infection.  Things could be so much worse and I try to remind myself of that.  We are all together, we can afford medicine and healthcare, and we are all safe.  But I'm not ready for Christmas and I want us to be merry and jolly when it arrives, not sneezy and coughy.  I have proposed extending our Christmas season but Cailin is allergic to our tree so I think Christmas will promptly end at bedtime on the 25th.  For the new year, I may resolve to start bathing the girls in hand sanitizer.  We'll see how that turns out. 

Goals for this weekend: Couch time as a family, Christmas movies, Cocoa covered in whipped cream,  Pajama time,



Gotta get creative when you've been trapped inside for 2 weeks

Look at that sick face.  Even ice cream didn't help.

Sickies like to snuggle

Things I need to let go off: worrying about the shopping, wrapping, cleaning, cooking, baking and other preparings

All Aboard!

The Polar Express has come to town!  Well, sort of.  The Botanical Gardens hosted an evening with cocoa and cookies, a craft, a reading of The Polar Express and a tram ride through millions of lights.

As usual, we prepped the kids by reading the book many times and even watching the movie (most of it.  We skipped the ghost on the top of the train parts because seriously, what is that about!?) in the weeks prior.  As a result, Charlotte was disappointed when we didn't see the "regular santa.  We just saw the different Santa cause the regular one was at home being sick."  [We've all been sick around here for the last...well forever.  Matt blames having 2 kids to bring home twice as many germs.]  The Santa made of lights wasn't sufficient.  And we don't even "do Santa".

Giant cookies for dinner since the event started at 5:30

And lukewarm cocoa to add to the sugar rush

Cailin the Elf hydrates

She then realizes what she's missing and makes her demands

Being crafty in our jammy jams

We did NOT stage this.  My heart <3 s it.

Using cookies to entice this elf to sit through a long story

All Aboard!!

Hyper baby gets the giggles

"WHOOOOA"

The Nutcracker Sweet

Studying the playbill

Five months into dance lessons, Charlotte is able to execute many moves that I cannot spell.  Though she is challenged by some (anything that requires jumping on one foot), she practices regularly and is ecstatic when dropped off at Dance on Thursdays. 



We will have to make this a yearly event

To encourage this new skill, I took her to see The Nutcracker perfomed at a local theatre.  Due to the length of the show, the expectation that children remain quiet, and the prohibition of snack cups in the theatre, Cailin was not invited.  Charlotte picked out a gorgeous (size 12 m) dress from her sister's closet (the clothes sharing has already begun).  We took some pictures, chatted with friends, then found our seats.  I fully expected we'd leave at intermission.  Matt and I saw The Nutcracker in Boston, and the second half bored me to sleep.  Probably shouldn't admit that publicly huh.  We'd spent the weeks before the play reading different Nutcracker books so Charlotte was ready.  And honestly, the play made a lot more sense to me this time around.  Charlotte eagerly waited for Clara, The Nutcracker, and the Mouse King to take the stage.  I did slip her some pretzels during the show to minimize her chatter (all on topic, but not all in a whisper).  When the curtain closed, Charlotte yelled "I want the curtain to go back up!  I wanna see it again!"  We'd sat for 2 hours and she wanted more.  Instead we met Daddy and Baby for dinner and headed home. 



Love this girl!

Charlotte explained the play to Matt on the way home: Big Clara danced.  The Nutcracker fell down.  He got up.  Big Clara helped him.  Little Clara took her ballet shoe off and throwed it to the mouse king.  He threw it back to her.  Big Clara, Little Clara, The Mouse King and the Nutcracker were all friends.  [How do you know they were friends?] They danced together (duh). 



Off we go

We were sad Dada and Cailin weren't coming

 

Hanging with friends during intermission

Mama daughter date day

Reunited!  (Note Charlotte's costume change.  The other dress was
"hurtin my underarms!" so Matt brought a back up

Charlotte's stage debut

The teacher sings to the kids in hopes they'll absorb some of the words

Nervous girl chomps on finger nails

Antler adjustment

Being big

The preschoolers were invited to join the church Christmas play.  Charlotte had friends participating so she joined in.  She repeatedly broke character by yelling "I'm looking for my mom and dad!"  "...Oh!!  There's my mom!"  She stood in front of a large crowd and followed the given instructions.  And considering she's 2.8, we were are very proud.

Kicking off the holiday season



Charlotte decorates the old dorm tree in her room

Hello December!  It is Christmas season.  I love it.  Every piece.  The constant Christmas carols.  The lights.  The  decorations.  Bedtime stories and bottles by the light of the Christmas tree.  It all makes my heart so happy.  


Christmas crafts

Our prior Christmas cards with gingerbreadmen from my class in Dubai

  

This is probably the only snowman we'll get to "build" this year

In Manhattan, we purchased a tree at the corner bodega and Matt carried it home on his shoulders. In Chicago, we squeezed a small fake tree into our teeny tiney apartment (read: dorm). In Boston, we ordered a tree online and a week later it was delivered and set up in our living room. We now live in suburbia, where there is a tree stand at every intersection. We even have a car (Some may be shocked to learn, we actually own two cars now. But I digress...) with which to haul a tree. We went full country this year and drove almost an hour to a tree farm that allows customers to cut down their own tree. The girls hated the drive but loved the tree field. Some nice country folk tied the tree to our car and we headed home.


Outfits from Auntie



"TREEEEEEES"



Happy frolicks



Helping hands



Cailin hitches a ride



Love them



Cailin soothes a sleepy Charlotte <3



Dada in action.  He even wore his lumberjack clothes



Watching Daddy



Big tree and big girls!! 




700 (!!!) lights later, it's PURE JOY