All About Christmas

For the last several years we have invited people over to have Christmas Eve dinner with us, so Christmas for us usually starts two days early. I start cooking and baking two days early because as anyone who has ever been to one of my large dinners knows, I never have a problem of not having enough food. This year Hadley was my helper. She was especially helpful on Christmas Eve with the buffalo bites. She is getting to the stage where her “help” is actually helpful.

We had two families come over this year to help us celebrate. I love having a lot of people around us for Christmas, and it makes me feel good knowing that I can help to brighten other people’s holiday who don’t always have families close enough to visit.

After our friends left, it was time to prepare for Santa’s visit. Hadley’s friend had given us Reindeer Food to sprinkle in the yard, so we all went out to make sure Santa’s reindeer didn’t go hungry on their busy, busy night.

Part of our Christmas tradition is to open one gift on Christmas Eve. Hadley could hardly wait as the night went on. When we told her it was time, she was so excited. Hadley opened her Tag books and Malia opened Tickle Me Elmo or as she calls him Melmo.

As Gideon was downloading Hadley’s Tag books so she could read them before bed, the girls and I set out cookies and milk for Santa. Hadley and Malia had to test out the cookies and milk to make sure they would be up to Santa’s standards. As the girls devoured their cookies, we decided that Santa would be happy.

For the first year, Gideon had a Christmas with “some assembly required.” Between the play house (indoors for the winter) and Malia’s Cozy Coupe, Gideon spent almost three hours putting toys together Christmas Eve. I spent some of that time rewrapping presents Malia had already unwrapped, preparing monkey bread for Christmas breakfast, and trying to get Malia to sleep so Santa could come.

After a rough sleep night for Malia, she was awake at 7:30. Mommy and Daddy were excited and could only wait until 8:30 before waking up Malia. Christmas is the one day that I let all of us stay in our pajamas. So after teeth brushing, we headed for our stockings to see what goodies Santa had brought.

After stockings we moved on to opening presents. We took a short break to eat our breakfast of monkey bread and then it was back to more presents. We were all spoiled again and got so many things.

Hadley and I started a new tradition this year. We built our first ever Gingerbread House. It was a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to Malia joining in on the fun next year.

The whole day was spent relaxing and enjoying each other. I love Christmas and spending it together with our little, happy family.

Christmas Concert

When Hadley started preschool, I didn’t really think about all of the extra things that would come with it. In November, notes started coming home about the kids preparing for the Christmas concert. I remember all of the concerts and recitals I had as a kid and how much fun they were. Now as a Mommy, I was just as excited.


Unfortunately, Gideon had a final exam during the same time, so he wasn’t able to come. I got a babysitter for Malia because I wanted to actually watch the concert rather than chase Malia around. So Friday night it was just Hadley and me. I was armed with the video camera and my regular camera and leaving almost an hour early to make sure I got a good seat.

Once at the school, I secured my seat and changed Hadley into her dress. Shortly after it started getting busy and Hadley was ready to go to the nursery where she would wait with her teachers for the concert to start.

The little girls were so excited and commenting on each other’s pretty dresses. The giggling started when the first little boy showed up wearing a tie. I left Hadley with her teachers and headed back to my seat.

After a short wait, the preschoolers and kindergartners performed three songs together first. Then it was time for the first and second graders. The preschoolers went back up for a performance of Silent Night with all the other kids preschool through second grade. At this point I think Hadley was getting tired as she was doing more yawning than singing.

The little kids were so cute and so much fun to watch. All of the kids did a great job and I’m looking forward to many, many concerts in the future.

Excited before the concert

Telling each other how pretty their dresses are

Waving to their parents

Waiting to sing again

Looking around instead of singing

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

We usually try to get the Christmas tree up during Thanksgiving weekend, but with Gideon painting our bedroom, me getting my wisdom teeth removed, and Gideon being very busy with school, we didn’t get the tree up until last weekend. Until we get the tree up it doesn’t really feel like Christmas to me.


Gideon and I put the tree up and put the garland on while Malia was napping. Once she woke up, we all started decorating. Hadley was able to put the ornaments on the tree all by herself this year. Last year, Malia sat in her swing while we decorated. This year she was our design consultant pointing out the best spot for the ornaments. There was one spot in particular on the tree that she felt needed a lot of decorations.

The tree is a little bare near the top, but I’m sure next year the ornaments will make their way a little higher up on the tree as the girls grow.

Seeing the tree for the first time after waking up from her nap

She thought the stockings went on the tree

Hanging the stockings on the fireplace