Christmas Concert at School

This year it was a "Christmas in the West" theme. I practiced the songs with my first graders lots, so I can't get them out of my head! We have a new music teacher (Mrs. D.) and she did a little musical. She split the grades up so that it wasn't just all little kids and then all the big. Jayden, Jonathan and I went to see his evening performance and I videotaped it. The pix of us are in my classroom after the show. There is one of Jayden with her little friend Carson who "lives" at daycare (her words)! They are good buddies and sort of like siblings, as they've grown up together. He's adorable. By the way, Jonathan was too bored to watch Jake sing so he went on the computer in my classroom instead. So supportive... at least he came though- I guess! We were going to go out for ice cream afterwards, but I left my wallet at home by mistake. Luckily, since Jake is not my night-owl, he was a good sport and was kind of ready to call it a night anyway!

Christmas Cookies

When we were snowed in, we decided to make cookies for Santa. Jayden enjoyed helping with the dough. Jake and jayden loved sprinkling and decorating them. Jonathan was too cool. Jake put soooo many sprinkles on Santa's cookies that he thought he might go into sugar shock. So he decided to leave him a baggie of carrots too- to balance out his diet!

Santa Train

I took the younger two kids up to Whatcom County to go on a Santa Train. Jake informed me that it was "too babyish" and didn't really want to go. I convinced him that it would be fun and that he needed to be a good sport and come along since I already bought the tickets- and that next year I'll just go with Jayden. He ended up having a fun time. He asked Santa for a kitten and Jayden asked for a baby. It started snowing on our way out. We then went to Red Robin for lunch-yum. Jonathan was at his friend Doug's house. They went to the Cougar basketball game in Seattle and had a blast. I felt badly that my mom was left home alone, but I didn't know she'd be here when I got my tickets. She came from NC right after Thanksgiving to help me clean out the house and to be supportive. It has been so nice to have here here.

Gingerbread Houses

This year we made 3 houses- one for each to decorate as they wish. They were excited about this! It never occurred to me to make them each one. They usually each did one side of it- and then Jayden would add just a bit. We had candy galore!

Christmas Tree

We wanted to chop down our Christmas tree at a tree farm we've gone to the last 2 years. We drove all the way there and they weren't open- bummer. Really wanted to get it while Katie was still in town to help put it up, so we ended up at a local shop- Schuh Farms. Didn't get to chop it, but found a nice one for about 40 bucks and decided to call it good.

Santa Party

The kids are invited to a Santa Party every year. Jonathan is too old, but I took the little ones. They had fun. Santa brought Jake a REAL gumball machine (he was SO excited, stating "that's the EXACT- I mean the EXACT gumball machine I wanted! It's like Santa knew!") So cute and innocently stated. Jayden got a pedicure set. She went right up to Santa and just sat there and posed for the camera- very cute. She then sat patiently waiting to open her gift (each kid sat on Santa and then they all opened at once at the end). This was the second night the kids spent the night with their dad, so it was a sad night for me. I had to drop them at his house afterwards. I have only ever spent 3 nights away from them their entire lives, so it is heart- wrenching to drop them off. Jon didn't even come to the door. Just let Jonathan bring them in his house.