CHRISTMAS EVE 2015

Christmas Eve  we had a big breakfast and we all sat at the table to eat together. Craig brought us these home made cinnamon rolls that a local makes and they were amazing.  I scrambled some eggs too.  I am sure that I have mentioned this before but Elle loves for us to eat together as a family. So we make a real effort to do it a lot.  Kenny took the kids out to run some errands and I showered so I would be ready for church later and got the cookies baked for our annual Santa cookie decorating session!

Walker went down for a nap and we got to decorating.  I hated for Walker to miss cookie decorating but he had to have a nap to make it through the church service in the afternoon and he really is too little still anyway. I would say these cookies were our best yet! We are getting better and better at decorating.  Usually Kenny is the only one that makes any that are pretty to look at, but this year I did some good ones and Elle too.  They were totally yummy and we were proud to leave them out for Santa!

Kenny taking lots of time and effort on his Christmas tree cookie.

Mommy daughter cookie selfie.

Proud of my Christmas tree with my favorite kind of sprinkles.

An arial view of the action

Family shot minus our sweet Walker.

Some of the finished goods.

Kenny's gingerbread man wearing his ugly sweater.

Late afternoon we all went to church together and managed to make it through the entire service.  I was sad that we couldn't go to the candlelight service because it is my favorite but it just isn't feasible with small children.  We were happy to be there together and hear the good news!

When we got home we grilled steaks and I roasted brussel sprouts and potatoes.  Elle and Walker changed into their matching pajamas that Charlie the elf brought them that morning along with a note telling Elle that she could give Charlie a hug goodbye before he left to go back to the North Pole with Santa.  She was able to do this last year and she looked forward to those hugs and kisses from Charlie all day.  

Elle posing in front of the tree with her pajamas and her favorite cowboy boots.

Brother sister poses.  Love these two babies so much.  

They love each other a whole lot too.

Then it was time to give Charlie some love!

Santa came!

PAINTING CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS AND A GINGERBREAD TRAIN

On Wednesday we all went to our local paint pottery place to paint some ornaments together.  I did this with Elle last year but thought it would be fun if we all went this year.  We truly did have so much fun! We all chose different things to paint.  Elle chose a reindeer ornament and a star ornament.  Kenny chose a Santa ornament.  I chose a tiered Christmas tree ornament and then we did a footprint ornament for Walker's.  Somehow I knew Kenny would be all over this.  Whenever we decorate cookies or anything like that, Kenny always is the most detail oriented and makes the best looking things! Of course I was right! His Santa ornament looked awesome when he was finished with it.  I was happy with how it all turned out!

Getting ready to start painting!

Walker was pretty thrilled with his paint brush we let him play with.

Kenny using ultimate concentration on his Santa ornament.

Walker and me.

Elle working on her star ornament.

Walker getting his foot painted for his ornament

Getting that footprint on the ornament.

Please look at that Santa! He did so good!

Daddy and Elle

Walker took an epic nap after all the fun in the morning and then lunch out at Harvey's as a family. This was right after I layed him down.

That afternoon Kenny and Elle put together a gingerbread train and decorated it.  It was fun but I think Elle was a little tired.  She was a smudge disinterested at times.  But it still turned out great and they had a good time doing it together.

Assembling the pieces.

Getting ready to decorate.

Watching Home Alone and impersonating Kevin when he puts the aftershave on his face.  

That is Elle's favorite part!

SANTA DROPS IN FOR A VISIT

So turns out. Santa! We know him! And the other night after we had put the kids to bed and were watching a movie on the couch we heard a tap tap on our door.  It was Santa.  He thought perhaps the kids were still awake. It was 8:30 so that was a no.  But Santa still wanted to have some fun and take some pictures!

Kenny was a good boy so he got a picture with the ol Saint Nick.

Next up Santa had a visit with our elf, Charlie.  Elle loves our elf so much so it was extra special that Santa wanted to play him an extra visit.

Santa insisted that I take a picture with him too even though I was in my pajamas.

Then we thought it would be fun for Santa to sneak up and see Elle while she slept.  We were all so nervous he would wake her up.  We managed to get one quick picture and then she stirred and we all ran out of the room.  But what a fun picture!  

And finally there was a picture left next to Charlie's perch of him and Santa together.  When Elle woke up she found the picture and was so absolutely thrilled that Santa had come to our house the night before and visited with Charlie.  The magic in her eyes and her voice as she ran over to Kenny to tell him.  It was all just the sweetest!

A DECEMBER WEEKEND AND CHRISTMAS BREAK

The first weekend that Elle was out of school we had a home basketball.  We get so busy during basketball season sometimes we do not make it to the games.  But we love going to them.  Kenny and I have talked about doing some of the later as date nights.  Dinner and a basketball game where I actually get to watch some of the game sounds like a ton of fun to me! This was the first game that we took Walker.  He really enjoyed all the action and of course Elle always loves the games.  

This game was extra fun because it was a small crowd due to the holidays so we got some one on on with Bully and Santa came during half time to read The Night Before Christmas!  Elle saw one of her best little friends from school, Violet, so she was really happy about that!

Elle and Violet with a Santa photobomb 

Elle and Bully.  We have come a long way with our Bully picture courage.

The boys hanging out at the game.

After the game Kenny and I came and freshened up and went to a fun and cozy dinner out with Jay and Margaret at J. Broussards. Kenny and I had never been there to eat but it was good and fun to go somewhere different.

The girls and the Christmas tree.

The boys.

That Sunday, Elle and I whipped up some pretzel turtles together to deliver to a few friends and neighbors.  I made these for a holiday party I had a few weeks ago and she went absolutely nuts for them.  I promised her we could make them together the next time.  She did great and managed not to lick her fingers the entire time.  She may of eaten a few pecans and Rolos though.

 
Pushing the pecans down on the warm chocolates.

We took a golf cart ride to deliver them.  This was our neighbor across the street.  She was excited and probably telling me where to park!

On Monday the forecast was gross.  Actually the forecast was gross for the whole Christmas week and it delivered. I was so determined to get the kids out of the house every day for at least a little while because we just go kind of bonkers when we don't leave the house.  But we managed to get to the Country Club park for a little bit before it started raining on us.

Walker's first time to go swinging at the Country Club park.

Family selfie on the golf cart.

Just had to thrown this picture in.  Elle wanted to hold Walker while he was taking his bottle.  

He tolerated it.  It was pretty cute!

CHRISTMAS FUN AT SCHOOL

Elle was in school all last week but they were all half days.  That two hours makes a big different and left me pretty busy.  Not to mention Elle was having lots of extra activities at school. Party treats, teacher treats and stuff for Walker's PDO too. Busy busy! We managed to make it through the week and into the weekend.  Elle had such a fun week at school! 

Elle got in the car one day when I picked her up early for a dentist appointment (no cavities) and her teacher Mrs. Suzanne had given them these hats.  She was loving it.  She even wore it into a store to grab a quick stocking stuffer for Daddy.  It cracked me up!

With all the fun days planned for Elle's class, she looked the most forward to pajama and Polar Express day.  She could not wait!  She chose to wear this sweet gown that Gramma got her last year. This day at school delivered too.  She came home thrilled that they 
got to eat popcorn and watch the Polar Express with all her friends.

On Friday, Elle had her class party.  All the parents brought fun treats and each child had pulled another name and bought a gift for a Secret Santa. Elle had pulled her little friend Audrey's name.  I wasn't able to tell her that though because I was afraid she would tell Audrey so I casually asked Elle who Audrey's favorite princess was.  We gifted her a Belle doll and a princess paint and coloring book.  Elle was so excited to hand her gift over.  All the kids had their presents and there was this moment where Elle was standing there and was the only one that did not have a gift.  I calmly pointed out to Mrs. Suzanne and a couple mom friends that Elle didn't have a gift.  We looked around and didn't see any extra presents anywhere and then a little panic ensued.  Who knows what the moms were about to wrap up! Elle was handling it so well but was starting to look a little sad. Finally we found her gift.  It was in her Secret Santa Lucy's backpack.  Thank goodness! Elle received a book! She was thrilled!

Listening to Mrs. Jeanette read a Christmas book before the party started.

Elle handing over her present to Audrey in the middle.

Sweet friends.

Me with my sweet girl.

Elle with her Secret Santa present.

ARISE AND SEIZE THE DAY!

So I still have one more blog post from the weekend where we went to Memphis.  Eek! So the Sunday that we were there we took Elle downtown for lunch and to see the broadway play the Newsies.  I was feeling better for the most part but it took everything Kenny had to get in the car to go.  We even tried to talk Elle into letting Daddy stay home.  She was not having that.  So he came along and ended up doing okay.

When I took Elle to see Cinderella without Kenny, we ate at Aldo's and loved it.  Elle was dying to bring Kenny there so he could play with the pizza dough! It was a dreary and extremely windy day but we still have to take a picture in the giant tree downtown.  It was really pretty! 

We are all about some poses these days!

We got to Aldo's and Elle quickly found the window where she could watch them make the pizza dough and cut it into pie portions!

Then the dough was delivered and Elle was pumped!

Please look at this pose.  She was keyed up!

 Making creations with the dough!

After Elle ate some lunch and Kenny and I had a few bites because that is all we could stomach we walked over to the Orpheum for the matinee. I have seen the Newsies before.  I saw it in New York.  I was excited to see it again! This was Kenny and Elle's first time to see it!

We always take a picture of her in front of the marquee!

It was so windy but still got a decent enough family picture too!

Waiting for the show to start!

The show was great! Kenny manage to make it through even feeling bad and enjoyed it.  Elle liked it but didn't do as well at this play as she has done at others.  I chalk it up to the very busy weekend we had and her being pretty tired plus the story line being a little more mature.  There was even a point in the second act that we thought we were going to have to leave but she got more interested and managed to make it through to the end. It still means so incredibly much to me to bring her to these plays!