All the Small Things...

Christmas Eve Yumminess...

Christmas Eve Jammies

 

Okay, so this tradition is getting expensive-- and extremely time consuming!!!  BUT-- I can't give it up.  It's about my FAVORITE tradition ever.  I may have to go more low budge next year and give up the Max and Maudes and Janie and Jacks!  Ummmm...yeah right... like that's going to happen!!!  I'm weak!!!  

 Good thing we are done having kids or I might consider a part time Christmas job to fund this extravagance!  ;)

 

Patrick's-- bottoms and top are separates from JCPenny's

Chandler's-- bottoms and top are separates from The Gap

Scarlet's-- Max and Maude

Keiran's-- Janie and Jack

Wednesday Jones'-- Max and Maude

 

I sincerely hope Dan hasn't decided to start reading my blog all of a sudden... gulp.

Christmas Eve Skating 2010

We did this last year for Christmas Eve and it was such a hit, we did it again!  

 

What could be more Christmas-y than outdoor ice skating on Christmas Eve?!?!  We always eat out on this night and at The Lakes they have great restaurants and this fun little rink, so it's really perfection for us.  This year only Chandler and Scarlet hit the ice, but we LOVE watching them go round and round and it was really touching how much ChanChan took care of Scarlet.  (not a normal sight around here!!!)  ;)

 

So a yummy dinner at The Claim Jumper and some ice skating fun= another Greding Christmas Eve tradition!

Just Some Monkey Jammies...

While these are not her official Christmas jammies (those get opened on Christmas Eve), I couldn't resist getting her these.

C'mon, what newborn little girl doesn't need monkey pjs!?!?!?  And pink ones??!?  Well, that's simply impossible to resist...

Even more irresistible?  KK has a matching pair in green.  I'll post the pic-- you'll pee.

 

Oh, this is another little beanie I knit for WJ.  I'm loving the pink and red together...

Twelfth Night...

 

In honor of the 12th day of Christmas, a picture of my kids in their Christmas PJs.

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

 

Here are the kids all dressed and ready to go out to our traditional Christmas Eve dinner with Grammy, Pa and Gavin.  Since I was a child, we have always eaten out at a favorite restaurant on Christmas Eve.  Most people cook a big Christmas Eve dinner, but since we cook a huge Christmas breakfast and dinner, we take it a little easier on Christmas Eve.

  
 
 

 

1st Day of Christmas...

Can it really be here?  Is it really Christmas already?  I'm so excited and overwhelmed and nostalgic and stressed and happy... all rolled into one!

We have A LOT of Christmas traditions that I can't wait to share with you!  They are fun and corny and sentimental and US.  I look forward to them all!

Our first tradition is probably one of our children's favorite things about Christmas... the advent house.  Every day, a little elf visits this advent house and leaves a fun treat in one of it's doors.  Sometimes he leaves a note that sends the child on a hunt around the house looking for a special gifty.  Sometimes the gift is for just one child and other days the gift is for everyone.  What fun memories we have around this little house and the elves that take care of us!

   

This was Keiran's first time ever opening one of the advent house doors.  He LOVED his movie and had such a fun time watching it with the big kids!

Another advent tradition we have is the chocolate advent calendars.  The kids never forget to open up their little boxes before they head off to school and eat a tiny chocolate bite.  It was so fun to buy 4 calendars this year!  KK loved his chocolate bite, but couldn't understand why he didn't get to eat more!  

After watching Santa Buddies all cuddled up in my bed, I read the kids one of my favorite books of the season, A Snowman Named Sue.  We then said our prayers and they headed off to bed with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads.

 

Dan and I then scooped up some yummy bowls of ice cream- me peppermint ice cream.  Him- hot cocoa ice cream.  While eating our treat, we watched The Holiday.  SOOOO cute!  Love that movie!!!

What a fun day.  What a great way to kick off the season.  I can't wait to wake up tomorrow and see what the elves have brought Miss Scarlet.  I hear it's kind of fabulous! :)

Christmas Shopping Has Begun...

A 365 day desk calender for Miss Scarlet.  Have you guys seen this website ?  I saw this calendar on Martha and KNEW Scarlet had to have it!  She'll LOVE it!

How fab is this?  Chandler's going to love it.  Star Wars AND Mad Libs... a perfect nerdy combo platter for Chandler.

This is the CRAZIEST book!  If you have a kid who is a total goof ball, then you NEED to buy this book.   It is a users guide to being goofy.  It's filled with funny practical jokes and tricks and just general wackiness.

Another nerdalicious book for ChanChan.  This is a book of 2,500 Star Wars questions and that little box in the corner is the digital box for giving your answer.  It is a MUST for any Star Wars geek!

Okay, that's about as far as my Christmas shopping has gotten, but at least it's something!

A Few More Christmas Things...

Okay, so I was TOTALLY lame about posting during Christmas, but I wanted to show you a couple of my favorite things.  Hope you don't mind going back in time a month!

#1- Scarlet's PJs...

Could you die?  Okay, I don't know how I can top these next year!  Hopefully the company that made them will make something just as cute.  SO CUTE!!!

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#2- My Favorite Christmas Addition...

I LOVE anything by Bethany Lowe!   

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#3- Christmas Gifty from Dan-

Cutest camera ever!  6MP too!  I have needed a "purse camera" forever.  I just can't lug my giant Cannon EOS 20D everywhere we go and so often I mutter to myself, "I wish I had my camera with me!"  Well, now I have a little camera that just sits in my purse all the time.  LOVE that!

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#4- Mammoth-

Mammoth was a blast, as usual!  We were up there with Dan's parents and 2 of his brothers and their families.  9 kids, 8 adults and tons of fun!

These are some sledding pics taken by the side of the house!  FUN!!!

Off to Disneyland...

Short post today... we're heading off to Disneyland (just for the day) in about an hour.  I hate a post without pics, so here are a few Disney pictures of our trip in December.  Kiss Kiss...