Holiday Festivities, Part 2

As in years past, we are doing our usual Advent countdown with a new book to read together after dinner each night from December 1st - 24th.  (A look back:  Year 1, Year 2.)  This is where all of my "What We've Been Reading" posts come in handy!  I just scroll through all my book posts for the past year and add our very favorite/must-own books (mostly in hardcover) to my Amazon cart until I get to 24.  This, then, becomes a substantial part of the kids' presents from mom and dad and they LOVE this ritual.  This year, however, we changed up the routine and added another bit of fun to it.  I decided that all that wrapping paper was sort of wasteful and added to the Christmas-is-all-about-presents feeling.  The books ARE gifts and are counted as such.  But without the ripping of paper, it's feels more like the special ritual I intended it to during this exciting season and less like "another present".  Know what I mean?  

So this year... when the kids are finished with dinner, they run into the living room and try to find the new book that mommy or daddy has hidden somewhere for them.  We play "hot" and "cold" to give clues if they have trouble, but this new element has added loads of fun!

{Under the couch??  Nope!}

{Sophie found it beside the lamp!} 

{Think she's excited about this one?  Haha!} 

There are occasional evenings when we have plans and have to squeeze our book hunt and reading into the earlier part of the day, or just find two the next day (like we did here).  But that's only a few times all month. 

On Wednesday, December 5th, the Eve of St. Nicholas Day, the kids put out their boot/shoe in the hallway between their bedrooms in the hopes that St. Nick would visit while they slept and bring them a treat. 

Side note:  every time I see a picture I've taken in this hallway, it reminds me how badly I need to repaint it.  There are SO many little chips in the paint around the woodwork and doors.  Ahh well... someday. 

Sophie's St. Nick treat included a baggie filled with marshmallows, chocolate chips and mini candy canes as well as a clementine.  And beneath her shoe, St. Nick left a new place mat and the first Alvin and the Chipmunks movie.  Score! 

Will got the same treat in his boot (nice try on the biggest shoe you own, buddy ;)) and a U.S. place mat, state quarters collection book and book on coins. 

They were both (of course) pretty sleepy the next morning but sprung out of bed when I called them to say it looked like we had a visitor. 

Other daily rituals in the month of December include Will moving the candy cane on our Advent calendar... 

...and Sophie tearing off a link from her chain (made at preschool). 

Gingerbread pancakes are a seasonal must for weekend morning breakfast!

And later this same day (the 8th) we had Mya and Stella over to babysit while Casey and Wes went to her work party.  I made a batch of our favorite candy cane cookie dough and the girlies all wore the aprons I bought for them.  So cute!! 

We hauled out the stools and I cut the dough into pieces and we got to work rolling them into "worms" and twisting two colors together to make our canes.

These are probably my kids' very favorite Christmas cookies. 

After dinner, we sang Happy Half-Birthday to Mya, Stella and Will before eating our fresh-baked treats. 

And then Mya and Stella participated in our book hunt this night before I read several books to our jammy-clad bunch and finally took the twins home for bed.

The next day, Sunday the 9th, we met up with Craig's parents and his sister's family at Oak Shade Grove for the GBU Christmas party for kids.  This is a German heritage event, so the very first part of the party included all of the children invited to sit and watch a video about holiday traditions in Germany.  Sophie was either smooching or whispering to cousin Celia in this pic.  :) 

There were coloring pages and crayons on each table. 

There were guessing games of how many pieces of candy fill a jar.  And of the four jars out on the guessing table, our family (Will and Veronica) won TWO of them!!  Haha!  Lucky us! 

There was a cookie decorating station - both sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies - with all the imaginable toppings.

I thought Will did exceptionally well with his gingerbread man! 

And then Santa arrived!!!  Each family was called to take their turn sitting on Santa's lap and thank goodness Mrs. Claus was present or there's no way Sophie would have been in this picture.  Crazy how it's just Santa (or men?) that she's frightened of... because she went very willingly into Mrs. Claus's arms after clinging to me when I tried to put her beside the bearded man in red.  :) 

Following their visit with Santa, each child got to take a candy cane and a chocolate ornament off the tree beside him before returning to their seats. 

And from there, each child took a special card stating their age (for the age-appropriateness of gifts) into a side room where they were given a wrapped present from Santa.  So nice!

Will got a construction Lego set.

And Sophie got a camping toy with tent, campfire, chair and little people.  Both kids loved their gifts.

Little Miss Veronica, who is just shy of one year, is developing her walking legs!

And I thought it was hysterical that Craig caught this cute moment on camera.  I think it was just a funny coincidence, but doesn't it look like she's tap dancing?  :)

And here's a little series of Will and me to wrap up this post.  Don't remember what we were saying but we were talking and being silly together.

And this was supposed to be a "wink at daddy" picture (mine a little overly-exaggerated), but I think he took it a second too late.  This picture cracks me up!!!