The Santa Clause and Ruby the Elf

Day 4 of our countdown to Christmas was a busy one. Madelyn had an orthodontist appointment in the morning, followed by lunch out, a trip to Wal-Mart and a trip back to the orthodontist because something came loose on her braces. By the time the other girls came home from school, all we wanted to do was watch Christmas movies and drink hot chocolate. We watched The Santa Clause while munching on candy canes for the perfect relaxing evening.

Today on Day 5, we celebrated the arrival of a new friend!

Stella has recently started asking for an Elf on the Shelf. All of her friends have them and she loves hearing about their Elf shenanigans. While I was out shopping today I decided to pick one up for her to find after school. When she got off the bus, she was super excited to tell me that Jingle the Elf arrived in her classroom today. Imagine her surprise when she came home to find an Elf of her own. She named her Ruby! We told her, she must have flown into town with Jingle. So, a new tradition is born for our family. 

Do you have an Elf on the Shelf?

Christmas Bedtime Stories

Reading with my kids has always been one of my favorite things. I've been adding books to our Christmas collection for almost twenty-five years now. So as you can imagine, we have quite a few. Although we don't only read them one night during the season, tonight we read several. Stella's favorites are the ones with sparkly illustrations! 

Decorating the Church

Decorating the church in preparation for the Christmas season is one of my favorite traditions. Our church is such a beautiful place already, but adding the holiday decor makes it magical. 

Gingerbread House Making

Happy December! 

When I look at my calendar for December, it is jam packed. While I love being busy, I also want to slow down and enjoy the holiday season. I'm really trying to focus on the little things that make Christmastime so special. So, let the countdown to Christmas begin!

On Friday evenings for the past several years, my kids have attended Kids Club at a church in our neighborhood. One of their favorite activities is the annual gingerbread house making. Of course, they do more finger licking and snacking on the building materials than actually building, but it is the most fun! Stella came home sticky and super sugared up. Ha! 

*A little tip for you mommas of little ones that want to do this fun activity: skip the traditional gingerbread house kits and get a small empty milk carton, graham crackers, frosting, and assorted candies. Building on the milk carton makes it easier for little ones to do on their own. Less frustration=more fun!