A Perfect Holiday Season Day

The day started out with Rehm making waffles for the family.  I love have a child old enough to do some cooking, with adult supervision, of course!  Then the kids and I were off to church for their choir practice for their Christmas performance tomorrow.  While they were practicing I used the hour to find Charlotte a Christmas dress as she did not have one and would have nothing to do with just wearing a regular Sunday dress.

 

 After choir my Bible study group and all our children met for a pizza lunch and then headed off to a local assisted living facility to sing carols.  We were only at the facility for about 20 minutes but it was so much fun.  The kids had a great time and the residents seem to enjoy us coming as well.  It was a great experience except for a very dramatic melt down over a candy cane in the parking lot when it was time to leave.  I'm blaming that on the drama level of said child and the fact that everyone was up too late last night.  I can't tell you who it was as they have asked to remain anonymous.

On the way home I stopped to get the mail.  The kids asked the question they do every time I get the mail, "Can we race you home, Mom?" I was in a good mood so the answer was "Sure!"  Unfortunately Rehm and Eliza Claire tripped over each other and fell almost immediately.  Rehm hit is knee wrong and decided to ride home with me.  The girls were determined to beat me today.

My kids have an obsession with silly faces.

And once one kid does it...

They all have to.

The afternoon was spent hanging out at home and getting stuff marked off my to do list.  Why is it every time I get something marked off, something new gets added.  I went to hang Ruby's new curtains only to find that one of the panels is the wrong length and will now have to be returned!  You know I really needed one more thing to get done this week!  Luckily I needed to buy gift certificates at Target so I can at least do both errands at the same time. 

This evening we went out to dinner at Chuy's.  Then took the kids to buy Christmas presents for each other.  To keep this somewhat affordable, the children are given a total of $10 to spend on a sibling - meaning, for example that Rehm, Charlotte and Ruby have a total of $10 to buy a joint gift for Eliza Claire.  It is a great exercise in working together and agreeing with each other and remembering to actually pick out a gift the recipient will like not just something the giver would like.  It makes for a crazy hour of shopping and switching off kids.  I know it is teaching them about a budget and I hope it is teaching them to be aware of their siblings interests as well. 

Not the best picture but it was taken with my phone and caught Ruby in mid sneeze.  We were holding up other people so I didn't have the opportunity to retake it. Notice how proud they are of their Starbucks.  This was their first Starbucks experience.

After gift giving we made a stop at Starbucks to get coffee/hot chocolate for everyone.  I has the salted caramel hot chocolate (yum!) and tried Micheal's peppermint mocha (also yum! and I don't like sweet flavored coffee, though you couldn't taste the coffee for all the mint and chocolate).  I had no idea that kids drinks were only $1.10.  For a once a year treat it was actually pretty reasonable.  We took our hot chocolate with us to view Christmas lights.  We walked our favorite cul-de-sac and read 'Twas the Night before Christmas. This year, Rehm and Charlotte helped with some of the reading. 

It was a great day.  The kind of day that is all about making holiday memories that I hope my children will one day cherish and emulate. 

It really put me in the Christmas spirit in a way nothing else has this year. 

"Happy Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!"
Jenn