Before we get into all of our actual Christmas festivities, I want to document some of the other fun things we did during the month so I don't forget. As hard as I tried to shop and wrap gifts early so that we could sit back and just enjoy the season, it still got really busy and crazy! We had so much to do that there was little time for rest...maybe that's what we'll do in 2015.
My aunt and cousin came to visit one Friday night so we joined them for dinner at my parents' house. I didn't really take any pictures of us there, but earlier that day Katie Wynn and I went to the bakery to pick up some cupcakes and I snapped these of her in the car. She requests "her" (my) sunglasses every time she's in her car seat so she can "see better."
That night was a big one for Thomas as it was the first time he got to sit in the real high chair! This chair is the same one my brothers and I all used and Thomas makes grandchild number seven to sit in it. We had to tie him in so he wouldn't slide down but he loved sitting at the table like a big boy.
We had friends over for dinner one night and Katie Wynn absolutely loved having friends over to play with her. We brought out the big box of balls for them to play in which is always a big hit with our visitors.
What's more fun that three kiddos in the tub? Three kiddos in the tub with GLOWSTICKS!
At one point in the night they got really quiet, so I went back to check on them. I found all three kids in our master bedroom pulling out toys together. And, the evening wasn't over without one more climb into the box of balls.
The only encounter we had with Santa Claus this year was at church. There was a pizza lunch for the kids following the service one Sunday and Santa made a surprise appearance. As we waited in line to have our picture taken, I really talked it up to Katie Wynn about getting to sit in his lap and tell him what kind of presents she wanted him to bring. I also told her she'd have to be really brave so that Thomas wouldn't be scared. She was all about it. Until our turn finally came, that is... Thomas went first and just laughed and laughed at Mr. Claus.
I had to peel a screaming Katie Wynn off of me to get her to sit in his lap. Even with Thomas still laughing and having a good time, she cried and begged to be picked up. We took a family picture to show her that Santa wasn't someone to be scared of. (When KW recounted this experience in the car on the way home, she told us that she loved Santa Claus and that Thomas cried but that she did not. If you say so, sister.)
Some friends invited us to join them on a trip to the zoo to see their Christmas lights. Since it was cold out, we dropped Thomas off with my parents and just took Katie Wynn. We took our wagon for the girls to ride in and they loved it. It was perfect for the zoo!
The picture below on the right is of lights hanging over the area of the zoo where we were married. Had I known they could put lights up on these wires, I totally would've requested some twinkle lights up there on our big day! Shucks!
After a ton of fun seeing the Zoo Lights, we went out for pizza. The girls had fun admiring this little Christmas tree that was next to our table.
Katie Wynn had a Christmas party at daycare so we put together some gifts for all of her teachers. I wanted to do something stress-free (no baking! no crafting!) and I think what we came up with was both easy and super cute. We took Sonic cups, filled them with red tissue paper, added a Sonic gift card and some Christmas candy, topped them with a lid and straw, and added a cute tag that read, "Have a BLAST this holiday season!"
For her classmates, I just added a quick tag to a bag of Teddy Grahams that said, "Have a BEARY Merry Christmas!" Gotta love easy. We also made a little happy for our neighbors' mailboxes. They were a bag of Hershey's kisses and a chapstick with a notes that read, "Merry KISS-mas and CHAPPY New Year!" We added dog bones too to the neighbors that we knew had dogs.
You know, now that I think about it, I didn't hear from anyone that received any of these gifts. I hope that doesn't mean they didn't like them!
For a few days in a row, Katie Wynn got on a kick of stealing Thomas's socks off his little feet and putting them on her hands. She told her Daddy that they were keeping her hands "nice and cold." She keeps us laughing!
I posted this picture on Instagram but it's worth re-sharing. Thomas is officially crawling now but at the time this was taken, he was just scooting backwards. He was busy scooting himself around the room when he scooted himself right into a little bit of a pickle...stuck under the bed!
On the 23rd of December, we joined the Earls and Cooks for dinner. My sweet Thomas is always a good poser for pictures.
Things usually start to get a little hairy though when I add his sister in for the pics. Is there some understood sibling rule about never smiling at the same time?
Baby Henry joined them on the couch for some pictures too!
And, you know, the photoshoot was going just fine until Katie Wynn tackled her little brother.
Everett wasn't feeling up for pictures since he'd just opened up some fun new toys. It didn't take KW long to join him down on the floor. Toys are way more fun than pictures, I guess.
Here are a couple more random shots of Katie Wynn playing her version of dress up. In one picture she's dressed as Santa Claus and the other she's dressed as Thomas...turns out putting his pj pants on instead of her own is kinda hard!
On the second to last day of December, I was lucky enough to get to sleep in with both my babies. (No really, I'm not being sarcastic...they both slept til almost 8!) We had fun lazing around in bed taking pictures. By the time these were taken, Daddy had already gotten up, given Thomas a quick bottle and gotten him back asleep, gone for a run, and taken a shower! (Showoff.) My mom and I always joke about how KW looks like she's wearing a wig when her hair isn't pulled back with a bow. I can't help but be jealous of her hair.
And on the very last day of December, my little munchkin pulled up to a standing position in his bed!! This mama was not ready for this at all! Especially when, while sitting on the floor taking pictures, I realized he was leaning over to see me and was about to fall out. Woo - that would've been a major mom fail! Doesn't he just look so proud of himself in these pictures? He was able to pull up on his bumper because I sat him up in his crib. Thankfully he can't get into a sitting up position from laying down yet, so we have a few more days before we really have to lower his crib for night time.
Ok, I know I just made it through the whole month of December, but next I'll be back with four separate posts for each of our Christmas celebrations!