Preparing for Christmas

We have been busy lately preparing for Christmas.  The kids love to get the Christmas decorations out as soon as Thanksgiving passes.  Check out the elf under the glass of the table while the kids explore the Winnie the Pooh Christmas House Snow Globe.

Putting ornaments on the tree.

Trevor's favorite ornament is his Jake and the Neverland Pirates ornament.

Sarah's favorite ornament this year is Super Girl.

Austin's favorite ornament is a family tradition passed down from my Grandma.  My siblings and each of my cousins on my Dad's side of the family have one of these blocks from my Grandma.  Now, my Mom has made one for each of my kids.  It is a needlepoint block with his/her initials on the sides of the blocks, birthdate on the bottom, and a baby photo one of the sides.

 Steve took care of putting the more delicate ornaments up high.

We went to visit the Snook family to see their light show.  Check them out on Facebook at "Snook Family Lights".  Every year, they do an impressive light show set to music.  Here is a short video of the kids enjoying part of the show.  Trevor was sitting on my lap in the front seat and was dancing around like crazy, making the whole car shake.

Cold weather means time for hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows!

Last week, we had a festive week filled with 3 Christmas concerts/programs from the kids.  Sarah doesn't have one this year, but Austin had his choir concert on Tuesday, Trevor had his preschool Christmas program on Thursday morning, and Austin was in the grade school Christmas program on Thursday night.  (I got terrible photos at each program, but here are a few anyway.)

Austin's choir concert - he is in the 2nd row from the top, about in the middle.

Trevor's preschool Christmas program - so CUTE!

Austin in his part of the grade school Christmas program.  He is on the end on the left of this photo.  His grade did a great job singing!

And Austin was not only in a video of 4th graders playing Ode to Joy on their recorders, but he also got a shout out from the music director with 2 of his friends for inspiring her to show the videos like these of each grade during the program.

Trevor was a good little spectator for these concerts despite being up way past his bedtime multiple days that week (basketball game Monday night, concerts Tuesday and Thursday).

My little Trevor Elf showing me that he has checked the area and there are "0 creatures stirring" (we love the "Prep and Landing" elves).

Cookie time!  It's not Christmas 'til the cookies are made!

I spent a while making cookie dough earlier this week, then we spent most of the day Saturday baking them, frosting them, and decorating them together!

My little chefs! (Sarah's apron is definitely getting too small!)

We made just a few cookies!!

That night, Steve and I went on a date to a Broadway show at the Orpheum.  It was nice to have a date night out, despite the bitter cold weather (about -25 degree temperature without windchill!). 

On Sunday, we took the kids to Stages Theater in Hopkins to see "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." The show was great and we had a great time (despite the fire department visit/intermission outside)!

Shortly after the intermission was over and the 2nd act of the show began, the fog machine used for a special effect during the show triggered the fire alarm, which then required a complete evacuation of the building, including the entire audience full of young kids out into the coldest day of the year (around that time of day, the temperature without windchill was about -15 or so)!  We were in the balcony, so we got to be the last out and didn't end up outside for too long.  We saw the cast all come out of the back of the building through the stage door and head across the street in their costumes.  While we were waiting outside, I did run into my high school Spanish teacher Mr Judge, so that was fun.  It was an adventure, but the fire department came quickly, cleared the building, and they got everybody back inside fairly quickly to resume the show.  It seemed like about 80% of the audience returned.  We enjoyed the rest of the show and Trevor and Austin got to take a photo with the stars of the show - Rudolph, Hermey, and Yukon Cornelius!  (Sarah didn't want to participate in this photo.)

We are ready for Christmas next weekend!  The kids are off school this week and next week, returning January 3rd.  We have had some spats at home between the kids that make Steve and I agree with the part of a Christmas song that says "Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again..."  ("It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...")