Let's Go Christmas!

 After we swallowed our last bite of Thanksgiving dinner, I think we were ALL ready to start getting prepped for Christmas.  Always a wonderful and joyful season - something 2020 was really missing.  We got right to it, pulled out the decorations on Friday and the tree was up on Saturday.  Here's a random assortment of our fun season so far.

The City of Buda puts on a "Budafest" for Christmas every year and because coronavirus sucks, they couldn't do it this year.  They did put together a few things that could be enjoyed in a safe way.  We had fireworks one evening and a mini parade with a visit from Santa!

The second we got back to the house, I look upstairs and see three kids staring at me with their hands on their hips.  

Halle:  "MOM.  That was NOT Santa."  

Me:  "Uh, okay, so if it wasn't Santa, who was it?"  

Lia: "We talked about it and decided that because Santa is old, he probably isn't going to come visit this year because of the virus, so that person was just dressed up like Santa to make people feel happy.  And so little kids like Miles would maybe THINK it was Santa, but it wasn't."  

Erin: "Yep, but don't worry, we won't tell anyone."  

We invited the Kasprzaks over after school one day to make Christmas cookies and the kids had a total blast.  Halle was anxiously awaiting their arrival for a full 20 minutes by the door. 

We had just set up the train around the tree and Finley appreciated our efforts.  So sweet.  

It doesn't matter how many times I try and tell them that they are, in fact, not cats... they still climb on the table.  Ugh.

We didn't have time to do our gingerbread cookies, so the kids and pulled those out another day for our tea time before bed.  It took all their willpower not to lick and eat all the sugar right before bed, but they were successful.  As a celebration, we had cookies for breakfast the next day.

We topped off our baking marathon with gingerbread houses!  To be perfectly honest, I was terrified to do this because last time we did this was when we were in the apartment and the kids had epic meltdowns when things all fell apart.  It was not a fond memory of mine...  however, we have few more years of maturity under our belts and I thought, perhaps, we could get through it with no tears.  

Erin was meticulous, precise, concentrated.  Lia was hopped up on sugar and it was a free-for-all.  Halle had an artistic vision and was happy with her results.  It was fun!  AND!  We made it through with NO TEARS!!!   VICTORY!!

Hope you all enjoying a safe, healthy and happy season!  Let's Go Christmas!!!!!