Hello! and more countdown shenanigans...

Hi!  I hope everyone is having a great time leading up to Christmas.  We really enjoyed having Lonnie home last week and we really didn't want to send him back to work today.  But the good news is that he is not on call for Christmas so we get him home on Wednesday too.  Winning!  I officially purchased and wrapped my last present today and we are ready for Santa to come.  (Except Santa hasn't put B's table and chairs together yet!  Hopefully tonight!)  We have Christmas with my dad later today and I am really looking forward to that.  B is going to love the presents from him.  I need to catch up on the Christmas countdown so this post will be a little long.  I have just been doing so much snuggling with my honey that I haven't had time to blog.  ;)    

We may not finish all of the activities by Christmas but we will try.  Some of the activities that are left are for Christmas Eve so maybe we will finish after all.  As usual, I have changed some of these for whatever reason.  The full list is at the bottom of this post with completed activities crossed off or highlighted.  

We watched some Christmas movies one night.  I attempted to make a pallet on the floor so we could all just relax but I obviously picked a bad night for this little activity!  This is basically what happened the entire time.  

jump off ottoman, climb back up, repeat

Last year, I bought a Christmas coloring book and Blakely "colored" a page in it.  I decided to let her color a page each year, write down her age and a little tidbit about it and see how it turned out when it was finished.  This may be my favorite tradition so far.  She loves coloring right now and the hardest part was not letting her color on every page!  Ha!  

she goes back and forth using her right and left hands.

finished product

Last Friday night Blakely spent the night with GranDi.  She helped decorate her tree and B still says "GranDi pretty little tree"!  

I'm ready to go, Mom!

My mom sent this to me that night.  

I cried.  I cried my ugly cry.  I saw that picture and it hit me that my baby is growing up with my mom in the house that I grew up in.  My mom still lives there and I don't know what it was about that picture but it just squeezed my heart so much.  I am so thankful.  

We decorated a gingerbread house.  This went much better than last year!  She liked putting the decorations on but she really liked pouring them from one cup to the other.  

We made hot chocolate with a ton of marshmallows one night.  She loves marshmallows (that is what I bribed her with at the wedding) so this may have been her favorite night.  

We went downtown to get our family pictures made one morning and stopped by the life size gingerbread house.  There was a preschool class there at the same time so she was a bit distracted but still neat to see.  

One day I made cranberry apple cider (SO GOOD) so we enjoyed that while reading some new Christmas books I got for her.  She carries these books around all of the time now.

A few nights ago we went to Garv.an Gar.dens to see their display of lights.  We took my mother in law since she has never been.  The display was beautiful and we all had a great time.  I didn't get many pictures because B did not want to stay in her stroller so I was making sure she didn't get lost in the woods.  HA!  

The parade this year was on December 1st and it was about 15 degrees outside.  So I decided real quick that we would be skipping that one.  My Grand turned 78 and her sister (Aunt Jerry) turned 90 on December 19th!  We went to a birthday lunch for them and B was very excited about it.  She talked about birthday party and cake all morning.  She even took an early nap because I told her she had to be rested to celebrate.  Worked like a charm.  She was so sweet the whole time and had such good manners.  I was very proud of her.  You never know how a sit down lunch at a restaurant will go when you have to be there for over 2 hours.  She was a trooper!  

Beautiful ladies!!!  (Aunt Jerry on left and Grand on right)

One other thing we did was give gifts to her teachers.  I forgot to take a picture but we got them gift cards to the book store.  B said over and over that she wanted to get them books for presents.  So I just went with that.  I also baked and sent them a bunch of treats with the gift cards.


We are planning on driving around to look at Christmas lights tonight on the way home from my dad's house and I am really looking forward to that.  Merry Christmas Eve Eve!!

1.  Go to a Christmas Parade. (changed to go to birthday party for Aunt Jerry and Grand)

2.  Go to Garvan Gardens and see the lights.

3.  Make some treats for some special people.  (Can't be too specific!)

4.  Fill a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child

5.  Open an early Christmas present

6.  Make a pallet on the living room floor and watch Christmas movies. 

7.  Make hot chocolate (with lots of marshmallows) and sit by the fire.  (NO TV) (oops...we watched a movie!) 

8.  Make a Christmas craft for family.

9.  Decorate Blakely's Christmas tree.  

10.  Go to the Arlington and see the life size gingerbread house. 

11.  Color another page in her Christmas coloring book and date it. (same book from last year)

12.  Daddy/daughter date night.  

13.  Spend the night with Gran Di. (because we all know she will have fun Christmas stuff for      B to do!)

14.  Get pictures made with Santa. 

15.  Decorate cookies and leave them out for Santa

16.  Read 'Twas The Night Before Christmas.

17. Do three random acts of kindness

18. Make a red and green lunch or dinner.  

19. Cut out snowflakes and decorate the windows with them.  Changed to make felt tree

20. Decorate a gingerbread house.  

21. Make a pine cone bird feeder.  

22. Make apple cider and read Christmas books before bed

23. Drive around to see Christmas lights.  

24. Make or pick out gifts for her teachers.  

25. Go to a Christmas event (Santa story time or Christmas craft) at the library.

I posted about the items crossed off the list HERE.  

Countdown update!

Since we have marked a few things off of the countdown I thought it was time to do a little catch up.  

I posted the full countdown list here but I also added it to the bottom of this post as well with some of the activities marked off.   

We sent a shoebox for O.peration Chr.istmas Child.  Blakely went with me to pick out all of the toys to put in our shoebox.  I explained to her that we were going to send some toys to a little girl who didn't have any toys.  She said "me sad" and did really well picking things out.  When we got home and started packing up the shoebox, well, that was another story.  She wanted to play with everything and was saying "me new toy"!  So yeah, we are working on that.  But all in all it went well and I am glad we did it.  I think we will do something else similar this month too.  And I have no pictures of this one...I was too busy making sure she did tear open all of the stuff!  

We decorated Blakely's Christmas tree.  2 things come to mind when I see these pictures.  One is that this child has grown up so much in a year!  

And two is that she needs a bigger/better Christmas tree.  After Christmas I will be hitting up Hob Lob to get a new one for her!  

We also painted some ornaments to give to family members.  I don't think I have mentioned this but my girl is obsessed with painting.  OBSESSED.  They paint occasionally at school and now that is all she talks about.  I swear she would have sat in her chair and painted all day long.  You should have seen the struggle it was to get her to go take a bubble bath....her second favorite thing to do.

During her nap one day I decided to make her a felt Christmas tree.  I was going to have her cut out snowflakes and decorate the windows with them but I quickly found out that she can't be trusted with scissors juuuuust yet.  Also, I have a ton of felt in my craft closet so it was easy peasy to whip this right up.  She thinks it is awesome and plays with it every day.  I highly recommend doing this with your littles!  

We have also made pine cone birdfeeders.  She wasn't all that interested in this but I think it was because I had it all set up for when she woke up from her nap.  She was still a bit cranky and only wanted to eat the peanut butter!  She really loves checking to see if we have any birds though.  So far we don't but my mom said it can take up to a week for the birds to find new feeders.  We shall see.  

sneaky grin...

She is really enjoying the Christmas activities.  I have a bunch set up for this week.  I don't do one a day I just do one when we can.  Lonnie is off next week so I am saving quite a few things so we can do them as a family.  This time of year is just magical and I can't help but walk around with a smile on my face.  I am so lucky.  

1.  Go to a Christmas Parade.

2.  Go to Garvan Gardens and see the lights.

3.  Make some treats for some special people.  (Can't be too specific!)

4.  Fill a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child

5.  Open an early Christmas present

6.  Make a pallet on the living room floor and watch Christmas movies. 

7.  Make hot chocolate (with lots of marshmallows) and sit by the fire.  (NO TV)

8.  Make a Christmas craft for family.

9.  Decorate Blakely's Christmas tree.  

10.  Go to the Arlington and see the life size gingerbread house. 

11.  Color another page in her Christmas coloring book and date it. (same book from last year)

12.  Daddy/daughter date night.  

13.  Spend the night with Gran Di. (because we all know she will have fun Christmas stuff for      B to do!)

14.  Get pictures made with Santa. 

15.  Decorate cookies and leave them out for Santa

16.  Read 'Twas The Night Before Christmas.

17. Do three random acts of kindness

18. Make a red and green lunch or dinner.  

19. Cut out snowflakes and decorate the windows with them.  Changed to make felt tree

20. Decorate a gingerbread house.  

21. Make a pine cone bird feeder.  

22. Make apple cider and read Christmas books before bed

23. Drive around to see Christmas lights.  

24. Make or pick out gifts for her teachers.  

25. Go to a Christmas event (Santa story time or Christmas craft) at the library.

First, a Christmas Countdown catch-up

I have to say that Christmas with a toddler might be the best thing ever.  I know that it will only keep getting better but it was pretty damn amazing this year.  

Before I post about what we did Christmas Eve/Day I wanted to finish up the Christmas Countdown.  I changed a few more things again and we came pretty close to completing all 25!

I made some sugar cookies one night.  I bought the icing in pouches because I thought maybe B could squeeze it out better.  Well she just though they were HER fruit and veggie pouches!  She was trying so hard to suck out that icing!  

One night we met Daddy at Crack.er Bar.rel for dinner.  They had a bunch of ornaments there so we picked one out while waiting.  Lonnie and I have been getting each other an ornament every year we have been married.  I forgot to take a pic of the ornaments but here are my loves at dinner!

Earlier that day I had put together a gingerbread house for her to decorate.  When we got home from dinner I set everything up for her.  She loved this so much.  I really think it was her favorite.  She liked taking the candy off and putting it back in the bowl the most.  I didn't like this one AT ALL.  The frosting was like toothpaste texture and hardened like cement.  The clean up was horrid.  But she had fun so that was good ;)

We didn't have the opportunity for daddy/daughter date night.  The night I had set up for that was my girlfriend Christmas pajama Pinter.est party but Lonnie had something else going on that night.  So I changed date night to go to a Christmas party!  She stayed up late and hung out with the girls.  She definitely entertained us!

I changed the make french toast for dinner to go to lunch with Grand and Aunt Jerry for their birthday lunch!  I just wasn't ever in the mood for french toast so I nixed that idea.  But we did go to lunch for Blakely's great-grandmother's 77th birthday and her great aunt's 89th birthday!  We had a great time although I think B thought the party was for her.  

Theeeeeeeeeeeeen we met Santa.  It did not go well.  

She is totally giving Lonnie the lip in this one.  

I think she would have been ok if Santa hadn't screamed HO HO HO in her face right before I handed her over to him.  I wanted to kick him.  But I love these pictures so much so I'm kinda thankful :)  

Last year I made a footprint Christmas tree for family.  I wanted to do it again this year but a little different.  This time I made reindeer.  Let's just say it was easier last year!  It took a bit of bribing for her to not run off and get brown paint all over my house.  

We went to Gar.van Gard.ens to see their Christmas display of lights.  We have been a few times and even went last year when B was tiny.  They add new stuff each year.  This year they added this huge tree.  The lights lit up with the songs that were playing.  It was great.  B was completely and totally mesmerized by it.  She didn't want to leave!

We marked a couple of things off of the countdown on Christmas Eve.  First up was opening a gift from Mommy.  It was her Christmas pajamas!

And just for comparison, here is me with my girl in her Christmas pajamas last year!

Not gonna lie...kinda teared up seeing that.  

We never really had a good night to drive around to look at lights.  Also, Blakely falls asleep in the car so driving around to "see" anything wasn't going to happen.  So I changed it to look for Rudolph with Grand Cousin Jan.  Jan to always take me, my brother, and our cousin Trent outside on Christmas Eve to do this.  I remember doing it every year and we have pictures from every year.  It was so much fun so I wanted her to do that with Blakely!  

The last thing we marked off the Christmas Countdown was read my Grand's copy of Twas the Night Before Christmas.  Her parents gave her this book when she turned one year old on December 19, 1935!  She has now passed it on to B and it is so special.  

OH!  Can you believe I forgot to leave milk and cookies out for Santa?  Grrrr....  He still showed up so that is good ;)  At the last minute I changed that to HAVE A WHITE CHRISTMAS!!  I live in Arkansas...I have never had a white Christmas.  It was awesome and beautiful!  

checking out the snow with Gran Di.  

this was actually the next morning looking off of my back deck

All in all I am so glad that I did the countdown.  I had to play catch up a few times but I'm thinking 22/25 is pretty good!  Here is the original list with the completed items crossed off.  

1. Decorate Blakely's tree.
2. Have a daddy/daughter date night.  Changed to attend a Christmas party!
3. Decorate cookies.
4. Go see the lights at Gar.van Gar.dens.
5. Sit outside by the chimenea one night.
6. Meet Santa and have B's picture made.
7. Go to a Christmas Parade.
8. Go see the life-size gingerbread house at the Arl.ington H.otel.  
9. Watch the How the Gr.inch stole Christmas (animated version, although I love the Jim Car.rey version!).
10. Read my Grand's 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.  She gave it to B last Christmas and it was hers when she was little so it has been around a while.  
11. Have a Christmas movie night.
12. Pick out a Christmas gift for some special friends and send them.  
13. Pick out some of B's toys and donate them.
14. Get in the car and drive around to see the lights.  Changed to look for Rudolph!
15. Make footprint craft to give to family as gifts.
16. Shop for a special ornament for Daddy.
17. Open a present.
18. Make hot chocolate, sit indoors by the fire, and listen to Christmas music.
19. Decorate a gingerbread house.
20. Mommy and Daddy date night while B stays the night with Gran Di for the first time.    
21. Do a Christmas craft.  I think this is going to be decorating an apron for her to wear when we decorate cookies.  
22. Cut out snowflakes..errrrr, color a Christmas tree!
23. Leave milk and cookies for Santa.  Have a WHITE CHRISTMAS!
24. Color one page in a Christmas coloring book and date it.  I hope to continue this as a tradition. 
25. Make french toast for dinner and eat chocolate for dessert.   Changed to go to Grand and Aunt Jerry's birthday lunch!

If you are interested:

I blogged about numbers 1,7, and 21 here

I blogged about numbers 9, 11,12, 13, 20, 22, and 24 here

Blakely's First Christmas