Christmas Eve...

On Christmas Eve, it has become our tradition to bake cookies...This year we made sugar cookies (mainly in the shapes of dinosaurs), italian anise cookies, andes mint cookies, and a new cookie/candy called almond bark that noni and nono got from the airplane magazine! They were all delicious!

That afternoon/evening, Dada came home and Joan came over. We opened a few presents from Joan and Noni, and ate dinner together. Joan brought over Omaha Steaks (filets!).

I LOVED their pajamas this year! Matching monkey jammas....we got them at Target...

Then Dada went back to Target and found a grown-up pair for me!! Mine came with a 2010 Monkey ornament...I am so excited that we will have that to remember our matching jammas with!

That night, Tyler gave Kelsi his present to her...He had been dying to do it ALL day!! He got her a basket of babies that she had picked out of a magazine....He was actually more excited to give her present to her, than to get his present FROM her! So cute!

Pure Happiness!

Kelsi got Tyler the dinosaur slippers that he saw at Old Navy! He was crying for them because Dino Dan (his new favorite show) has a pair that he wears! Tyler clealy loved his present too!

Tyler wrote his letter to Santa this year (with all of the words spelled letter by letter for him)...I absolutely LOVE this word....to me it looks like the classic child's writing...with the adorable backwards N!

Kelsi coulnd't concentrate as well yet, but she did do a quick drawing and then poured Santa his milk!

Final post of Christmas Day coming!

Up to December 23rd!

This December we watched a few Christmas movies as a family...The Polar Express, The Grinch (with Jim Carrey), and here is Barney's Christmas movie...

This year we also visited Edaville Railroad's Festival of Lights! It was our first time and it may be the last...they may be closing for good! The kids liked the train ride and the few rides that we got to go on! It was a bit chilly and was snowing (for the first time!) the whole time we were there!

When Noni and Nono arrived, we headed to LaSallette for their lights...Another cold night, but not as cold as last year's trip! Tyler and Kelsi walked around the whole place by themselves and then had a quick ride on the merry-go-round before heading home!

The next day was Noni's Birthday...they cuddled on the couch and watched The Grinch (Noni had never seen it), and then we went out to dinner for her birthday. When we got home we had a DQ ice cream cake!

Christmas Season 2010....

This year we did a lot of the traditions that we try to do every year! We attempted to cut down our own tree, but ended up at Boston Tropical when there weren't any good ones at the farm! We went with the Marder Family again this year!

 

We opened our Advent Calendars every morning...The chocolate ones...

and the square boxes! This year, there was a message in each door. It was a rhyme or a fill in the blank riddle that the kids had to solve. If they solved it, they would know the clue of where to find their special treat of the day! Many days, the "treat" was a project that we could do together or candy or a movie (like The Grinch). They loved it!

This was one of the projects...painting a decoration that then went in their playroom!

 The kids did almost all of the ornaments themselves (after Douglas did the lights!)....This was the first year that Kelsi participated and helped for the whole time!

 

We went to see Santa at Bass Pro Shops. The kids wrote Santa their list on the Bass Pro Shops Santa Paper!

Another project that the kids worked on...painting clear Grinch ornaments...Tyler loved it and it was a perfect one for Kelsi too!

Listening/watching Frosty the Snowman on YouTube...trying to learn all of the words!

More of December in the next post!

Thanksgiving North Attleboro Parade...

Every year we head to the North Attleboro Parade the Sunday after Thanksgiving. In the past we have gone with the Marders and Jeff and Sue joined us last year, but this year we went alone! The parade takes place just around the corner from our house, so we can walk over to it! It is a good 30+ minutes and tons of candy is thrown at us....This year, we filled up two lunch bags to the top! It has gotten to the point that Tyler and Kelsi know how to get the candy....They smile and wave and repeatedly yell "Hi"! I actually have to get them to lay off on the yelling...they are SO anxious to have everyone throw them more candy!

Santa is the caboose of the parade...

Shoulder rides home were requested...Everyone's legs were "SO tired"....