Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was a pretty busy day as I imagine it is for most people.  I spent the morning battling the crowds at Walmart and the grocery store for some last minute Christmas day supplies.  I came home and tossed a salad together for dinner that evening with Yaya, whipped up a quick casserole for the morning then set out to make sugar cookies with the cousins.  Making and decorating sugar cookies is an annual tradition that slipped until Christmas Eve this year.  Normally we try to make them a week or so before Christmas but ran out of time.

Of course, the boys loved creating crazy confections with the red, green and white icing.  It was like they were competing to see who could pile the most sprinkles on their cookies.  I hope it’s one of those childhood memories they will always remember.

Santa had quite a selection of lovely cookies to choose from on Christmas morning!  The highlight for me was not having to clean ground sugar cookies and sprinkles out of my carpet.  Big Red graciously took the hit this year 🙂

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My mom invited us over to have baked ziti at her house for Christmas Eve dinner.  The boys both passed out on the 5-minute car ride over to Yaya’s house.  They woke back up after J carried them inside.  I think the excitement of the holidays had caught up with them.  We had a nice time together opening a few presents, sipping some good wine and watching Christmas specials on television. After dinner we piled into our car and took a spin around town looking a Christmas lights.

We dropped my mom back off at her house then headed home to give the boys baths and make Santa preparations.  The boys each received a packet of reindeer food from their teachers.

As soon as they donned their new sock monkey jammies we all raced outside to spread the oatmeal/birdseed/glitter mix around the yard and driveway.

The last task of the night was preparing the snacks for Santa and his reindeer.  The boys were excited to  prepare the carrots, cookies and milk!

Once all the snacks were laid out on the table J and I ushered the kiddos off to bed.  Our work as Santa’s helpers had not even begun and it was well past 10 PM!

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Christmas Craft: Felt Ornament Kits

While out shopping for supplies for Wildman’s Super Mario Bros. party I stumbled upon two adorable felt ornament kits in the dollar bin at Jo-Ann Fabrics.

I put them in my cart knowing that they would save the day when afternoon boredom set in.  I was right!  The boys were looking for something to do a couple of weeks ago and the ornament kits came to the rescue.  Cutie Pie chose the gingerbread man and Wildman took the reindeer.

I set the boys up on some newspaper with a couple of bottles of white glue and let them have at it while I made dinner.  My only instructions were to keep the glue on the newspaper and try to make the kit pieces look like the package photo.  I think they did a pretty good job!  Sure the gingerbread man’s pants are upside down and the reindeer has a holly growth on its cheek but who cares?  The boys were entertained and I got to make dinner in peace 🙂

Christmas Craft: Candy Cane Reindeer

It’s amazing what half a green pipe cleaner, a couple of googly eyes and a dot of Stickles can do for a candy cane…

A goody for Cutie Pie’s classmates on their last day of school for 2009!

I’m off to wrap presents!  And bake 2 dozen star cookies for the preschool program tomorrow.  And get the car loaded with stuff to take to preschool!

‘Tis the season!