Putting up the Christmas Tree

Tonight we decorated for Christmas.  It was SO MUCH FUN!!!  Abby and Isaac put all of our family ornaments on the tree, plus a few of the crocheted snowflakes from our wedding.  We recorded most of it, but it was fun to see how they both approached it so differently.  Abby wanted to get them on the tree and rush back to get another one as fast as she could.  And she wanted all the pretty ones (like - don't hand me that plain old crocheted snowflake, mom - I want the PITTY one!).  Isaac meticulously and methodically hung each one he received and then came back and asked calmly, "Nother one, please, Mommy - nother one, please."  And if he hung one that didn't hang "just right" - he took it back off and hung another one.  Towards the end, he had four or five snowflakes hanging on the same branch.  I guess he just really liked how they hung there!  I am hopeful that having them take control of decorating it will minimize their interest in touching and taking down and moving the ornaments later.  We'll see.

I also had some window stickers that I bought last year and we put those up on the glass door in the kitchen.  Again, it was really a fun distraction/perfect activity for two two-year-olds.

And isn't it amazing the difference a Christmas tree will make?  Even our small one that my mom thankfully loaned us from our wedding reception.  It's simple and has pre-hung lights attached to it, but it is perfect!  I am amazed that there is a completely different feeling in our home/living room whenever I look at it.

I also moved our kitchen island into the entry-way and put our nativity set on it on a cream table cloth.  And I FINALLY finished the advent calendar my sisters and I started making last year (more to come, including ideas for things to do with young children).  I'll have to post some pictures once we get it hung up.  But it looks SO AMAZING - and we made it ENTIRELY from scratch!!!

Incidentally, if you want to do an advent calendar but don't have a lot of time or money, my friend made one that I WISH WISH WISH I had seen last year, because it is about ten thousand times easier (and cheaper, even shopping sales with extra coupons and discounts) than the one I made!  Hahahahahahha!   Anyway, for a picture and tutorial, go here.

I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving.  We went to Dave's supervisor's house.  It was so wonderful!!!  They have five kids and their entire house is like a toy store -- except you can actually PLAY with ALL the toys!!!  Isaac didn't want to leave.  He cried and cried when we took him away.  I guess we'll have to drive to Rosamond to have play dates.  It would be great for all of us, I think!!!  I also met another girl with whom I really could relate and I think we could be really great friends!  If only they didn't live in Rosamond. :)

Oh, and if you attempted Black Friday sales, I hope you had as much fun/success as we did.  We have a tradition of buying the kids an ornament that represents something from that year (and we have a Christmas journal in which we write down what they got and why) and we also give them each a book and then one more gift.  Stockings are for oranges, nuts, and small pieces of candy (and Dave likes to do wool socks as well!).  This year, we found glass airplanes for like $2.50 a piece after all the sales and extra discounts.  NICE!!!  We bought one for every one of us to represent our first Christmas at Edwards.  I also bought some of the charity Dr. Seuss books at Kohls for my kids.  For only $5 a piece, it was a STEAL!!!  And with that, we're giving them some presents we bought last year for their third gift of Christmas (like the wise men's three gifts -- get it?) and our shopping is officially done!  I also got the rest of Dave's Christmas present, but I can't write about that yet.  Now to finish making Grandma and Grandpa gifts!

I love this time of year!!!