A Cat's Christmas

This week Greta came across one of her books, "A Cat's Christmas", and has been singing some pretty funny cat carols this week and they all are very fitting for our cat that is full of mischief this time of year. 

One of my favorite lines: 

O Christmas tree, 

O Christmas tree!

 Your red skirt hides me perfectly...

& 

other classics like: the 9 catnaps of Christmas

& 

I came upon a catnip mouse 

& 

away at the neighbors'

& 

God rest ye sleepy, pussycats

As you can imagine the kids have been laughing..ALOT. 

It is a fun book and fits our cat perfectly. 

Happy 5th Christmas Chompers.

She Rocked It

Her first ever band concert and after playing in the band for less than two months she memorized 8 songs and kept the beat. Tonight she played the snare drum, the base drum, the bell keyboard and sleigh bells and got quite a workout moving around. It was so fun to watch and we were impressed and very proud. 

                                 Ready for the concert to begin....There she is in her Santa hat.

Sugar Diet

Honestly, how does one even try to be good when there is always nummy looking treats like this in the house. Not helpful. Not helpful at all, Greta. 

Constructing Handsome And Gretel's House

It is yearly gingerbread house decorating time and as usual these would never pass building codes...

This year we made the smaller German houses we haven't made in awhile. 

They remind the kids of the story of Hansel and Gretel or as Fieldin calls it " Handsome and Greta". 

 Every year we need more candy but less icing and not sure how that is, but we use up all the piles of candy. 

 Greta's was going to be a beach house but turned into a toy store. 

Fieldin had all kinds of sculptures and lights on his house. 

 Greta's masterpiece 

 Jeff and I made this one together 

 And Fieldin's happy house. 

 So much fun and they get better every year. Then after clean up he was back to the holidays legos. 

He Is Legal

He has his own library card now! 

He has always just used ours but now he carries his own card. 

A license to check out books. 

He was very proud and chatting away at the nice woman at circulation and telling her ALL about the pile of books he checked out. We already almost need a wheelbarrow for all the science books his sister picks out and now he is keeping pace with her. Why not? as he says "These books are free and I get them for FOUR weeks!!!!!" 

Doesn't get any better than that :) 

Tis' The Season

We are getting into the Christmas spirit around here and enjoying advent. 

 The kids enjoy finding a treasure or activity on the advent calendar every morning and getting a small chocolate out of their advent calendars. 

 We put the tree up and had fun going through the ornaments. We love our ornaments we need another tree! 

 The view from the sofa. Cozy nights with the cat resting near by. Lots of movies to watch and knitting to finish. 

The kids( and us) enjoy making holiday lego sets and creating our own. The newest addition, Santa's lodge made with bricks found in Fieldin's stash. 

 The nativity festival hundreds and hundreds of beautiful nativity scenes from around the world. Very fun tradition. 

Tis' The Season Prep

I am proud of myself, we are taking the holiday decorating slowly this year instead of our normal "get it done" attitude where we end up exhausted. It is nice to do a bit here and there and enjoy it a bit more. 

 The kids nutcracker collection...it grows a little each year and they are both a bit Type A and have to have them lined up tallest to shortest. It is pretty funny to watch their process with this. 

 They also decorated their little bedroom trees. 

 A whole new meaning to Santa is watching you and he will know if you are good or bad. Our favorite lighted santa head is watching over the kids art area. We can see him outside too, one of our favorite decorations. 

 The front porch is coming together. A swag wreath made by my aunt on the door and the deer that Jeff's grandpa made. All very special. 

It's time for holiday shaped little pizzas. 

 And time for fun holiday pics. The kids think this hilarious. Now we know what Fieldin would look like as a small ankle biter dog...