Christmas Eve

Our Christmas Eve is always spent going out to look at Christmas lights.  As we drive around during the month, we notice neighborhoods that have lights, so we tend to have an idea of where we might want to go on Christmas Eve.  Unfortunately, this year, we didn't stay out too long. 1--Kraig does not like the dark....no matter how much he loves the lights (and he does), he likes the dark much much less.  2) It was raining. and 3) It was cold.  Nuff said.

I didn't get many pictures, and the ones I did get were blurry or so spotted with rain drops I couldn't make out what it was supposed to be.  There were several very very nicely decorated homes.  It's always neat to see what the "theme" is for the decorations...ie one year it was the white icicle lights, another the gingerbread house trim lights, another the spiral trees and reindeer.  Often, those themes carry over from year to year.  My personal favorite this year were the kind of crystally-glowy kind of lights and the red and green decorations.  Several houses had garland around their porches or bannisters with red bows and white lights or wreaths in each window with a red bow. 

This is the one good picture I was able to get.

Then of course comes the gift wrapping.  This year, we had help, though I think that offer may be rescinded for next year.  Nina and Kyle came over to help us wrap, and they ended up doing most of it.....

It's a little blurry, but I like the glow effect.

It's hard to see in the pictures, but we went by the cemetary and turned the lights on Kyle's wreath as well.

Christmas Decorating

We usually try to decorate for Christmas the weekend of Thanksgiving, but that didn't happen this year (and frankly hasn't happened then for a few years now).  And for reasons I don't even know, I didn't get any pictures taken of the inside decorations, other than the tree.  So here is the outside of the house....

The tree.....most of the ornaments we put on anymore are either gifts or made by the children.  

You'll notice many of the ornaments are congregated near the bottom.....bet you can't guess why?

Here is Kyle's wreath for the cemetary.....

And of course, the figurine we buy each year....

And here are all the figurines so far.....from left to right:

2009 (bell with the angel boy on top)

2005 (bear with angel baby asleep on leg)

2004 (angel wings around mom in pink shirt holding baby--this is the one Chris got me while I was in the hospital, when they were born and what started the figurine tradition)

2008 (angel with boy in snowglobe)

2007 (angel hold baby boy in blue clothes)

2006 (angel holding baby boy)

Holiday Baking

Last year I made calendar bookmarks for each of my staff at the hospital...but this year I just did not have the time to do anything that aspiring.  So I made goody bags for everyone....with help from Kraig. We made Christmas shaped sugar cookies with sprinkles and frosting.  I added some chocolates and a candy cane.  I did make the tags for the cello bags.

I got the apron at my Bunco group dirty santa get together.  It's pretty cute, I think!

P.S.  I am also grateful that I did not take up cake decorating as a hobby....as much as I enjoy watching it and think I would probably enjoy doing it.....my hand was killing me about halfway through! 

Kraig's School Holiday Party (aka Christmas Party)

The last school day of 2009 was December 18.  Kraig's class held their "Holiday" Party during their lunch period, in their classroom(s). (FYI...they have their classroom, and then a sensory room and a therapy room that is shared with the other special needs classes.)



The first part of the party was a craft....they made these Christmas trees.    The bottom is a decorated can.

Her is Kraig with his teacher, Mrs. Bruce.  We sort of tricked him into taking the picture.  I asked him if I could take his picture with her, and he told me no.  So, she sat down next to him, and asked him to  tell her about his tree....I called his name so he would look up....and Voila!  He even smiled for me...  :-)

Next, they ate....

Here is the placemat each of the children had....Kraig's is still on our dining room table, he wouldn't let us put it away when we put up Christmas decorations....

Then they had their gift exchange, carried out by playing Pass the Pickle.   The pickle played music, and when the music stoppeds, whoever had it got their gift.  (Each child had to bring a wrapped book for the gift exchange.)  The funny part is, the parent sitting next to Kraig had a Christmas watch that played music....so we could never hear when the pickle stopped, because her son kept making her watch play. It was fun...and everyone got their book!

Then the class sang songs, some Christmas that they have been learning, and some everyday....

Kraig LOVES to sing (and dance), and he sang along with every song.

This was the dinosaur song...they walked in a circle, then got on the floor to "eat", then walked some more, then laid down to "rest", then walked some more, and then put their hands up like claws and roared.  I wondered where the roar had come from...he's been doing that at home.  I like this picture,though, because notice Kraig's hands are in his pockets; he's just walking nonchalantly in the circle.  Cool dude.....yes, he is!

And of course, no function is complete without a class picture....

Christmas Parade

We did it again...sat in the freezing temperatures to watch a parade that noone we know of is in.  Crazy I know, but again, it's one of those small town things you do.  We love it....and we were a little more prepared this year.  We wore layers  ( I wore two pair of socks, two pair of pants, three shirts, my coat, two pair of gloves, and my hat~~and if you know me well, you know I have to be cold to wear a hat...I HATE anything on my head!) and we had hand warmers and several blankets.  The only part of me that got cold were my hands and my face....not even my toes got cold!

The boys......

(Kraig wore his glasses from the tree lighting)

Me and Kraig

The problem with the parade is it's very hard to get any decent pictures....everything is moving, and by the time I get the camera ready, it's too late.

Christmas Tree Lighting 2009

We attended the Collierville Christmas Tree Lighting.  The tree is HUGE....but it's cool.  No real activity, other than music by a combined school choir and Santa.  But it's in Town Square, and it's just another small town feel thing.  This is Kraig and Chris in front of the tree, before it was lit.

After being lit....

Each year, there is free hot chocolate, Santa visits in the Gazebo (Kraig at first said he wanted to, but decided it was too cold to stand in line), and there are 3d glasses handed out......the lights change when you look at them with the glasses.  The first year they were snowflakes, last year they were something else, and this year, they were various Christmas shapes.  I attempted to take a picture with the glasses ove the lens, but it didn't come out very well.  You can kinda see the shapes....candy canes, gingerbread men, stockings.

Kraig in his glasses....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Kyrstyna!!

My December posts will be a little out of order...just because I want to keep the Christmas ones all together, so I'm not gonna post in chronological order.

This is Nina's birthday cookie....with all 19 candles on it.   Can't believe my baby girl is 19 YEARS OLD!!!

Blowing out the candles....with Kraig supervising to see that they all go out, of course.

This is Nina with her boyfriend, Kyle.