Early in December we attended our ward's Christmas party. It was a Polar Express themed-breakfast and hot chocolate bar. The decorations were fantastic! I appreciated that Santa didn't make any appearances, but instead they brought the event to a focus on Christ's birth.
That evening was Westfield's "Christmas in Lights" event. I decided we should go after it had already been going on for a while (Ezra must have had a good nap that day), so we got there rather late. But we still got to see most everything!
I was the Room Mom for Eli's class and planned the 3 holiday parties. One of the activities at the Christmas party was "Snowman, Snowman, Where's Your Nose?" I love planning the parties and the kids always had great fun!
This game was a Snowball Toss.
Every grade at the elementary school has one special musical program in the school year. For 2nd graders it's a Christmas program. The theme was "Christmas Around the World," and all of the classes had special numbers of traditional Christmas songs from different countries. Eli and the other students sure worked hard preparing for it! Months of practicing the singing, dancing, speaking parts, playing instruments, learning stage placement, etc. He was so excited about it! We were really glad that both sets of grandparents could also attend the performance with us. It was festive and lively and very well done! Mrs. Edwards was a fabulous Music Teacher. (She retired at the end of the year, along with most of the other Specials teachers.)
Round One of Christmas was with the Hayes side.
I got such a kick out of Clara trying on her Uncle Josh's humongous boots. :)
We always celebrate a "pre-Christmas" at home before heading to my parents for the real deal. It was a happy "Christmas" morning! The kids were ecstatic for their presents!
Eli received a safe that he was hoping for!
Clara received several new workbooks and sticker sets. I love the picture of Ezra in the background. He was completely engrossed in a musical book we gave him.
The biggest moment of all--Clara opening Ikea! Backstory: Over a year earlier, we were at Ikea and Clara came upon a huge stuffed dog that she played with and fell in love with. She asked to have it, and we said no, but she hoped to get it for Christmas. (I hoped she'd forget about it because I didn't really want to have a stuffed animal that big.) After Christmas last year she brought it up that she didn't receive it. I felt pretty bad and made sure not to make the same mistake again this time!
Video of opening presents:
Video of going through stockings:
We spent Christmas Eve and day at my parent's. We acted out the Nativity story and took part in other favorite traditions. Ezra made a darling shepherd!
Clara ravished her role as the angel. :)
Eli was prepared to spot Santa with his new night vision goggles!
Christmas morning!
Ezra mostly just cared about the yummy things he could put in his mouth. :)
Eli was pretty excited for his first boogie board.
It's always a pleasure to watch the kids enjoy playing with/using their new gifts!
This Christmas season one of the books we checked out at the library was A Small Miracle by Peter Collington. It is a wordless picture book, but the story is so tender that I could never "read" it to the kids without tears in my eyes. It was their favorite book and we kept it for the whole month. (Then later in the spring Ezra found it on a library shelf and we checked it out again!) It teaches such wonderful values and brings in the true meaning and purpose of Christmas.
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