Preparing for Christmas

One week until Christmas, and today was my last day of school! Our Advent has been pretty hectic, but wonderful, and hopefully the girls are feeling the great anticipation of Christ's birth. Today our beautiful Nativity finally made it out of the attic, and the Advent candles arrived last week, so it's looking a little like Christmas at our house. I love all of our Christmas traditions, and the girls seem to be enjoying them too.... 

We started Advent with a fun family evening decorating the tree and listening to Christmas music. This year the girls were old enough to really decorate the tree with only a few directions from me. I did the fragile ones and they took care of the rest with some reminders that it usually looks better when there aren't 3 ornaments on the same branch. I have so many fond memories of tree decorating with my family growing up, and I hope that my girls will some day too. 

Of course St. Nicholas arrived on his feast day with a few pieces of candy for the girls, and my mouth watered while they ate their Reese's. 

Then we made a surprisingly successful trip to visit St. Nicholas. Last year neither of the girls would sit on his lap, but look at the picture we got this year! I made a huge deal about them showing their baby sister how to do it, and man did they deliver. They happily walked up, sat on his lap, said cheese, and walked away. This is our 4th year going to this Santa at Bass Pro Shop, and he is the best. We also go on a weekday afternoon when everyone is in school... there was 1 person in front of us in line, the whole thing was free, and then we got to go visit the fish afterward. 

Some women collect shoes or purses, but I collect Advent calendars. Every year the Officer has to remind me that we don't need another one, but I always find an excuse to get a new one. We currently have 4 in our house that the girls get to do each morning. This is our new magnetic one that the girls like to use as a backdrop for their Nativity.  I'm obsessed. 

Another of our favorite traditions is the tacky light tour in our city. Every year after dinner we load up the car and spend 2 hours driving to different houses on the tacky light tour. Last night we got to do this with the girls, and they loved it! 

Tonight I'm taking the girls out individually to buy presents for their sisters, and then we are visiting family, wrapping presents, and relaxing until Christmas. It's the most wonderful time of the year!!

Feeling Grateful

Yesterday I was in a very uncharacteristic cleaning mood, and I cleaned our house and organized the girls' winter and spring clothes all day. Then last night the Officer and I went to a very fun St. Patrick's day party and stayed out way too late for this pregnant lady. So today I was completely exhausted, and the Officer had to work. Fortunately, I had a little 3-year-old angel today (and an awesome 2-year-old who likes to sleep just as much as her Mother).

they dream of a day when Mommy will let them bunk together

Belle just behaved perfectly all day today (even at Mass!), which made such a nice calm day for this sleepy Mama. When she woke up from her nap and I was still sleeping on the couch, she let me sleep. Sweet little Belle spent 30 minutes quietly sitting next to the couch reading books while I napped, and then she kept up her reading for another 45 minutes while I made dinner. Some evenings when the Officer is working during dinner and bedtime it can be difficult for me, but not today.

This was her "reading" set-up for over an hour

It's only been a few months, but 3 is such a fun age!! Of course 3 has had tantrums, whining, and arguing with her sister, but so often it is hilarious, independent, sweet and innocent..... and those are the moments I want to remember. There are days when I can't wait to put them in bed so I can collapse on the couch and have a quiet moment, but then there are days like today. Days when I look across the dinner table at 2 blue-eyed toddlers who are cracking each other up. Days when I give lots of extra kisses and super tight hugs, because I feel like my heart is going to explode with love for these 2 little girls. Days when I hope these little toddlers of mine never grow up.