Our Christmas

So it has came and went, what a whirlwind! I do love this time of year, and almost get depressed when it comes to an end. We really had a wonderful Holiday Season. We spent the afternoon of Christmas Eve at Grandpa & Nana's (Jeff's Dad & his wife). We have been doing this traditions ever since Jeff and I started dating 20 years ago. Now it is so great that we have Kim, Paula's daughter to celebrate with us, we love her! Then that evening we had our annual Christmas Eve Celebration at our home. We had about 25 people over. This is mostly my Mom's side of the family. My mom has 7 brothers and sisters Jeff's mom,dad and Paula come, and some very close friends who really are family. We always have mexican food. We had a great time, lots of food and good conversation! Christmas Day morning we spend as a family having breakfast and opening our gifts. Then later my mom and Jeff's mom and brother come over and we open presents and have lunch. I must have been naughty this year because Santa brought me the cold/flu from HELL! Started feeling under the weather Christmas Eve night and by Christmas Day it was all down hill...... Anyway, finally feeling a bit better today. Sam was so excited to see that Santa had brought O'Bear some uniforms. I seriously think that was one of his favorite things! Santa brought him a bike. He hasn't wanted one yet. He tells me this is why, "How do I stay up, and when I fall I will hurt myself!" He is very concerned for safety, seriously. If he spots some one's garage door open, he gets very upset, and says we should go tell them, etc....... But he is doing good on his bike and the fear is pretty much gone. The dogs are running for their lives! I bought Jeff and Sam a Wii. I am loving hearing them laughing hysterically while they are playing. Here are some pics of our time. I am so happy to be able to spend this time with everyone, and can't wait until next year! We hope you all had a wonderful time making memories with your family as well!

Buon Capo d'Anno! (Happy New Year in Italian)

Yum!

Tonight we made our special cookies for Santa! They are my favorite ever! We used to make them when I was little.... oh what memories.....

Granny hard at work!

So excited

Get it just right!

Sprinkle, sprinkle!

Merry Chirstmas

So it is almost here! We are exited and ready for the day! Today we are going to make cookies with Granny in preparation for Santa. Sam is very excited. I am as well. I am so looking forward to spending a magical time with my family, immediate and distant. It seems to reconnect us all with our loved ones and create special memories. It does seem it is easy to get caught up in all of the Christmas Chaos that is really what Christmas IS NOT about! I hear so many people say the will be glad when it is over. That makes me sad. I look forward to this all year long. Due to the immense marketing and advertising during the season, the real meaning of Christmas is often lost. People nowadays equate the holidays as a time of gift giving and receiving. Although this is not a bad thing, it is also a very materialistic point of view which is magnified by the major advertising that shows the holidays as a time when the tree is full of presents and people are happy to receive boxes left, right and center.
The true meaning of Christmas is actually how a person understands the season. Some people who only understand that the holidays is a time in which one spends money to buy gifts will always be stuck in this rut for as long as he believes in it.
Christmas is actually a representation of the love we universally feel for mankind. Christians have always believed that it is a celebration of the birth of Christ and the renewal of our belief in God and Christianity.
The most important thing to remember when you’re thinking about Christmas is that it’s not just about presents or Santa Claus or singing carols. Christmas marks a very important historic event. You can read the actual Christmas story in Matthew or Luke in the Bible, and maybe this Christmas you can think about the holiday in a slightly new way.
So although it is so much fun opening presents, shopping, and all that goes along with it, remember the true meaning of Christmas.
Merry Christmas!

Preschool Christmas Party

Jeff, my Mom and I went to Sam's Preschool party Friday. They sang us 3 songs. One was The 12 Days Of Christmas. They each had their part. Sam picked the 12th day. He was so excited for the party and practiced his songs for weeks. But, when it was time for them all to be on stage he changed his mind! He wouldn't sing and was just not happy. He told me later that day, "Mommy, I didn't like that the grown-ups were laughing at the kids when we were on stage!" This is in his grumpy man voice..... I said, "Honey, we weren't laughing, everyone was just having fun, I am sorry you felt like that." He is just so wise and sensitive. He thinks everything over, and over and contemplates everything. His little mind is just so full.
But back to the party. They made us all a homemade ornament and wrapped it themselves. They made reindeer food and the mailman delivered them each a letter from Santa. They then had their gift exchange. Miss Hilary reads The Christmas Curious George and every time she says, "George" they pass their gift to next child. When the story is over they open the gift they are left with. The reindeer hats they made were made out of their hand prints and they had their Rudolph noses on. They were simply adorable!

Sam's fave

Has anyone else started watching Sid The Science Kid on channel 8? We started watching it a coupe of months ago. It really is a great show! The music and everything on it is fun, and it is educational! Sam loves science so this is right up his alley! They have a fun website with games as well.

http://pbskids.org/sid/index.html#/gameIndex


Each week's episodes are built around a single scientific theme or concept. Scientific tools and concepts such as charts, observation, estimation, and measuring. Also it focuses on changes and transformation including decay, growth, freezing and melting, and the effects of heat. And on the senses and health.

Check it out!

The Wishing Place

Sam does not want to go see Santa. Can't blame him, I didn't when I was a kid either. It's like you tell you Kids not to talk to strangers etc., then you make them go sit on some dude's lap. So he told me he didn't want to see Santa, but he was going to "Wish for what he would like Santa to bring him." I said okay, how do you want to do it? So there is the Mexican restaurant we go to that has a water fountain that you toss money in and he always does and makes a wish. He wanted to go there. We go, and the fountain is drained! OMG! Sam was heart-broken! Me too, I felt so sad for him. So we just made a special wish and he did write a letter. I am certain he will get most of what he is wishing for. Well, except for the T-Rex Quad!

Okay, I am over it now!

What do you mean it is drained!

So excited in the car on our way to the wishing place

To wrap, or not to wrap?

That is the question? Does Santa wrap his presents that are under the tree or not? I believe we wrapped Sam's last year?? But if I remember right, my gifts from Santa were not wrapped?

Oh, another question! Sam has just been introduced to The Cartoon Network. I don't let him watch a lot of stuff, so I don't know about this. He seems to love Tom & Jerry and Scooby Do. Laughs his butt off. I just don't know if they are appropriate for a 4 year old??? I am probably too protective about the TV thing I suppose.

he has been using the word 'stupid' and I hope it is not from these shows? Although I think it is from one of the children at preschool. So we need to nip that in the bud!

Anyway, just wondering..... you can e-mail me. I don't think my blog is set up for comments on it directly.

Note to self, "Never do that again!"

I had my eyes dilated today for the first time. Had no idea it would be that bad! I could not stand it! It freaked me out! It took about 4-5 hours before I was back to normal again. Jeff called me and I couldn't even see on my phone who was calling, couldn't even read my watch, or see what money I had when I was checking out! Crazy! So I will never do that again unless very medically necessary. I don't think I have ever truly had an eye exam, Jeff either, so we made appointments. He told me how it was, but I didn't think it would be so bad, wrong! But we both have 20/20 vision so all is well. So be warned, if you have never had this done!

Wildlife World Zoo

 
 
 
 

We went to the zoo today and had such a peacful day. The weather was wonderful! I promised Sam I would take him since we coudn't see the lights that night. And come to find out they are NOT doing the Christmas lights this year due to additions to the zoo!! So anyway, we had a great day!

Good To Know

So last night we were so excited to go to The WildLife World Zoo and see the holiday lights. We went to dinner and headed over. We drive up and, I am thinking to myself, "Hmmm it is pretty dark around here for all of the lights!" It was CLOSED! Come to find out it is only on Fri, Sat, and Sun nights! So there ya go.... I could have sworn that I read it was open nightly, nope! So don't be like me and just head out without checking hours. It was kind of that kind of day for me, should have known..... SO we will try again!

Holiday Hustle!

I am so enjoying this time of the year! I always do, but it seems each year with Sam it is just more exciting, magical and fun! He is full of questions and wonderment. I love enjoying this all through his eyes. He asked me recently if Santa has the same kind of magic that I have! We have one of those advent calendars that is wooden and has little compartments for each day of the month. And I told him one morning before Preschool that I had a feeling that Santa's elf' would be making a stop and possibly putting some goodies in it. So, when he got home I had it filled. The first thing he did was run to it and check it out. He was so excited and thought it was so nice that they came all the way here before Christmas to do that!

We are busy, busy with preparations, shopping, parties, and Holiday events. Which is all part of the fun! We went to the Polar Express, and Deer Farm, decorated the house. Tomorrow we are going out to buy a new tree! We have had a real tree for many years and I told Jeff I really wanted one of those pre-lit trees this year. So he was trying to surprise me and went to Costco today to buy me one and they were out of them! Bummer! So I will be looking tomorrow. Yesterday me and the girls went to The Tempe Art Festival and did some Christmas shooping. That is so much fun! We are either going to Glendale Glitters tomorrow or The Wildlife Worls Zoo Nights. I am hoping to do something Christmasy like that each week. We have already decided what kind of cookies we are baking for Santa. He will be treated to homemade sugar cookies with homemade frosting! My mom's recipe that we always made. We have a party to go to every weekend until Christmas, wow!

I am a little bummed that we don't have a good picture of the 3 of us for our Christmas card though. So we decided on one from our trip to the Deer Farm with just Sam. We will get those out this week! Sam is excited to put the stamps on the envelopes!

I want to go to that Holiday light event that is off of the 101 and 75th Ave?? Don't know what it is called? But I believe you drive through it? If anyone has the details let me know please.

I am also preparing for our big Christmas Eve Celebration. We have all the family over. Jeff's family, mine and some close friends. It ends up to be about 30 people! So I have a lot to do to get that all together. But it is a great time! We always have Mexican food so the cooking isn't too terribly time consuming.

So I may get a bit behind on the blog, but it is only because we are enjoying this magical time of the year. We hope you are as well!

Christmas Pasts
2007 - 3.5

2006 - 2.5

2005 - 1.5

2004 - 6 months

Does the bell still ring for you?

It does for me!

The Polar Express is a nighttime trip from Williams through the starlit wilderness to the “North Pole.” Along the way, we are treated to a special reading of The Polar Express while enjoying hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies.

Once at the “North Pole” - a Christmas light village featuring an Aurora Borealis - Santa Claus and his reindeer welcome passengers before boarding the Polar Express for the return trip to Williams. After boarding the train, Santa makes his way through the train greeting every child and presenting each one with a special gift - a jingle bell signifying their belief in Santa Claus.

We went to Williams last Monday and Tuesday for our annual magical adventure to the North Pole! This is one of my favorite things ever to do! it restores that feeling of magic that Christmas should in all of us. All I can say is it is magical, and we will continue this tradition for as long as we possibly can.
The true spirit of Christmas lies in your heart.

Deer Farm

We went to the Deer Farm in Williams on our way to The Polar Express last Monday. We went last year and we just love it! I love animals and it does my heart so much good be around any and all animals. I adore these creatures. They are so sweet. The deer eat from your hand. They have peacocks, miniature horses, camels, donkeys and REINDEER! We just wander around and marvel at them all. Sam loves to look at the pigeons they have there. He loves birds???!! These pigeons have crazy little feathers on their feet! We think he loves birds because they are descendants of dinosaurs, who knows! But we had a great time!

Thanksgiving with Miss Hilary's Preschool

Sam's Preschool had a Thanksgiving celebration. We all met up at a park and everyone brought a side dish to share just like with the pilgrims and Indians on the first thanksgiving. Miss Hilary cooked up 2 turkeys! It was such a nice afternoon. The kids made pics of what they were thankful for and Miss Hilary put them all in one big book, you can see it in the last photo. We then all had to stand up as a family and tel everyone what we were thankful for. Miss Hilary gives everything she has to these kids and makes every day special, we are thankful she is in our life!

Rolling down the hill...

Sitting down to the feast

All the "thankful" cards together.