'Tis the season...

to get ready for Christmas!

I love this time of year!  Did I say "love" because I mean I love this time of the year.  I think I love it more now because not only is it warm, cozy, think of others season but it's the time of year when I had my baby Mabel.  I've thought a hundred times about what I was doing last year at this time. Good memories and still making good ones.  So we got the house FULLY ready for Xmas by Sunday night including the outside lights which is Ryan's least favorite thing to do but I make him do it anyway.  I love opening the boxes and the smell of Christmas is back instantly.  I am usually anal about decorating the tree but since the kids are older, they got to put the non breakable ornaments around the bottom.  Ryan still doesn't get to decorate :) They had a blast.  Auntie Jacqui was here to help so she had to rearrange because the kids put all the ornaments on the same branches so it was "a little heavy on the decor".  We started some traditions last year which we will continue this year...those being; we put away all Christmas books the minute Christmas was over last year.  We pulled them out this year and they had so much fun reading the books.  Their favorite...T'was the night before Christmas because Grandmommy gave it to them with her voice reading it.  Jeremy came running in and yelled, "grandmommy says she loves us" when the book ended.  He's listened to that page over and over.  Another tradition is that after dinner and bath, we load up in the car and drive around looking at Christmas lights before bed.   They would warn each other when lights were coming.  Jeremy would say, "Amelia, lights are on your side" and she would then say, "Jbird, your side".  Back and forth the whole 45 minute drive.  Yes, time flies and it's fun so why not.  Mabel just sits in the middle.  Some traditions to look forward to are Candy Cane Lane, Gingerbread houses, Grandmommy's peppermint sticks, Santa visiting Westchester, Griffith Park Lights, advent calendars from Oma and Opa, more driving to look at lights, J picking a present for A and A picking for J.  I think they've already asked 100 times when they can open the calendars.  Jeremy spent all of his "quiet time" with me :( finding every number so it wouldn't take too long on the actual day.  Sorry for the long post but I want my kids to read this and laugh some day.