Christmas programs

 Grace's winter tumbling recital was all about color this year and each class chose a song that had a color in it and dressed to match.  Her teacher chose the Chipmunks Purple People Eater and it was the cutest routine!

 Pics with her friends from class!!!

 She thought she would get a trophy after performing and was upset until a friend grabbed a flower out of her daughter's bouquet and gave it to us.  It was so sweet but I felt bad!  She said her daughter had to go get her own bouquet this year because her dad couldn't get there.  Too funny!

 Kindergarten Christmas program...all ready to go!

 She started on the bottom row for a couple songs and then each class rotated so they took turns sitting down on the stage and standing up high on the risers.

 Best Friends!!!

 Grace's teacher whom we adore!  I love this picture!!!

Why...to the North Pole, of course!!!!

We had the most amazing time on our trip to the Polar Express!  It snowed and snowed and snowed!  The kids loved the train ride and they played and played in the snow!  It snowed before we got there and then it started again Friday night and continued ALL day Saturday!  Instead of writing too much I will just show you pictures!

 Matching plaid pajamas....we got some compliments on them!  They were $10 at Walmart!  They were perfect, classic Christmas pajamas!

 The North Pole from the train window!

 This was across from the depot.  Just a fun area for the kids to walk around and see lights!

 I took pictures of the pictures to put on here.  I loved our pictures with Santa!

 Ready to go out and play in the snow.  They spent so much time playing outside!

 The snowman they built in front of the hotel.  It was right by the driveway to welcome all the visitors!  A lot of people took pictures with our snowman and it was the hot topic with all the kids at breakfast!  They all wanted to build their own because they could see ours out the window!  Andrew and Grace thought it was awesome that everyone liked their snowman and made it their little secret that they built it! It was so tiny! I'll try to get the picture on here of the kids next to it (but I have to find my camera)!

I have more amazing pictures on my regular camera.  These are all from my phone but I think you get the idea of how  awesome the weekend was!  The kids each got a silver bell from Santa on the train and were so excited!

Elfie

Elfie will be leaving us tomorrow night until next December.  I know the kids will be very sad.  He will be leaving a note and an indoor snowball fight for the kids on Christmas morning.  Since we won't have a white Christmas I'm going to put out the indoor snowball kit that I bought and a bunch of cotton balls and possibly some snow that you use to decorate with.  Not the messy stuff but the stuff that comes on a roll.  I will definitely get some pictures and post.  Anyway, so here are a few pics from our month with Elfie. 

 The first day he left a winter wonderland breakfast of donuts and hot cocoa with a letter.

 Here he is sitting on a barbie chair reading the story "The Littlest Elf."

 Playing Candyland with some friends!

 Sitting up on top of the (ugly) ceiling fan!  Don't judge....changing the fan isn't a priority!  Although now it may be since everyone can see it.

 Playing with the remote control truck!

 Hanging out on top of the tree.

 New PJ's for The Polar Express

 Sitting on top of the mirror of our hotel in Williams, AZ.

 On a date with Barbie.  We woke up to them watching "The Polar Express"

And finally today, cleaning up the reindeer poop.  Grace thought it was really funny that the reindeer pooped on our fireplace!  We had to be a little creative since I fell asleep on the couch one night and he didn't move.  I got in big trouble for that.  Grace was so upset with me and told me to never, ever fall asleep on the couch again!

Elfie moved around every day (except the night I slept on the couch) but I didn't get pictures of him every day.  Some days he just moved to a new shelf.  Our house isn't that big to move him too many places.

Check back because I am getting ready to save a few more posts to automatically show up every other day at least.  I'm so far behind!  Still haven't posted polar express pictures or Grace's school program.  Andrew was sick for his so obviously no pictures.  He had to miss 2 days of school during the last week of festivities :(  

Have a very Merry Christmas!  I will be posting the Polar Express pics on Christmas day!

Sorry

I'm sorry for not posting more.  Our lives have been so busy and I try to take every minute I have to spend with my kiddos and husband.  I just started a new sub job last Friday that could turn into a long term (rest of the year) position.  It is at a different school than my kiddos and teachers have to be there at 7 am.  I leave around 6:40 (or earlier if I need to stop at the gas station for coffee) and David takes the kids to a friends house.  My friend gets them ready for school and gets them there on time.  It's so nice to not have to worry about the mornings.  I know they are completely taken care of.  I am done at 2 pm so I have plenty of time to get in line to pick up the kids most days.  Today it was my quiet time to go get in line and wait for them.  I went over lesson plans and got myself ready for tomorrow.  I know I am there until Christmas break which is already next Thursday.  It's a tough time to come into a classroom with the kids all hyped up about Christmas.  It just takes a little extra energy to get through the day with all the extra chatter and excitement. 

We have an elf on the shelf staying with us this month.  He flies back to the North Pole at nighttime and then shows up in a different place each morning.  Yesterday he was playing football and today he is hanging out in a stocking.  I have some pictures but forgot to take a picture a couple of the days already.  It seems like some days just disappear before I even realize it. This month is going by so fast!

Friday we are going to the North Pole!  We have tickets for The Polar Express at the Grand Canyon and I am so excited.  I've seen pictures from other people that have gone and I think the kids are going to LOVE it!  We are leaving Friday morning and driving out there and our train leaves at 7:30 that night.  Then on Saturday we are going to the Grand Canyon.  Wanna know what makes this trip even better????  The weather prediction...........SNOW!!!!  Even some flurries would make me happy!  Of course the prediction keeps changing so we'll see what really happens.  Originally it said 40% chance of snow all 3 days and now it says 60% chance on Friday for snow/rain showers, none on Saturday, and then again on Sunday!  Who knows what will actually happen!  I will definitely upload pictures and tell you all about our trip.  I'm going to take my computer and hopefully the hotel will have free wi-fi.  Well, I'm off to get the kids packed for tomorrow morning and figure out what I'm going to wear tomorrow also.  Much easier to get ready when I don't have to think about clothes!

Christmas List

Mine is very small this year.  Actually it has nothing on it because I can't think of anything I want or need.  Well, there are a lot of things I want but nothing that seems very exciting for Christmas.   I have NO idea what to get for David.  He is so hard to buy for every.single.year!!! 
Andrew on the other hand has quite the list going.  He started it a couple of months ago actually and it just keeps growing, and growing, and growing.  We have never spent that much on Christmas gifts for the kids because we have never really been able to.  Well, that has changed.  We have been using cash for Christmas this year and are still spending way too much!  David keeps thinking of more things to get Andrew and the list keeps growing.  I have a bad feeling about Christmas this year.  The kid isn't going to have enough time during his break to even attempt all the legos and wii games.  I take that back....Andrew is fast with building lego kits so those will be something he'll enjoy doing and I guess when he gets frustrated, he can go play a wii game instead. 
Grace decided yesterday to throw away her list and start over.  Let me tell you, this has given me so much anxiety.  She has decided that all she wants is a blue jump rope, a blue dress, and a blue and red desk.  I can do all of that except the color of desk she wants.  There is no way!!!  Looks like I'll be returning a few things in the next couple of weeks and trying to figure out what else to get her so it is kind of even with Andrew.  She does not want barbie stuff which makes me really sad because my mom got an awesome deal on a barbie camper last summer and it is already wrapped.  Not sure what we are going to do about that.
 I have several other people I still have to buy for and this year it is stressing me out.  I just want to be done and enjoy the month of December instead of worrying about what I am going to get people. Thankfully I'm not working much this month so I have plenty of time to figure it out.  Oh, and I have to buy a gift for the gift exchange game David has at work and also the one at Grandma's house.  Looks like we will be doing something very simple for the kids classes this year or maybe even nothing.  I'm sure I can come up with something cheap and cute for that.  
What is on your wishlist this year?

Princesses and Jedi Training

We went to Disneyland yesterday and had a lot of fun!  It was very busy but we split up (girls and boys) and did what the kids wanted to do.  Andrew isn't a fan of "It's a Small World"  and that's Grace's favorite ride so I took her for the day to do what she wanted.  We rode Small World 2 times (in the morning and then again after dark).  We got in line just before they turned on the lights.  So many Christmas lights on the outside of it!  We also watched the parade all together and rode a couple rides all together.  Grace and I stood in line to see the princesses.  They switched out just before we got there but as we say at school, "You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit!"  We also saw Merida from the movie Brave.

 Tiana

Cinderella

 Mulan

We finally went to see the Jedi Training academy (Star Wars) and Andrew really wanted to be chosen.  We were in the back against the wall and I figured they wouldn't see him, especially after a mom stood up in the front row to help her child get picked. He was jumping up and down with his arms in the air and they kept picking kids all around us and then David (wearing a bright red shirt) started pointing at Andrew and the guy called him up.  Made his day!!!!  The poor little boy in front of us didn't get picked and he was devastated.  I felt so bad for him while he sat and cried.  I'm sure Andrew would have been the same way.   Anyway, he got to go in front of everyone and be part of the academy.  He was so excited and kept turning around to smile at us.  He is so reserved about showing his emotion so the little smiles we got were awesome!  I have some video of him and a few pictures but I only took my phone with me so the pictures aren't that great.

 Here is a very blurry video from Andrew's Jedi Training.  It looks much better on my phone!

Overall it was a really great day!  We even stayed for the fireworks and found a great spot to stand and had such a great view.  It was tough getting the kids back to the car after being there for 12 hours but we finally made it and they were asleep in minutes.  Today we are just resting and recovering.  Well, David is at work today.....poor guy!

Here are some pics from the parade.

And finally a (not so great quality) picture of Grace in front of "It's a Small World"

And if you are still here after all those pictures, I can't believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we are just a month away from Christmas.  Time is going way too fast.