Merry Christmas!

December 25, it is here already. Merry Christmas! The girls had fun, Andy had fun and I had fun. It was a magicial year. With great excitement and happy eyes and smiles and oh my goshes! Avery woke up and was feeling okay and excited. I was relieved. It was an awesome morning with presents and breakfast. The girls loved the stuff Santa brought and there were even a few surprises.



After breakfast we went to my parents house with my brother and his family. My grandma even dropped by for a visit. It was a great day.

Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve the house was a flurry of activity. We had our neighbours in for drinks and snacks and then we had my parents over for raclette. We were also getting the last minute stuff done for Christmas. It was a busy day. Avery was acting a little weird all day and ended up doing this while we had dinner.

She fell asleep before dinner, had a fever and I put her to bed around 7. She missed out on all the Christmas Eve festivities including her favourite dinner. I was so sad for her and was worried that Christmas would be ruined. On the other hand, Meredith was totally into everything. Her eyes were twinkling with excitement. She wrote this note for Santa, put out the cookies and sprinkled the reindeer food on the front lawn. We read Twas the Night Before Christmas and she was in bed. No wrapping for me this Christmas Eve - a first.

We Got Elved!

We had fun making this clip morning. The kids and I were laughing so hard.

December 22

I was finishing up my shopping today and I can report that I have one little gift left to buy. I always like to get a couple of things close to Christmas day - it gets me into the mood. Crazy I know but I love being out when people are excited about Christmas. What I have bought is mostly wrapped. This is impressive for me - I am always wrapping on Christmas eve - not this year. I have a list of things that still need to get done but it is definitely doable! Each year I give my parents and my grandma's a calendar with some pictures of the girls. I am just finishing up some printing tonight. The picture below is the cover. I love looking at my favourite pictures of the past year. I am going to incorporate this into a layout this year. Until tomorrow - good night!

Schools Out - Yippee!

These were the words out of Avery's mouth when I was taking this picture. She is so excited to be off school. It will be great for her to have a break.

When I went in to clean up the living room tonight this piece was sitting on the table. It is so exciting to see Avery's development in writing and attempting to sound out words without help. Look at that drawing, compared to last year it is so different and detailed. I am so impressed. Continue to be creative everyday Avery.

Cookie Decorating

Yesterday afternoon I baked sugar cookies all afternoon. It is Avery's turn to take a treat into her class and Meredith wanted some for her class too. After school they did the decorating. I think that I ended up making 5 dozen. Hope they enjoy!

Packages Tied with String

Okay so it is raffi! Two of the little boxes I made for my homemade fudge. These packages went to the office and library ladies at the school. Big thank you out to them for all they do.

Christmas Projects

Well I finished off the last of my Christmas projects last night. I have accomplished so much, I completed 7 projects. I even started early this year. I usually leave it to the end and everything that I want to get done doesn't get done. Just giving myself a little pat - YEAH!

Winter Wonderland

We have alot of snow. Yesterday it was still falling. Everything looks so wintery and wonderful. Don't get me wrong, I don't really love the snow. But it is okay to have it for Christmas. I would be fine if it went away on January 2. I think that we are in for the long haul now. We'll see!

Gingerbread Houses and A Family Gathering

When Avery was three months old, a friend of mine had a lunch for me and two other moms that had kids the same age. Since that day, Avery has been friends with these two girls. Each year at Christmas time we get together to build gingerbread houses. It is so much fun and a great tradition. This year the weather played havoc and only 1 of the girls could come. We missed her but continued on (we didn't think that we would be able to reschedule.) We enjoyed lots of candy, icing mishaps and many, many laughs.

For supper we got together with my dad's family. Nice to get together and nice for my grandmother to have everyone together. She always seems so happy when we are gathered in one place. Thanks Grandma!
Stay warm and safe.

Reindeer Food

Yesterday we had a relaxing day at home with lots of activities on the agenda. Finishing up some Christmas gifts, making cookies and reindeer food. We stayed in our jammies for a good part of the day and got these jobs done.

Today

Meredith wake up call at 6:05
Errands and necessities with Meredith
Shopping and laughs with my mom
Skating with the girls and friends
Some dead animal stinking up my dryer and causing havoc
Quick dinner of leftover chili
A visit to the Wonders of Winter lights at Waterloo Park
Phone calls to Santa and Rudolph
A sighting of the train through the park
Starbucks for a warm me up and penguin cookie
A quick visit to the golf course to see if we could see the meteror shower
Stories and into bed
Kids sleeping
Parents watching taped Survivor
A great day
I am tired - Good Night!

Christmas Project

I made this little album for a friend of mine with dogs. Hope she likes it!

My Sugarplum Fairy

Here she is - my sugarplum fairy.
Meredith's ballet class was dancing to the music of the Nutcracker today in the parents viewing time. Watching her in the ballet class is so very cute. All the little girls dancing like princesses with their wands and crowns. Up on their tippy toes, moving around the room, dancing like everyone is watching. I hope Meredith continues to dance like this for years to come. It seems to make her happy. Thanks for sharing your dancing with me Meredith, grateful that I am able to be there for these special moments.

Just Stuff

The kids are totally into puzzles right now and when we unpacked our Christmas decorations this year they found a 500 piece puzzle of Santa. They have been wanting to crack it open. My thoughts are that it is going to be to difficult. So I found a smaller 100 piece puzzle of a bear building a snowman. I was game for this one. We made a big dent in it tonight. I love puzzles and love that they want to do them.

This little tin is for Meredith's dance teacher. It is filled with Cranberry, Pistachio and white chocolate biscotti. So Yummy! Hope she likes it.

Hockey Night in Canada!

I have always loved hockey. If I would have been born in an era of girls playing hockey as opposed to figure skating, I would have played. I loved floor hockey and road hockey as a kid and have often thought about taking up the sport as an adult. I have yet to take the plunge - someday!

I am a Leafs fan through and through. My dad used to take us to the games at Maple Leaf Gardens. We sat behind the Leafs bench and could hear all the players yelling from the bench. The players were larger than life when they had their skates on, towering above me. The lights were so bright and the music so loud. I loved every minute of it. Last night I got to relive some of those memories. Different seats and arena but the feelings came rushing back to me, like it was yesterday. Andy and I went to the game last night against the Tampa Bay Lighting. We enjoyed dinner out at the Lonestar Cafe (Yummy) and then off to the game. The kids slept over at Grandmas. Great night. We had so much fun cheering on the Leafs as they went onto win 6-1.

That was Awesome!

I would agree girls, it was awesome. This afternoon we hit our nearby tobogganing hill for some fun. The temperatures were moderate and it made for a great time for myself and the girls. Every time we got to the bottom, the girls would yell "That was Awesome". It made me smile each time they said it. We did many different versions of getting down the hill. I would go on 1 sled with one girl and we would hold onto the other sled so we were racing side by side. My smile was so big and I got some great pictures. Avery has reached that stage where she doesn't want her picture taken but Meredith is all over it. Boy am I thankful and she takes an awesome picture with those bright green eyes, they just twinkle. What a great afternoon. We finished off with some puzzles over hot chocolate and apple cider. I love Sundays!




This morning I took a class with Vicki Boutin. It was so much fun and it is nice to walk away with a couple of completed layouts to just pop some pictures into. Thanks Vicki for the inspiration.

Photo courtesy of Hannah!

Visit with Santa

Friday was a PD Day for Avery and Meredith so we set up our annual trip to the mall to see Santa. We go to the mall with my mom, Glenda, Reece and Madeline. Each year the girls pick a toy to give to the Angel tree, we visit Santa and then have lunch. The girls look forward to it each year. The kids were excited to see Santa although this picture does not show that. They all look a little scared but hey what can you do. This year I think they had more fun choosing a toy for the Angel Tree and getting into the spirit of Christmas.

Back with Pictures Tomorrow

I did make a change to my blog so that you are able to post comments without a blog address. Never knew that I set it that way. Love to hear from you!

Cookie Baking Adventure

Last night was our annual adventure to bake cookies in Stratford. We go to the Trattoria Fabrizio where Teresa our host and chef extraordinaire helps us eat, bake and be merry. After the evening of baking we go home with 15-17 dozen cookies, all of a different variety. It is a great way to spend an evening with friends, get all your Christmas baking done at once and have someone else clean up the mess. Thanks ladies for a great time!




My friend Patti tagged me with this "Getting to Know you at Christmas" List. So here is mine.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I totally prefer to wrap although it would be way simplier to just put it in a bag. I guess I get this from my mom who is an awesome wrapper. Her packages at Christmas are works of art.

2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial (Real is very nice but it would kill my husband and I like to have him around at Christmas!)

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually December 1st but this year it was the weekend before.

4. When do you take the tree down? January 1st in my jammies.

5. Do you like eggnog? Gross, yuck, Ewwwwwww!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I really loved my Cabbage Patch kid I got. I know my mom searched high and low to get one.

7. Do you have a Nativity scene? No


8. Hardest person to buy for? My Dad, hands down and Andy is a close second.

9. Easiest person to buy for? The girls.

10. Worst Christmas Gift you ever received? still thinking on this one

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Don't usually do Christmas cards although I would love to.

12. Favourite Christmas Movie? My favourite movie to watch at Christmas time is The Sound of Music, even though it is not a Christmas movie. Next would be Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Beginning of November.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Don't think so.

15. Favourite thing to eat at Christmas ? My grandma's butterscotch pie.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear.

17. Favourite Christmas song? Love them all.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home and then travel.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yep

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We open gifts on Christmas morning but the kids get to open their new jammies on Christmas eve.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? How busy everything is.

23. What is the "corniest" family tradition you do, or miss doing? Can't think of one.

24. Ugliest Christmas Decoration ever invented? I have to say those plastic candles that people used to put outside.

25. Which looks best theme trees or homey trees? My tree is a mix of both. Would love to get a more formal tree someday but it doesn't suit our family right now!

Another Wrapping Idea

So I am getting behind now that my kids are up and well again. Thought I would post a picture of another wrapping idea. This is a pringle can covered in paper. Andy is not opposed to providing this wrapping opportunity!

Homemade Boxes & Fudge

It got a little late last night and I didn't post my picture yesterday. So here are my photos for December 4. Every year I make my fudge and give it out to friends and family. Every year I struggle about what to put it in. Most of the tins you can get are way to big. In the December issue of Creating Keepsakes there was an article on making boxes. I tried it out and it is going to work perfectly for my fudge. My hand model Meredith is showing off the boxes for me (take a close look at her fingers and you will see her favourite activity - markers! Never a day goes by that her hands don't look like this)




Fudge Recipe
2 c. Brown Sugar
1/2 c. Butter
1 Can of Eagle Brand Condensed Milk

Put all ingredients in a glass microwaveable bowl. Cook in microwave on high for 10 minutes stopping every 2 minutes to whisk. Let cool for 5 minutes. Mix with electric mixer until colour lightens. Put in pan and cool. Cut into pieces and enjoy!

Until later - Cheers!

December 3

Sickness hit our house today. Avery woke up around 1 a.m. with the stomach flu - yuck! Her fever still remains but I think that she is feeling a little better. The kids were able to get a good chunk of their Christmas cards done this morning.

That is my picture of the day!

Day 2

Okay I am 2 for 2 - Yeah! I finally got around to putting out the Christmas books today. They have made it into there own little basket in the kids room along with the kids mini Christmas tree. I have been reading Christmas books all day! I love all the Christmas books so I won't be complaining. We also had the Paca Christmas party tonight. We had a great meal and great conversations with our employees. Have to say that my kids are hoping it is a ice day tomorrow. I am hoping for the same.