10th Day of Christmas

Hooray!  It's the 10th day of Christmas.  I've learned a few things since my last post I feel it's important to share.  Our motto has now shifted from making this the most fun holiday season for Audrey to making this the most "memorable" holiday season - this means that most of the photos/events of the month have, at one time or another, ended-started-with-began-with tears.  I've also learned to roll with the flow of a toddler.  I've changed the organization of my so-well-planned-out agenda of awesomeness so now it's just a list of ideas and I mark through the ones we complete as the situation arises.  I also include a lot of snacks on our daily adventures.

I also feel it should be noted that we have been able to complete 10 days of Christmas fun while also caring for our Beagle-with-a-stomach-of-steel who ate an entire bag of York Peppermint Paddies yesterday and then proceeded to barf throughout the night in various locations (including under the bed).  Not even a barfing dog can hold this family back!  You might be wondering why we didn't rush to the vet when we realized (as Tober hurled a minty fresh batch all over the living room - narrowly missing my clothing) that Tober had eaten an entire bag of chocolate.  You see, this is family tradition.  Each year Tober eats himself sick on chocolate (cake, a king size chocolate bar, etc) and it's become a holiday routine around these parts.  For those still worried you should know he is acting fine and is completely back to his old self - PLUS we have unanimously decided that York peppermint paddies are the way to go since they made the house smell minty fresh.

Oops!  Side tracked.  Below are days 6-10 of our holiday excitement.

Day 6: Writing a letter to Santa and 5th grade holiday choir concert.

So Far... So Good.

Really Enjoying the Use of Markers

    

Such a Well Written Letter to Santa

Ahh... The Meltdown.  I Asked Her to Hold Her Letter.  Apparently That's All it Took.

Pondering Mickey Before We Leave

Day 7: A trip to see Santa Clause in Denver.  We do not have proof of her official disdain of seeing Santa "BYE BYE SANTA" but I CAN tell you that we waited in a short line and as soon as she saw the jolly man in red she was ready to bail.  We have found the perfect Santa. He quietly got up and we got settled on his bench, and then as they took the picture he popped in at the last minute.  Audrey had no idea, and we have our Santa picture!  Now that we're back safely in our own home Audrey loves the idea of Santa.  We read about him and sing about him every night before bed, because HE'S GREAT of course...

A Little Light Cleaning Before We Leave

Winter Wonderland

Munching on Some Popcorn with Dad in Line

Such a Good Sharer

About to Meet the Man Himself

Of Course She Made a Friend While Waiting

Day 8: Our Holiday Party with our little Range View buddies.  We had a few of our friends and their families over on Saturday for some relaxed fun.  Audrey LOVES her buddies and kept checking the door throughout the day to see if they were there yet.  She has a special little friendship with a little boy and when he arrived she was so very excited!  She is one of the oldest in the bunch and a friend of mine brought their ten month old.  He's already walking and as he toddled into the living room Audrey walked up to him and said "HI! It's Audrey.  IT'S ME!"  She also pointed out her letter to Santa to all of our guests and "read" it to a lucky few.

Audrey Hasn't Met a Grown UP she Doesn't Love to Snuggle

Getting Ready to Party

Audrey's Betrothed

Playing Toys!

Dad's Worst Nightmare!

Day 9: Holiday dinner with Sara and Zach.  We had two of our other friends over on Sunday for a holiday party filled with yummy food and games!  Even though I didn't win I still managed to have a good time, and was ALMOST a good sport, since it's the holiday season and all.  Audrey got a new watercolor paint set and some new paint brushes.  She begged to sleep with the new paint brushes and snuggled them until bed time. 

Dinner Time

Sara's Favorite - OVALTINE!

Opening....

PAINT BRUSHES!

Snuggle Them

New Scarf, Buffs Tickets, and of course...PAINT BRUSHES!

Christmas Girls

Getting to Work

Day 10 - Water Color!  Audrey was in love with her new paint set and so scrap all the good ideas mom had, it's time to PAINT!  I promised her we could paint after school and boy did she remember.  She walked in the door and said strongly PAINT MOMMY!  I had to make a dish of brownies for Scott's holiday party so I bravely spread out the art sheet, watered her paints, and set her to work.  She did great, and really enjoyed painting!  I want to remind everyone of the episode a few days prior, where I attempted to paint Audrey's hands and it resulted in a melt down - fast forward to today and you would have thought that was the best idea ever!  Of course Audrey thought SHE had come up with the idea, as she happily painted and repainted her hands making hand print after hand print, laughing and having a grand old time as if to say "MOTHER!  WHY DIDN'T YOU think of this!"

Painting Her Own Hand

Painting my Hand is SO MUCH FUN!

And just because - who doesn't love a toddler in heels?!

Did Somebody Say Santa?

On the Fifth Day of Christmas...

Back in October I decided I was going to create the best Advent season for Audrey.  I got online and researched all kinds of fun Christmas activities and planned out a calendar for December of fun things to make/do each day.  

All I can say is it's a good thing I'm getting practice when Audrey is too young to realize there is actually something to look forward to each day.  I bought a Santa box with the intention of putting an item for that day's activity inside and so far I've managed 1 out of 5 days and the box is currently strewn about behind the very chair I am typing this blog post from.

She has no idea, however, and I'm using this grace period to make adjustments for next year :)

Here is a sampling of photos from our 5 days of fun so far.  Four out of Five have been a great success!...

The day that I'm calling the first day of December (because really it was November 30th.On Dec.1st we ran out of time and didn't get to the activity planned for that day) we went to see the lights at the zoo.  We drove down on Friday night after work because it was in the high 4o's and we couldn't miss that opportunity! Sure we were bundled but compared to what it could have been we were living large!  Audrey saw her first Santa of the season, which is where she learned the phrase "NO SANTA" and "BYE BYE, SANTA!"  She and I met Santa together, but she was not amused.  Audrey also got her first taste of candy cane, which she definitely approved of.  I was worried she would suck on it and pieces would break off but my daughter proved, once again, she is my genetic offspring. One lick of that candy treat and she chomped a bite off and devoured it.  Made mommy proud!

Denver Zoo 2012

Family Photo 

Showing off her Candy Cane

Sticky Face

On the actual December 1st we had planned to decorate the Christmas tree.  We went to see our second Santa in Windsor (still, not amused, and this time no candy cane...) and then went to dinner in Fort Collins.  Once we got home we decided the zoo trip could count as our first day of Christmas treat and called it a night.  Scott worked the Bronco's game on Sunday which meant is was time for Audrey and I to decorate the house!  I took her to Target and we picked out a red poster board.  Then Audrey went to down drawing "Ki-Ki lights" (Christmas lights) and stars, and Santa (she loves the man in red, when he's not actually looming in the distance...).  Little stinker loved walking on the poster board and by the end her little feet were covered in markers.  I mentioned above that I put a lot of thought into what we would do each day.  I not only planned activities around our schedule but I also planned activities specifically when Scott would be working, so as to not instill a sense of panic in him so he can also enjoy the holiday season.

Choosing the Perfect Color

Adding the Star on Top

All Finished

So instead of decorating the tree on December 1st we set out to decorate the tree on December 3rd.  What I couldn't account for on the Plan of Awesomeness was arguments that might ensue due to the challenges that arise with raising a balanced and happy toddler.  Scott and I are almost always on the same page when it comes to sweetpea but December 3rd we had a difference of opinion.  Although it is family tradition to argue while putting the tree together we wanted to make it fun for Audrey so we cleared the air a bit before we got on our way setting up the tree.  I only mention our digression to show we are human.  The holidays are a hectic time.  No one loves them more than I do, but even I have a moment or two (no comment SCOTT) along the way...  Audrey was very interested in the large box and didn't pay any attention to the tree until she realized it lit up.  We each put on the ornaments with our names on them and called it a night.

Love the Big Box

Supervising Dad

Hanging the ornament in the Perfect Place

Helping Dad get his Ornament Just Right

Helping Mom with her Ornament

Christmas Girl

 On December 4th we finished decorating the Christmas tree and Audrey got a new Mickey Mouse Santa book to read before bed.  She is a HUGE fan of the Mickey Mouse Club House (I digress - the other day the tv was on and we were all playing in the back of the house.  The channel changed automatically to record Mickey and Audrey stopped dead in her tracks, turned to Scott and said "IT'S MICKY MOUSE.  I'M MISSING IT.  BYE BYE DADDY!" and ran into the living room.  So cute!).  I was able to find a Mickey Mouse Christmas book and we all enjoyed reading it a few hundred times before bed.  AND the tree was finally decorated!

Ornament from Last Year!

Such a Big Girl!

Mom's Christmas Girl

Santa Girl

Silly Santa

Dad's a Santa!

Today, December 5th, I had very high hopes of creating a reindeer made with Audrey's foot and two hands.  We have one from last year that I pulled out and it's precious.  Her little hands and foot are so little!  My goal is to have one for every year she'll allow it.  Turns out that's only going to be one year.  Audrey was skeptical at first but once she realized the paint went on her actual foot and hand she WAILED.  I managed to get a footprint but couldn't force myself to torture her into getting not one, but two handprints, so this year's reindeer has one Audrey foot and two mommy hands.  I tried to show her how fun it is to be messy, but as much as she is like her mother and LOVES treats she is also like her father and HATES to be messy.

So Far, So Good

You Want me to do WHAT??!!

NOT MY FOOT!

'MOM-THIS-IS-THE-WORST-IDEA-YOU'VE-EVER-HAD"

I had very high hopes of posting our activities each day but now realize that simply accomplishing the activities will be success enough.  This Friday we meet our last and final Santa.  Wish us luck :)  Could turn out that all of my hard work and planning are actually destroying the holiday season for our little girl :)  Here's hoping she looks back on these posts with fondness and happiness...