christmas carols.

in case you didn't get carolers this year...

trent singing his two favorite christmas songs.

1. "last christmas" 

sweet. but go ahead and skip onto the second selection...

2. "ho ho ho"

ho ho ho. who is the ho?

did he really just say that?

merry christmas, love trent

dairy free guide to christmas.

trent told me he didn't like thanksgiving.

his reason. everyone eats turkey.

and he's allergic.

I melted.

I was bound determined for him to get his fair share

of sugar and sweets this holiday.

we have mason jars filled with 

christmas jelly bellys.

candy canes.

 and our teeth are filled with christmas dots.

santa is dropping these cute jelly belly bottles in his stocking.

divvies has chocolate snowmen and trees.

our beloved babycakes cookbook has a recipe for hot chocolate. yum.

we even found rice milk egg nog. 

and if you haven't had real milk in four years, you may like it.

 and for our christmas eve peppermint sundaes.

needless to say...

he thinks its the most wonderful time of the year.

12.22.10

break the rules wednesday.

here's how we are celebrating...

we ate our gingerbread house.

bought packaged cookie dough for our mom and tot cookie swap.

and are foregoing most of our advent ideas.

we had vegan chocolate muffins for lunch.

and took a trip to target to walk the christmas aisles.

and the best part...

all is still merry and bright.

santa baby.

she will not wear a bow. but rocks a santa hat every day.

she loves the lights. the tree. and the ornaments.

and she is quick to flee the scene favorite ornaments in tow.

a white christmas from miss naughty.

home for the holidays.

us.

 clearly daddys girl.

 and mommas boy.

now who do maddie and those chickens favor?

orange christmas.

the perfect naptime craft.

cloves + oranges = its beginning to smell a lot like christmas.

some for us. some for our neighbors.

the most wonderful time of the year.

this week flu by.

taking one more day to clean. play catch up. 

and look back on sweet christmas memories.

loving trent's meeting with santa. three years ago.

christmas craft.

sunday morning we found ourselves

teaching bible hour and the story of Jesus' birth.

we needed an quick craft.

we cut the bottom off of a paper bag.

and then cut slits about an inch down.

folded the slits over and then made a paper baby wrapped in a blanket.

Jesus in the manger. voila.

would make a perfect weekday night craft.

a bit naughty.

little miss 16 months old.

is in the 6% for weight.

and 95% for head size.

she is clearly a burket.

she loves to sleep.

and to dance.

she laughs when she eats sweet potatoes.

and throws random items in the garbage.

she will rip off all hair bows. socks. or shoes.

she adores any animal

cats. dogs. and chickens.

she pulls ornaments off the tree.

and screams a lot.

she may in fact be the worlds messiest baby.

she may even hit you.

but she lights up when she smiles.

and is happiest just sitting in your lap.

little miss 16 month old lila, I do love you so.

but you just may be on the naughty list.

nice.

dear santa,

for christmas I would like...

christmas socks, a toy from santa, and paper flowers for my teacher.

oh, and a present for my sister.

love, trent

I am pretty sure he is at the top of the nice list.

christmas countdown.

on top of our christmas cards and stockings we hung our advent calendar.

velum envelopes filled with little tags.

the envelope has the number,

and the tag has the activity.

that way when you have a day that involves:

four hours in the ER-five stitches-flat tire-set of new tires-parking ticket

and a yellow crayon left in the laundry-type-of-day.

you can easily swap the "make gingerbread house" tag,

for the "sing christmas songs" tag.

nice.

other tags included:

 cards, crafts, camping under the christmas tree,

try a candy cane, try apple cider, try decorating vegan cookies,

letters to santa, see santa (someone's decoration will do), see christmas lights,  

make, wrap,  and deliver presents, 

my personal favorite... make a snowman at the beach. 

deck the halls.

no chimney? no problem.

the stockings were hung by the bathroom with care.

in hopes that saint nicholas soon would be there.

christmas cards on a line...bakers twine.

that'll do the trick. it'll work just fine.

a break.

thankful we can sleep in, kinda.

thankful for spending all day with my two.

thankful for seeing it all. seeing every smile.

thankful for time to play.

thankful he has the whole world in his hands.

thankful for time to chill out.

thankful to watch them grow. create. and learn.

thankful they share. their love for one another makes me glow.

thankful he has learned to put on his own pants.

thankful for her. her little toes. and big personality.

thankful for her slobbery dirty smile.

thankful for him. his joy. his words. his outlook.

thankful for a good book.

thankful they both are now eating whole apples.

no peeling. no cutting. 

thankful for a whole week at home.

to eat popcorn with a minnie mouse hat on.

I knew I went to college for the right thing. 

preschool thanksgiving.

thankful we could watch him sing,

thankful we could attend,

thankful for his precious school, 

and so thankful he has sweet friends.