Anticipation

 We had such a wonderful Advent.   I really wanted to start some special traditions with the kids.  However, taking care of four kids usually means constant work to keep everyone fed, changed, happy, attended to .... and I am finding it really difficult to do much outside of the daily necessities.   But we did make it a point to sit down together every night in the Advent season for the Jesse Tree.   I had high hopes of planning it all out - making beautiful ornaments - with lots of activities for kids each day.   We ended up not getting that far - we just kinda winged it.   The older two really enjoyed it.  We never even got an advent wreath, but Jackson drew one for us, and it was perfect.   After mass one day before Advent began, a Catholic bookstore was selling some things - and I picked up some LED flameless advent candles - perfect for all the little hands. When Maggie put the candle in her mouth, we weren't too worried : )

Anyway, I never took any pictures, but hopefully we will remember it all by doing it over again each year.   We can build on it every year as our kids get a little bigger. 

Onto some more pre-Christmas activities...

Baking and decorating Christmas cookies...

 Two nights before Christmas the boys got on their new pjs from the Clampitts.  The boys still want to wear them every night.   They got a kick out of how long the pants were.   Long torsos, these boys.

We put a new book and a new Christmas movie in a box with some popcorn.  They were super excited when they opened it.

 

 

 

On Christmas Eve, we made more cookies : ) and hung out all day.

 

 

I finished wrapping gifts. 

I do NOT like to procrastinate. 

But I was feeling pretty proud of myself for not focusing on gifts and shopping and the rush of it all during Advent.   But by a few days before Christmas I realized as nice as this is, I probably should go get some gifts for the kids : )

 

 Oh yeah, we tried potty training Charlie for three days.  So he had to sit on towels ...

And , sadly, no, he isn't potty trained : ( 

Oh well!  We will persevere!  

And try again in a month or two.   

Or never.  

I despise potty training. 

 Watched some classic Christmas shows ...

 like Frosty. 

Made some winter crafts like this simple "snow" art ... just Elmer's glue and salt.   

They LOVED it.

We finally got dressed and went to Christmas Eve Mass.

 

Back from church - into more Christmas pajamas.   Half of them were recycled from last year ...

Watched another Christmas show - can't remember what since now it's almost a month later ...

Uncle Daniel was all in for the show watching.

Kids went to bed and we threatened Jackson and Cooper not to get out of their beds, but to call for us into their monitor if they needed anything.   Well, it stormed.   And hailed.   And thundered.  And lightning.  

I was up all night trying to make monitors work and turn sound machines back on and just generally lying there miserable and tired because I was worried about them waking up. 

They all slept until 7 am.

I think it was 7. 

Can't remember. 

But they slept all night.

Christmas Day to come.

And then maybe we will plow through January and catch up! 

Maggie was baptized on Sunday and I still haven't even looked through the pictures.