John Curtis's School Parties

It has been a month of parties for John Curtis. At school they have learned how different cultures celebrate and had a Hanukkah party one Friday and a Kwanzaa party the next. I took pictures of him eating at both of these, but they're on my camera that I keep at school and I'm too lazy to go back up there to get it. I figure I have plenty of pictures of him eating at school, as you will see...

Since he was going to have another party this Friday on the day before school let out I decided to do snacks for his birthday on Wednesday. His teacher doesn't like parents to bring cookies, cake, or cupcakes, but likes healthier food. I was stumped. Then I remembered that I won a cute little car pan from my friend Leslie's blog. Since the gingerbread turned out so well last weekend and I still had all the ingredients I decided that we would make gingerbread cars.

John Curtis loves to help cook with his new cooking utensils that Aunt Edie got him.

He gets very shy when people sing Happy Birthday to him.

Look...it's a picture of him eating at school.

And another one. And yes, Connor is always right beside him. They stay by each other all day and have since they were in the toddler room together. This is the piñata party they had today.

He LOVED hitting the piñata.

And getting the candy! What fun school is!

Christmas Performances

This post is really for the grandparents. Since Taylor doesn't even really like to watch our kids perform I'm pretty sure most people who read my blog don't either (with the exception of Chloe) so feel free to skip over this blog. However, you might get a laugh out of John Curtis and Shelby pushing each other in the 1st one. And yes, I know he started it.

The first 2 are the preschool choir singing at church last Sunday.

John Curtis had his school performance Monday night. You probably can't even find him. He is on the top of the risers on the right side in a red sweater.

Today Sophie had her school performance. They sang several songs but I thought All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth was the cutest.

I think we're finished with performances for the season except that Sophie is Mary in a live nativity on Sunday. Stay tuned for more video!

Weatherford Weekend

We drove to Weatherford Friday afternoon for the Bunch family Christmas. Friday night we had a little birthday party for John Curtis.

Saturday was full of family, food, presents, and a gingerbread scavenger hunt. Lindsey read the story,

and the kids went searching for clues.

They finally found the gingerbread men and got to make them.

Sophie also helped me make a gingerbread and raspberry dessert.

It all wore Bumpaw out!

An Evening in December

Christmas Parade

It has become somewhat of a tradition for us to go to the Christmas parade with the Barkers. In fact, my very first post on my blog was of us at the parade. This year we all piled in their car, went to eat at Fuentes, watched the parade, and then drove by the river to look at lights. The last time we all fit in the same car was our first Christmas here when I was pregnant with John Curtis and all 3 girls were in car seats. Thanks to everyone being in booster seats now, we can all fit in one vehicle again.

Advent

One of our favorite ways that we try to observe Advent in our home during the Christmas season is to light an Advent candle every night and read a short devotional. This week we've been lighting the candle of hope and reading about the angel's visit to Mary and the shepherds.

The activity that went along with it was to make an angel and sheep ornament. We use the same book every year, so my kids are pros at it by now.

John Curtis's sheep

Sophie's sheep

John Curtis's angel that he colored at church so he didn't have to make one

Sophie's angel

John Curtis kept telling us about his "camel" pajama pants. When we tried to correct him and tell him they were camo, he said, "No!" and got his camel out of his nativity and said, "These kind of pants."

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas

When we got home from Texarkana Saturday night the kids begged to put up the tree. We obliged thinking it would be easy - it wasn't easy. A strand of lights had gone out on our prelit tree. A few hours of work and a new tree later and we were back in business.

I always have happy visions of what this evening will look like. The fire will be going as we're all cozy in our PJs listening to Christmas music and reminiscing over the stories all the Christmas ornaments tell. Some years it is like that. This year it was not. The fire was going because our heat wasn't working. The Christmas music kept needing to be restarted because the tree took so long to get ready. By the time we finally got it up it was time for the kids to throw the ornaments on the tree and go to bed. Sophie was about to drive me insane asking questions about all of the ornaments. What normally would have been sweet was simply annoying as we were dealing with tree frustrations. Ah, those best laid plans. Real life seems to get in the way of them.

They had a lot of fun decorating their own trees. No assembly necessary on these.

The next night it was time to decorate the church during the Hanging of the Green. The kids both sang.

Then we had a dessert social afterward

Sweet boys are so lucky to have each other

These girls, too....

It reminded me of another picture I had to go find.

After the Hanging of the Green a few years ago. 2006 to be exact. The girls were 2.

They've grown up a bit but still love each other just as much.