Get Behind Me, Santa!

How could such a sweet face manage to get the whole family sick? Well, I can guess actually: open-mouth kisses, sharing her food, chewing on everything. No matter how the transfer happened, it happened. We were supposed to host our fellowship group's Christmas party, but we cancelled an hour before as Esmé woke up from her nap with an "extra blanket," let's call it. We all lost a week to a nasty virus.  I don't really want to rehash what that was like, so how about some cute pictures of the kiddos?

This is how germs spread, guys!

A few days ago, I found our "Christmas Countdown" from last year which we had hung on the mantle.  I had cut out these 25 cute Christmas shapes and each day we would take one down and then do the "special Christmas activity" on the back.  I didn't even think of it this year.  I suddenly worried that we hadn't been anticipating Christmas enough.  We have been using the Jesus Storybook Bible for our advent and I made (read: printed, cut, and taped somebody else's) corresponding ornaments. But now, seeing these pictures, I feel like there's been a lot of Christmassy festivities.

Christmas tree shopping - that bow, Queenie!

Decorating the tree

Caelum got to put the angel on top, which was "a little scary"

Decorating Gingerbread cookies

Christmas at the Biltmore House

Gingerbread house makin' with the homeschool friends

"Winters Tail" Christmas at the Nature Center. Esmé strongly declined sitting with Santa

Gingerbread House Exhibition at the Grove Park Inn with friends

Also, we took a "Journey to Bethlehem" at a local church where they recreated the city.  The boys get more out of it each year.  Caelum was really into the Roman soldiers, of course.  Wait til he sees what he's getting for Christmas (spoiler alert: armor). We also sang Christmas carols to our elderly friends at Highland Farms. So I guess we've been in Christmas mode for a while. 

Zach prepares in his own way: a plate of mashed potatoes and gravy.

Merry Christmas! Enjoy celebrating our Savior's birth!