One Day at a Time: December 2011

Sunday, December 25, 2011

'Twas the Week Before Christmas

(please enjoy my 3rd grade rhyming abilities)

.........

'Twas the week before Christmas and we headed out

To wait to see Santa. To pose and to pout.

The squeals of a toddler were heard through the town

As Grandma got in her car and drove down.

We saw choo choo trains and played till we dropped

We ate pie and drank cocoa until we all popped!

We danced in the street and sang Christmas songs.

We wished for the loved ones we missed to sing 'long.

When Christmas was near we played games all day

We dressed up like reindeer who pull Santa's sleigh.

We dressed up in costumes and put on a play

About baby Jesus who was born Christmas day.

We unwrapped our presents and squealed with delight

As each shiny package revealed a new sight.

Santa came and he went, that jolly old man,

but we are counting days 'till it's Christmas again!

May this new year be full of blessings and family.

May our days all be peaceful and healthy and happy.

Until in 365 days

We can celebrate Christmas again in new ways.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

The First "Nowhere" ...

Larkin loves to sing Christmas songs. I am amazed at all the songs she knows this year. Granted, we have Christmas songs playing every day at our house in December, but still ... she knows the words to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Jingle Bells (she learned this one last year), Deck the Halls, Santa Clause is Coming to Town, Silver Bells, Away in a Manger, Up on the Housetop, White Christmas, The Hippopotamus song, and a few others I'm sure I'm forgetting.

I had to laugh yesterday when The First Noel came on the radio in the car and she belted out the chorus from the back seat, "Nowhere! NOWHERE! Nowhere! NOWHERE!"

I still smile when I think about her singing "Nowhere" instead of "Noel" :)

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Christmas Lights

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is doing a Christmas lights tour. Some years we drive, some years we walk, but whether they are fancy, over-the-top, or simple, looking at Christmas lights is a magical way to spend an evening during the Christmas season!

This year we made the trip back to Rocklin to spend the evening with our good friends the Mills. It has been WAY too long since we have gotten together, and it was wonderful to spend the evening visiting and driving around spying houses donned in lights.

(These two monkeys LOVED the lights ... the third back-seat-monkey declined to have his photo taken :)

The highlight of the evening for Larkin was holding baby Emmi! She talked about "that sweet baby" all the way home, and has begged every day to go back to our old house so we can walk to baby Emmi's house. (Walking to the Mill's house was a regular thing when we lived in Rocklin, but how she remembers this is beyond me!)

I am so grateful for good friends and family to spend the holidays with!

and as a PS:

Thank you to everyone who will double their PG&E bill for December because of all the lights they hung this month ... I appreciate this pricey but fun tradition!