Christmas Countdown Activities

So, we started something new this year. We have a new countdown calendar that your Auntie M got us for Christmas. Auntie M and your Daddy used to fight over who got to move the mouse on their calendar growing up, so she thought we all needed one for our houses. Eliana you get so excited every day to move the candycane from square to square. You also get excited because everyday there is a little slip of paper in the square of something NEW to do for Christmas! So this post is going to share those activities. We didn't actually get started until December 3. So we are a few days late...but it's okay. 

Dec 3 - Watch a Christmas show on the IPAD. 

A simple task, but oh so fun, and you loved it. Pictures below of you watching your show with your daddy - and your excitement to be watching it!:) 

December 4 - Meet Santa Clause and Go On a Candy Cane Hunt

The City of Iola was having a candy cane hunt down town before Santa arrived. You were so excited when you read your slip this morning! I was excited ALL day for our fun evening. We got there and you were excited to see all the candy canes. Then it was time to pick them up and there were ALL these kids - big and small and you got scared and didn't pick up a single candy cane!! I snagged you one - right as about 3 kids were about to pick it up! Afterwards though, two older kids saw that you only had one and they each brought you one of theirs - which was VERY nice of them. 

Then Santa arrived, and you were SO excited to see him....until we got in his house and then you freaked out and refused to sit on his lap.....

December 5 - Have a sleepover with Mimi

On Dec 5 at about 10:00 your daddy got a phone call that you had gotten sick at daycare. He went and picked you up and you proceeded to get sick about every 30 minutes that entire day. You could not keep anything down!! Mimi showed up at about 5:00 and you were excited to see her - yet very sick. You ended up sleeping on mommy and daddy's floor instead of having a sleepover in your room with mimi. But mimi still slept over. You still got to play with her some as well! 

December 6 - Go Christmas Tree Shopping Make a craft with Mimi

Luckily, Saturday, Dec 6 you woke up feeling better! However, we didn't think it would be a good idea to take you outside to go Christmas tree shopping like we had originally planned. You were still pretty run down from the day before. So, mimi had brought a craft to do with you. So, mommy read you a different slip of paper when you pulled it out of the bucket! You were so excited. You kept saying, we're doing a project! Of course during this project your brother got ahold of the Rubber Cement - we thought the lid was on...well, it wasn't. We had a HUGE puddle of rubber cement on the floor (good thing I laid down a blanket), and it was all over his shirt, hands, and feet! Easton went straight to the shower after that. Otherwise it was a great success, and your stars look great on our tree! Thanks Mimi for the fun craft!!

December 7 - Picnic in front of the Christmas tree!

You guys were both so excited to eat in front of the Christmas tree! Easton, I think you were a little confused....You also hardly ate anything. Neither of you really ate anything. Easton, you finally wanted out of your high chair that I had put on the floor (I thought that would help you eat) and then you sat down beside your sister and started to eat her food. I guess you just thought it was unfair that if we were all sitting on the floor, you should too! :) We had a great time, all four of us sitting on the floor! :)

December 8 - Write Letters to Santa

My friend, Jenna Ahmadian's mom got us these books that talk about writing letters to Santa. So, we read the book and then you both wrote a letter. Easton, you scribbled on yours - but Eliana you took yours very serious. You tried to copy "Dear Santa" at the top of the letter - but I could tell after the four letters in "dear" that if I didn't help you we would be there forever. So, Eliana, you dictated what you wanted me to write and then signed it. See the picture for what you wrote. Then, you had to go mail your letter so you went to Santa's workshop to mail it. 

December 9 - Go to Dalton's Christmas play with Grandma

We had planned to all go to Dalton's school Christmas Program. But, Easton is trying so hard to fight getting sick. Every child in his daycare class has had this nasty flu stuff except for Easton and one other kiddo. So, Easton, you have been so tired this week and going to bed at 6:30 because you just appear worn down. So, I kept Easton home and Eliana went with Grandma to watch Dalton. She had a lot of fun listening to the music! :)

December 10 - Go to the library and read Christmas books

I did not get any pictures of this. Again, Easton you're just so worn down I ended up bringing you home early while daddy stayed at the library with Eliana. Eliana, you were so excited to go to the library - which I think it great!! You started out by looking at the books and then you saw the computer was open and you love the Dora game that is on the touchscreen computer - it's like a super-sized ipad in your mind! :) You had lots of fun and ended up checking out a book about a Puppy and Christmas! 

December 11 - Make Christmas Cards

December 11 mommy had to work late because we had our Christmas Program at school. So, grandma watched you and Easton. Then, I also got an email that day that said they were going to do a kids Christmas Program at church and the first practice was going to be this evening. So, luckily your grandma was willing to take you to practice - which you do a good job at! Then when I got home you were busy painting Christmas cards! :) You had a lot of fun!

December 12 - Drink Hot Cocoa

You couldn't wait to have your hot cocoa! You sat on top of the counter to drink it and you were so cute! :) 

December 13 - Head to Buhler to see Rebekkah and Elijah!

We had plans to wake up really early to head to Buhler. However, Easton got sick at 11:00 Friday night. He threw up about 5 times in about 2 hours. poor baby. So, we decided to wait to get up and leave until Easton woke up. So, when Easton woke up we had you move the candy cane and you were SO excited to go to Buhler. You asked us so many times on that drive if we were there yet? We finally arrived around 11:00 and we were ready to play! Luckily Easton woke up feeling much better so we didn't have to cancel! :) 

December 14 - Read your favorite Christmas Story

On Sunday you got to be an angel in the Hoffnungsau Christmas program! You had a lot of fun. When we got home we read Christmas stories by the Christmas tree.

December 15 - Go out to eat Pizza

Daddy had to work - so we decided to go out to eat. I ordered the pizza ahead of time so it was ready right when we walked in! And we were the only ones in the restaurant which was really nice and peaceful!

December 16 - Make Sugar Cookies

You, of course, had lots of fun mixing up the batter for the sugar cookies. You love to bake and really enjoyed it - like always!

December 17 - Go out to eat and swimming with Papa

Papa was driving through so he stopped in to see us! He came with me to pick you guys up from daycare and you were SO excited! Easton, you were just a little slow to warm up - but it didn't take you long. We went to Walmart and while I bought fabric Papa took you guys up and down the toy aisle - which you loved! Then we went to eat at McDonald's - which was a treat because we very RARELY eat McDonald's. After that we went to Papa's hotel and we went SWIMMING! Eliana you were beyond excited to go swimming. They had just filled the pool - so it was really quite cold. They had also filled the hot tub - so it was warm....so we swam in the hot tub. Which slowly warmed up even more and felt great! We all had a great time swimming and hanging out with Papa. 

December 18 - Have a Christmas Star Cookie by the tree

You kiddos had snack time after school by the tree. You ate your yummy Christmas Stars and loved them! 

December 19 - Go to the Nutcracker with Rebekkah and Jami

Rebekkah and Jami came to visit! We all went to watch the Nutcracker - since you and Rebekkah both started dance this year we thought you would enjoy it. Rebekkah did awesome - she sat on her mom's lap and took in every dance. Easton did a good job too! He sat on my lap and watched and was quite interested. Eliana, you sat through the first dance and then you were done. You went up and down the aisle, you went up and down toward the stage, it was awful. You laid on the floor in the middle of the aisle. I took you out once and sat you in time-out. Then you promised to listen and we went in - you listened for 1 min. So I took you out for the remainder of the show. I think you're just too comfortable there - you kept saying you were going to go on stage to talk to the dancers. We go to daddy's work that you feel you can do anything when we're there. Hopefully you'll do better when you get a little older. 

December 20 - Dress up and perform your Baby Doll Dance!

Today was your first dance performance!! You did so good! We went to 3 different nursing homes and it was a long day. You did great at your first performance. Your second performance was at 1:00 and you were a bit tired. You stared a whole lot at other kiddos performing rather than dancing yourself. During the third performance at 2:00 your hose must have bunched up and you started to dig around in your pants...for a long time.... haha - Oh, it was quite funny. But overall you did a great job today and we're very proud of you!

December 21 - Go to Cindy's and celebrate Christmas!

Today was the Higginbotham Christmas. It is always fun to get together. We ALWAYS have delicious food and you two are always spoiled! Today you got a inside sand box kit, homemade blankets and hats, a cars set, and Eliana's favorite her "suitcase" with minnie mouse art supplies! It was a lot of fun. We also made hand ornaments....I have to make another of Easton's because I dropped it and it SHATTERED! oops! It was a lot of fun with everyone!

December 22 - Christmas Movie Night!! -

The past week daddy had to work EVERY Night!! Even through dinner - so we did not see him at all. So, it was nice to have movie night on Monday when we could just snuggle up together. Of course, I wanted to watch an ACTUAL movie - but Eliana you chose a group of short Christmas shows - so we watched four cartoons. But it was nice just to be together. 

December 23 - Go look at Christmas Lights!

This was such a GREAT night! We went to Chanute to Katy Park to look at the Christmas lights. I don't know if we're supposed to get out of our car and walk around but we did. It was BEAUTIFUL! I was trying not to get too excited before we went so I wouldn't be disappointed - but it was really awesome! It was quite cold, so we bundled up and the sky was spitting on us. But it was a lot of fun. Then we went to Walmart to do just a little bit of finishing up which was fun - because we don't go to Walmart the four of us very much....for good reason! :) But since we just had a few items we all went and had lots of fun! 

December 24 - Paint a Pretty Picture and then Go to Church for Jesus' Birthday!

I was too busy supervising the painting that I didn't take any pictures  :( But we were making a present for Auntie Omi. It was fun to paint and you guys made great art work. Which I didn't take a picture of either :( 

That evening we went to Grandma and Grandpa's for dinner before we went to church. We went to Carlyle Presbyterian Church. It was fun. Your daddy's Pastor from when he grew up was preaching. Easton, you were quite loud at the beginning during the singing - but it was happy noise. Then Pastor Traw called us out -and said, John, your son is making a whole lot of noise - it reminds me of you! :) During the sermon Easton you were entertained the entire time with a yellow highlighter and paper! :) After church we went to our house and had some DELICIOUS desserts and we traded presents with Auntie Omi. We were hoping to get to play a game so Eliana, you opened a princess Candyland game!! But, it was too late to play. We had a fabulous and blessed Christmas Eve!! 

December 25 - Celebrate Jesus' birthday with family and open presents!

Christmas Morning!!! I will write a separate post about Christmas Day - but I want to say how much fun it was to move the Candycane every day! Eliana you were always so excited!! :) I enjoyed all the extra time we spent together making meaningful memories. I know that when we get home from Mimi's you're going to ask to move the candycane and be sad that there are no more days!! But I look forward to doing it again!! 

I love you sweet babies! Merry Christmas!

Love,
Mommy