Christmas time is here..errr gone!?

Wow, when you have kids the xmas season seems to last forever, probably because of the PRESSURE I get from Sofia to put up decorations literally the day after Thanksgiving. Even my 18 year couldn't figure out what he wanted for a gift until he was told he needed tires for his car. So after numerous tips to the toy store and looking through the holiday toy catalogs...like three times a day...to figure out what the right toys were to by, I believe I had it dialed in. The kids were all very excited about their gifts and were genuinely thrilled! Can't say I am a Christmas lover but I do love to see my kids happy.  

So I always like to think that I can DIY. I am really not  crafty, although in the back of my head I am. So this year I thought it would be fun to make my own gingerbread house cut outs instead of getting the kit like i had the past two years! Jesse and Sofia had been making it a tradition and tried to include Ty this year as well and my homemade Ginger bread....let the photos tell the story.

We have all the candy necessities....

 

Let the construction begin! And let the frosting set.

Annnnnnd.. heres why they make kits and I am not crafty.

 

Let's just eat candy..and go drive around and look at Christmas lights!







 



Last Sat. was the traditional trip to see Santa at Macy's in Minneapolis. I love love love taking Sofia downtown. Today was so cool to see Tycen verbally excited to see Santa and discover a little more on Christmas traditions. I cannot believe how cute they are. Funny I totally thought that they were going to ask Santa for the same things they had been telling me they wanted for Christmas....to my surprise they switched it on my that day!!! uggg there goes my shopping all over again. Sofia asked for a Moshi monster game and Tycen asked for a train set. He was a great Santa! We enjoyed sometime in Santa Land and ate the evilest cookies on earth, Ty and Sofia couldn't even finish them and they were covered in colored frosting. This very nice man in front of us in line shared some wet wipes with us that he had for his kids, he told us that he makes his own using paper towels and baby soap. He then felt the need to break down the numbers on cost and savings...tis the season. We ventured on through the sky way to the IDS center for lunch and some Christmas photos for which was apparently was too much to ask of a three and five year old. Then the cookie sugar rush settles in. No wonder so many people think their kids have ADD.... mine did!
I was a fun filled day and I was exhausted by the end of it, I only hope that kids always look forward to seeing Santa. I do.

Mommy daughter dates are the absolute best! Here we are at the Landmark Center in St. Paul. Every 2nd Tuesday of the month the St Paul City Ballet Company puts on a free show, usually excerpts from their current show. I love going in Dec, everything is decorated with Christmas and we get to watch parts from the show "Enchanted Toy Shop". This is really a fun time and the kids just love it. To Sofia there is nothing better than being close up to a real ballerina.

Have you ever had that moment when you child does something so funny, you laugh so hard you forget you are in a public place? Tycen made me do that in Target the other day. Ty's new favorite thing is to look at toys on Tuesday's (it's just him and I while Sofia is in school) at Target. A recent trip for Christmas gift ideas had us walking down the toy car isle. Tycen cannot resist all the buttons that are offered on the "TRY ME" toys. He found this very "cool" car that plays music. I have no idea how Tycen learned how to head bang or even make a "rockin’ face" but he had me rolling. Unfortunately my video was not the first take. I asked him if I could video him doing that again. So you can get the drift.

Oh how I love the dance recitals, there are three in a dance term. Fall, Winter and Spring. They are performed by the "preballet" dance classes. Unfortunately for this year, Sofia had to be in a class in a lower skill set than she is used to, do to "restructuring of the classes". I can  say that I am not as excited for her recital this year as years in the past. Although cute, adorable, and funny, Sofia has the potential to be a good dancer. Next year she can be back at a level that she is much more ready for.

 She really has a passion for it right now in her life. She is dancing at all moments she can, especially this time of year. She just loves the Nutcracker and everything that goes with it. This will be the third year in a row seeing the Nutcracker Ballet for her and she just can't get enough of it. The story, I love, and get total amusement on how much she loves it as well. Believe me I am not a ballet buff nor have I really seen any other shows. The music in the Nutcracker just warms my little Christmas heart! Horray for next weekend when I will be heading to the beautiful lights of the city and enjoying the Moscow Russian Ballet doing the Nutcracker at the State Theatre. I think I will even enjoy a great steak!

As for now this beautiful video of my soon to be ballorina to the New York City Ballet (hahaha) is doing their version of the Nutcracker.

 

Miss Sofia is the third one in from the left at the beginning....

First post

I have always thought that I would lose memories of life as I got older, well I am not that old and I feel at times, I have lost my mind. I search the web, probably definitely more than I should, and look at all these great blogs about interesting things, ideas and family. I thought to myself what a beautiful way to keep a memory alive and share it with

whom ever would enjoy them. I for one would like my two youngest children to have the opportunity to have this as a keepsake that I gave them for all the things they did, but could never remember "when". I love being a mother, all three of my children give my happiness. I love being a wife, my husband gives me happiness. My family means everything to me. My goals with this blog is to time stamp all the great memories I share with them and to express my thoughts and emotions at the time of these events. This is my gift to you.
As a side note, this family photo is like pulling teeth from the two men in my life, but in the end look at how beautiful we look. This is the photo that was chosen to go on the Christmas card for my work. I have to say after many photos this was a good one!