December Fun

The run up to Christmas almost always starts with a visit to the Festival of Trees. This is such a fun event to walk around to look at the decorated trees, ride the train, eat gingerbread cookies, admire the gingerbread houses, and visit the kids' area. Here is one of Olivia's favorite trees at the event, and Ethan with his favorite..candy of course! That kid has a real sweet tooth!

Olivia on the Festival of Trees train.

The Beaux Arts Ball was a new event for us this year. I co-chaired the publicity for this Springfield Art Association fundraiser, and it was a lot of fun to attend a family event with a nice meal and dancing! Ethan and Joe even wore matching tuxedos!

Decorating the main tree - Joe is always on ladder duty, and Ethan loves to "photo bomb" pictures these days.

Admiring the tree.

This year instead of a true gingerbread house, the kids decorated a Spongebob Square Pants pineapple house. It was quite the conversation piece!

I just don't think we have the magic touch with gingerbread houses. Last year the house literally collapsed on itself, and this year's didn't hold up much better.

The kids posing in their Christmas outfits before Illini Country Club's Breakfast with Santa.

The kids meeting with Santa to talk over their ever changing Christmas lists.

Finally - a family Christmas picture!

Ethan (back row) and Olivia (front row) performing their songs ("Mary Rode a Donkey" for Ethan, and "Angels We Have Heard on High" for Olivia) at the St. John's Lutheran Christmas program.

Ethan (back row right) performing his five Christmas songs at his preschool Christmas program.

Rogue loved the Christmas tree! Luckily she just liked to bat at the ornaments and not climb the tree!

Lazy pajama day!

And, finally, Olivia was made Principal of the Day at her school this past December. She spent the day reading morning announcements, greeting people in the office, being the lunch monitor, and handing out "gotcha cards" to kids behaving in the hallway. She had a blast!