Bring on the Holidays!

The ornaments are on our tree (starting about half way up due to a certain one-year-old). The train was up and running but is now unplugged and de-railed (again due to said one-year-old). I even strung a garland around our front door and wound lights on a tree trunk outside our house.

As for presents, Noah believes in waiting until the last possible moment to buy them (in his mind he's saving money) so we have one gift for Gabby (an expensive set of cups) and that's it. The big present this year is plane tickets to Utah. Noah originally wanted to drive but I welled up some authentic tears and he folded.

This year's homemade siblings gifts are on their way to getting done. Alex is just about finished stapling Gabby's fabric covered bulletin board. As predicted, the staple gun was a huge hit with him.I've re-thought what Gabby's making after realizing that I'm not really up to helping her sew a tent so instead she's making Alex a batman growth chart which she'll have more fun making anyway. For Oliver, Gabby and Alex are going to help paint a picture of monkeys to hang in his room. Over all I think I've spent about $35 total on the supplies for the kids' gifts to each other, which isn't too bad.

For our neighborhood friends, we made hot chocolate-on-a-stick (directions here). Unfortunately, they were such a hit in our own family that none of them made it out the door to our neighbors. Maybe next year. . .hot chocolate-on-a-stick's biggest fan:Over the weekend we spent the evening freezing at the city parade. There were fireworks too apparently but Gabby (who was with a neighbor friend) was the only one in our family willing to brave the cold long enough to see them. This week, my goal is help the kids finish their gifts so we can all veg in front of the TV on Friday night and watch A Christmas Story.