'Tis the Season

I can't believe we are 9 days from Christmas!  As always, the month of December flies by too quickly to get everything done on the list I make in the fall.  But I think I was a little too optimistic about taking a 9 month old out and about this holiday season.  As I looked at my list last night that included Holiday In the Park and Shrek ICE at the Gaylord Texan I couldn't help but laugh out loud.  The two times we've tried to even drive around town to look at lights Keegan has lasted maybe fifteen minutes before having a meltdown!  He naps during the day and goes to bed too early at night for most of what I had planned for us--  Not to mention the nasty cold that he had last week that he gave to Ava a few days ago.  So I put the list away and decided that (as my friend Amy always says) this is just a season of life.  She's right.  Keegan's baby days are numbered and we have so many more Christmas seasons ahead of us to fill with as many holiday activities as possible.  We do plan to visit Northpark next week to see the beloved trains but Gaylord and Six Flags we will hope to see you next year! 

Here are a few pictures of what we have been up to the last couple of weeks........

Ava built her first gingerbread house with us last week. We handled most of the construction but she did most of the decorating.  I think we will do another one this weekend.  She loved it!

She's quite the little helper when it comes to wrapping gifts this year.  She helps with the tape and places the bows.  Sometimes I give her preschool scissors, her own paper and tags and let her create :-)

These rainy days have been good for crafts.  We cut out different shaped ornaments for her paper tree last week.  It wasn't anything fancy but it gave us a good chance to practice drawing and cutting different shapes.

And we had such a fun day decorating cookies and gingerbread houses with friends Abigail & Preston last week.

  Ava is so excited about Christmas this year.  We are counting the days until Christmas morning and she's holding on to the hope of the same four things that she's wanted all month.  I think I am just as excited for Christmas morning as she is this year.  It's so fun to see Christmas through the eyes of a three year old.

 Love these kids!