Merry Christmas!

Huston and Arden had a great Christmas and we all had fun celebrating Christ's birth with our families. One of my favorite parts of this holiday season was hearing Huston sing the songs he learned in preschool around the house. He sang "Children Go Where I Send Thee" almost constantly the past few weeks (along with Rudolph, Silent Night, Away in a Manger, and a few others), and it was so cute. Of course, when it came time for his little Christmas program, he clammed up and refused to sing a word. He just covered his eyes and made weird faces the whole time. Typical Huston.

Huston got a tricycle on Christmas morning, which intrigued him for awhile (and he even got on it and rode it a little bit), but then he insisted we keep it out in the garage. I brought it back in the house against his wishes and he hasn't played with it much since then. He is so funny about gifts and toys. He did better about opening his presents this year, but at my parents' house I had to bribe him with a cookie to open his last three gifts. He just doesn't care that much about presents. His obsession for at least the last two months has been eyeglasses, and he did get some of those for Christmas. He has quite a collection and just likes to wear them and play with them. Every time his Mimi comes over he collects all of her reading glasses from her purse and won't let them out of his sweaty little hands until it's time for her to leave.

Arden loved opening her gifts this year! She got a darling zebra raincoat from her Mimi and Grandpa, and some dolls and a baby stroller, among other things. She is such a girlie girl and loves to wear accessories of all kinds. Every time she sees a necklace it has to go around her neck, and she loves to walk around the house with daddy's belt wrapped around her waist twice and buckled, or with a hat on her head. Such a contrast to Huston, who, within the span of just a few hours on Christmas Eve, refused to wear the button down shirt I wanted him to wear to church, his jacket, and then the pajamas I bought him that matched Arden's. I gave in to him on all three because he can put up quite the protest when it comes to clothes. At least I have Arden to pretty up!

We took the kids to the Christmas Eve service at our church and I loved having them with us in the sanctuary as we sang Christmas carols. Christmas day was spent at my parents' house and the kids had fun running around and playing with their cousins, eating too many sweets, and opening a mountain of gifts. Fun times all around!

Away in a Manger

I was cleaning the house when I got home from school this week, and I really wanted to take this ENORMOUS box out to the trash in the garage, but I hadn't gotten around to it yet. My plans changed, however, when Huston woke up from his nap and almost immediately wrapped Bear Bear up in Blankie (swaddled him, if you will) and put him in the box and said, "Look, Mommy! Bear Bear's sleeping in a manger, just like Baby Jesus!" The rest of the afternoon and this week, he has continued to pretend that the box is a manger, and will say things like, "Do you want to come see Bear Bear sleeping in a manger?" and "Bear Bear's just a tiny baby." Yesterday Bear Bear was crying, and Huston sang him "Away in a Manger" to get him back to sleep.

So if you come to my house and trip over this giant box when you walk in the door, please forgive me. Now, at least, you'll know why it's there.

ardenthanks

Shutterfly is doing another great promotion for bloggers. Click here to learn more. I love using Shutterfly for all of my invitations and thank you cards. Here's the thank you card I made for Arden's first birthday:

Hello There Thank You 3x5 folded card

Create custom thank you cards at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Arden's Thank You

Okay, even though I haven't even posted about Arden's birthday part yet, not to mention Halloween or Thanksgiving or anything else that's been happening lately, I have to post this link to a thank you card I made for Arden's birthday. Shutterfly is doing another great promotion for bloggers where you can receive a $25 gift certificate for posting a link to your card project. So here it is!