Twinkle twinkle

C and the two Js went to Alight at Night at Upper Canada Village with a big part of the extended family. Unfortunately Katie was feeling awful, having spent most of the day in bed, so she and I remained home. The boys took a wagon ride, saw the lights and perused the entries in a huge gingerbread house contest.

Thank goodness it washes off...

The Avon roll-on soaps seemed like a good idea at the time...

Mini-vacation

We stayed in a hotel this trip, one that featured a pool and a hot tub. The hot tub *almost* made up for how uncomfortable the bed was :)

Boxing Day

For Boxing Day we left early early to drive to Nana's house! Look at the pile of gifts, it was taller than sweet little Maya!

All of the kids (little AND big) got terribly spoiled :)

Merry Christmas

From our home to yours

Christmas Eve

We spent Christmas Eve morning at my office, which traditionally throws a children's party for the kids of employees on Christmas Eve. The kids decorated cookies, made crafts and had a visit from 'Santa'.

Afterwards, we wandered across the river to papa's office for lunch and to enjoy the kids Christmas activities in his large complex, and were surprised and delighted when he was able to leave at noon-ish (we expected he'd work the whole day). Made for a lovely, calm day.

A quick stop in at a cousin's Christmas party before heading to the church rounded out the day.


The kids both sang at Christmas Eve Mass this year, and having sat through a good many of the rehearsals I'm shocked at how GOOD it was! It was GREAT really! The kids sounded angelic, the adult choir lovely, and it all went without a hitch (except that Katie had a tummy ache, but that didn't stop her from performing, or eating the candy that they gave the kids afterwards!)

A favourite tradition

I love gingerbread houses. I'm not Martha Stewart, so I don't bake them, but I get a kit every year and let the bits go wild. There's something so satisfying about a wee house made entirely of cookie and candy! In all honesty though, they generally get tossed in the garbage after Christmas. And I'm ok with that. The fun is in the making after all :)

Seasons Greetings

Trying to take pictures of the little boogers for this year's Christmas card. They're cute, but they're tricky to photograph. One refuses to smile, the other is all about posing. But I did get one I can use. In the interest of keeping my Christmas cards a surprise, here, instead, are some outtakes.

Hold me closer Tony Danza...

Katie and I went to the ballet today with two other mom and daughter pairs.

Beauty and the Beast

She loved it (I did too). Was a very simple staging, and the audience was full of little girls, all dressed up of course. So sweet. I looked over at her at one point and she was on the edge of her seat, completely engrossed. She really understood it, and that's saying a lot because ballet is often not easy to understand.

(Then on the way home she told me that the male lead had a 'jiggly butt'. Hehehe, not quite the same thing I noticed about him, but close...)

The tree is up

And the season has 'officially' begun. We never put the tree up before December, it's one of C's 'rules', so when the tree finally goes up it's well and truly Christmas :)

Bookworm

This makes my heart sing, it's all finally clicked and he's reading for pleasure (what you can't tell from this picture is the TV is on, but he's paying no attention to that, he's instead absorbed in a book... a chapter book!)