nutcracker, cookies and santa

Probably since before this girl was even born I had dreamed of her, and taking her to the Nutcracker someday during the holidays.  This is something I always did with my mom, and then I danced in the Nutcracker for several years too.

I just knew age 5 was the year I wanted to start this tradition.  So we watched a nutcracker movie, and read stories so she had a background about it.

Then to make the evening extra special, that day I had gone out to buy her new Christmas earrings so she could change her earrings for the first time since her birthday.  She was so, so excited.

We found this little Nutcracker ornament I had from when I was a little girl.  She loved it.

Going downtown to the theater!  A special date with mommy!

She was so excited- mommy was too!

My pretty girl

So, next year, we're doing a matinee!  Ha!  She got so tired she fell asleep after a few of the scenes.  I was a little disappointed but it made for some cute pictures!  Avery's big sister was in the show so she came to say hi at intermission and thought it was funny that Kerigan was sleeping!

By the time the show was over she was completely out and I had to carry her quite a ways back to the car!  I got a workout that night!

This sweet group of friends... Kerigan's friend Ruby in her class had an ice skating party one evening and we had another party to attend the same night so we had to squeeze two things in.

They had so much fun together!  These girls are all in the same class.  I was worried about moving Kerigan away from her old friends and I didn't need to be!  Miss social butterfly has no problem making friends!

After some ice skating, we scooted out and over to Avery's Santa party!  

Every year our neighbors host a party and elves come and everything!  Santa brings a gift for each child and the kids all have so much fun!

Someone was pretty excited to open his Skylander-shaped box!

How does Santa know just exactly what he wants!?

She was pretty excited about her big box of Shopkins too!

Then it's so magical because the kids all go to the window and watch Santa fly away!  They see a spark in the sky and they are all just amazed!

Kerigan with some good friends in the neighborhood.

Ga Ga came to visit for a few days and helped us make cookies, gingerbread houses, and got to visit the kids at school!

Buddy surprised the kids with gingerbread houses and they were so excited and couldn't wait to get started making them!

Good thing Ga Ga was here to help!

Then we made a few batches of our famous sugar cookies.  

These two rarely spend a weekend day apart, so of course Avery came to help with the frosting!  And the eating!  Ha!

While we were doing the cookies, I walked by and found Andrew in his room reading books to his stuffed animals!  I love that he still likes to do this!

I took Kerigan to the mall to see Heidi who was visiting for a Hockey game!  We were so excited to see her and spend some time with her and her boyfriend!

While we were at the mall I took Kerigan to see Santa again.  She was so happy!

And every time we've been to the mall I never have let her ride the carousel because it seems we're always in a hurry, or I never had the right amount of cash on me.  This day, the man running it said she could ride for free because she looked so cute!  Ha ha.  She was so pumped.  And she rode about 3 times!

The holidays are always fun at school too!  Ha!

The teachers had an ugly sweater day!

And the kids had pajama day!  Kerigan is hidden in this picture but her teacher sent it.  They were getting ready to make gingerbread men in the kitchen and put them in the oven!

Then they rolled them out and cut them out in class.

I got to sneak down as they were decorating them!

Then they got "lost" while the kids were in music!

It was so cute, they went to different classrooms asking the kids about their gingerbread men, and they posted signs around the school.

Here they are in my teaching partner's 3rd grade class so she took a picture for me!  When they got back to their room, the gingerbread men were hiding in the houses the kids made the week before!  It was such a clever idea and the kids all loved it!

Kerigan and her super fun teacher Mrs. Halverson. She has made Kindergarten the most amazing experience for our girl and we are so grateful!

 Pajama day is a perfect way to end school for the year!

I saw this on Pinterest and it made me laugh!  There's just nothing like having 2 weeks off!

Bring on Christmas break!

snow much fun!

The kids were getting very antsy about Buddy the elf and if he would find us at our new home!  Finally, on December 1 he showed up with treats and our advent calendar!  They were so excited!

Belle found her favorite spot under the tree all season.  Thank goodness she's too big to climb it anymore!

Just my girl and I chillin in our jammies by the tree with cookies and a movie!

Since Daddy works at the high school, he got tickets to take his girl on a date to see the Wizard of Oz put on by the students.  She was so excited to dress up like Dorothy and go with her daddy.

He even let her bring Avery next door and took them out to lunch!

These girls were so happy and excited!

At the show!

Craig said several people asked her if she was part of the play!  Ha!  She had to get a picture with Dorothy!

We were so excited to get our first snowstorm!  It was so pretty!

We have a huge backyard with a big hill and they kids can go sledding.  All the neighbor kids come out and they just have a blast!

Avery pulling Kerigan!

Of course we come inside for hot cocoa and put our jammies on!

One evening Ga Ga and Papa came and we had dinner at a favorite italian place in town.

And then we hit up Orange Leaf!  Froyo in the snow!  Because why not?

Then of course we hit up Target!  Now this is how you relax at Target!  Ha!

We just love it when Ga Ga comes to visit!  This day she got to come to the kids school and have lunch with Andrew!

Kerigan's class was making Gingerbread houses and Ga Ga was so happy to spend the afternoon with her girl in Kindergarten!

Ga Ga helped me wrap a ton of presents and we stayed up late watching Christmas movies and wrapping.  Belle also had a lot of fun helping us wrap presents!  Ha!

The kids always have fun finding Buddy every morning.  This was a favorite- Buddy's snowman after the snowstorm!

He played with all their Secret Life of Pets toys and brought them the movie!

One morning he was dressed like Poppy!  They loved this one!

He made an igloo out of cotton balls and hid inside!  And made himself a Spaceman, which was Andrew's favorite the whole season.

Andrew used to be the one to write sweet little notes to Buddy, but this year it was Kerigan.  She would come home from school almost every day with sweet little notes and letters to him.

This one is sideways but it is so sweet how she spelled his name, and how she told him she loves him and misses him.

This was the neatest story- the kids had been learning about spreading kindness at school.

Then one busy night between all their activities and Craig was gone so I drove them through McDonald's and the person in front of us paid for our meals!  It was so sweet I almost cried.  It just made my whole night.  It was a perfect opportunity to teach the kids about kindness.

We always love to pick a night and get in our jammies, make hot cocoa and cookies and drive around to look at lights together.  Here we were taking off!

I didn't take many pictures!  We just had a fun evening together.

One of the main roads in town has lighted trees all along the street and I just think it is so pretty!

Then we found the best house in town!

But when we pulled in I couldn't help but think how pretty our new house looked!  So I took a picture of it too!  For years I have wanted a huge wreath like that above the garage.  So excited to finally have it!  Next year I'm decorating the porch, too.  This year I was doing good just to get the tree up!