Reading stories about Christmas
Tanner's favorites was Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. After seeing the movie, he's walk around the house and continuously repeat, "HO, HO, HO, Merry Christmas!" And my some small miracle, we actually got it on tape!
Next year, I'm going to try a new idea where you have count-down to Christmas and wrap a book to open and read each night before Christmas.
For this year, I settled on reading him some of the same Christmas stories over and over again. But when it's The Polar Express, I don't seem to mind.
Learning about Baby Jesus
Tanner loves his kids nativity scene, but probably for all the wrong reasons. Normally, it's arranged like this. But when I'm not looking, Tanner re-arranges it like this. I've never caught him in the act, he's sneaky like that, but of course it's him.
Tanner loves his kids nativity scene, but probably for all the wrong reasons. Normally, it's arranged like this. But when I'm not looking, Tanner re-arranges it like this. I've never caught him in the act, he's sneaky like that, but of course it's him.
The little one loves to be a stinker, and he'll even tell you as he's laughing his head off.
Baking, Baking, and more Baking.
I made endless amounts of Christmas cookies and Tanner was my number one accomplice.
While I'd like to think he genuinely enjoyed spending time with his momma in the kitchen.
Tanner rolling out sugar cookies and saying "Whoa, this is a big one" thinking that would be the end of it. He loved rolling up his sleeves and getting a little dirty, but you had to watch him, cause he loved to sneak in a bite whenever he could.
Tanner also helped make these amazing cookies. My far -- my favorite NEW christmas cookies. And I was shocked when he held off the temptation and actually helped me unwrap the Andies Chocalate Mints and place them on the cookies.
Singing Jingle Bells (with Santa's bell on his cap).
The poor Santa got dragged all over the house while Tanner would be singing away, jingling the bell on the top of his cap. It was too cute to try to keep Santa in his proper spot.
Spending time with family
We had so many fun visitors over the Holidays -- my parents came from Seattle, my grandparents, Nana & Papa from St George, and my brothers from UNT.
It still seemed quite compared without the entire family we had together at Thanksgiving. But we made the post of who was here and had fun playing games, shopping, and eating. Lots of it!
Trip to the Zoo with Nanny
Trip to the Zoo with Nanny
It's hard to say who was more impressed, my mom or Tanner. She was shouffling the giraffes to get them to eat the lettuce and talking to the lion zookeepers about the the differences/ similarities between wild and domesticated animals.
We rode the monorail around the zoo. We almost didn't make it cause Tanner was having a melt down when he say the first train leave without him. But we persevered & made it. He kept insisting I take pics of all the animals we saw -- so I ended up with tons of pics of animals, and only these of us :)
or Tanner finding every stuffed toy to give to my dad. Tanner and my dad had one thing in common, they loved to wake up early. Tanner woke up at 6:00 every morning and trust me when I say I can't function before 7:00.
Or on Christmas eve, the weather was gorgeous! And we played outside like it was first day of fall all over again.
Anthony and I had off over 2+ weeks of work and school -- so we got lots of good playtime in!
Trains at Northpark
And of course I would forget my camera...but I swear this place was created with Tanner in mind. He was most impressed my seeing Thomas the Train and a train circling the Christmas tree - but this place had it all. I enjoyed seeing the Downtown Dallas cityscape and Fair park with all the amusement rides. Yup, we could have stayed here all day.
Just being our normal, silly selves.
It's all the small moments that add up - driving around town to see the Christmas lights, delivering Christmas goodies to friends and neighbors, going to see Santa Claus, the endless Christmas parties with friends. and spending time with family. It's not really what you do -- but who you do it with -- that matters.
It's all the small moments that add up - driving around town to see the Christmas lights, delivering Christmas goodies to friends and neighbors, going to see Santa Claus, the endless Christmas parties with friends. and spending time with family. It's not really what you do -- but who you do it with -- that matters.
And that is why I LOVE Christmas!
