how we get ready for the holidays

In no particular order at all, here's how we are getting ready for Christmas this year:

We made Gingerbread Houses today. Yep, that's PURPLE frosting, leftover from Bryn's b-day cake. Bailey kept telling Benson that "The candy is for decorating, NOT eating!" Finally Benson said, "I decorate my tongue!" And that's exactly what he did. Ate most of the candy and didn't put one single piece on the house.

We make gifts for neighbors (chocolate banana bread wrapped in a festive towel), gifts for teachers (custom clipboards), and friends (fudge!).

We have parties!

At school, church (see Santa picture below), and with neighbors. I got to make cupcakes and take them and stay for Bailey's class party. It was so fun. Notice her funny smile from the fat lip?

We dress festively!

We write letters to Santa, Alvin the Elf, and make lots of Christmas cards.

We have a crazy Elf that hides whenever we're not looking. We never know where he might be or what he might have done (like clean the toy room, or make an Elf Snowstorm by covering the windows in snowflakes).

We (mostly me) decorate every square inch of the house. I just couldn't get enough of it this year. It's 2 days before and I'm still finding things I want to do or decorate. One thing that didn't get decorated was the exterior. No lights this year. Curse you MBA program!

And of course, we sit on Santa's lap!

Some enjoy it more than others.