The Rest of Christmas

Christmas break could not have come soon enough! I have been anxiously awaiting some time off from school to spend with my favorite girls and favorite guy. I was just as antsy as my students for Christmas to arrive! To kick it off, we went to see my brother and sister and families for a Christmas lunch. The kids all played while the adults chatted the afternoon away. Always great to see them. It is pretty neat that we are all an hour from each other and can see family often. Sunday was a lot of relaxing and watching football as it was the fantasy football final weekend and my dear hubby was in the hunt for a few championships! He was a happy camper when it was all said and done. He was even gracious enough to say he was going to share his winnings with me. What a guy ;) On Monday we let the girls open their presents from Mom and Dad. They both really liked their new dolls! Later, we went to Dave and Vickie's for a wonderful evening of food, gifts, games, toasting, and laughs. The meal was amazing as always and the gifts were too numerous to count. We ended the evening with 10:00 mass. By the end, all the kiddos fell asleep. Kelsey gets the award for making it up the longest. That night Santa came to our house and the girls woke up to more presents under the tree. They must have been good because they sure got spoiled this year. Megan knew exactly what to do this year. Kelsey was expressive as usual with each gift and also very appreciative. Santa left the girls a note saying they had been good and to remember to always listen to their mommy and daddy. He also told them that Sparkle, our elf on the shelf, had gone back to North Pole to make toys and help Santa, but she would come back next year. After we finished opening Santa gifts, we went back to Dave and Vickie's for another day of fun. Kelsey enjoyed playing her new games Fibber and Monopoly Party Junior. Megan seemed to have the most fun chasing her cousins. Plus, we all had on sweatpants and there was a ton of delicious food, so we couldn't go wrong. What a Christmas it was. Hard to believe it has come and gone.

Nothing Sweeter

These two are best buddies. Melts my heart!

Dance Program

Kelsey had her Christmas dance recital this week. She waved excitedly as she began and kept the smile on her face the entire time. This child loves the stage! She shook her groove thing and once again made us proud. There were some definite moments of tights scratching and a nose pick as well, but that makes it entertaining, right? She had another solid cheering section. We are lucky to have so many people who live close to us and support our girls.

Preschool Program

Kelsey had her first school Christmas program. We had no doubt she would get up there and sing her little heart out because she loves the stage and performing. She sang all the words and did all the actions to the songs. We were quite proud parents. We were taking pictures and video taping on multiple devices. Afterwards, Kelsey gave us presents that she made in school. They were precious and made with love. Grandma and Grandpa were able to join in on the fun, too. This is the first of many programs to come!

Christmas #3

We celebrated with the extended Skala family last weekend. There was quite a good turnout. I didn't catch a total number, but the place was full. We had an excellent meal, passed out Christmas cards and enjoyed seeing everyone's family pictures, sang Christmas carols, played Bunco, ate some more, and chit-chatted until it was time to go. Our girls love music and they really got into the carols. Megan was letting out a few hearty ho-ho-ho's and a big hey during jingle bells. Kelsey was doing her best to "read" the words and follow along. She knew most of the classic holiday songs. It is always a fun get together!

Daycare Party

Mary hosted a great Christmas party on Sunday. Mary goes all out. The kids got to make ornaments when they arrived. Kelsey was happy to help make Megan's as well. Then, Santa came! Kelsey was really excited for this! She hopped up in his lap with absolutely no reservations and told him the many, many things she is hoping for this Christmas. Megan also sat on his lap and there were no tears. There was not a smile either, but I still consider this a succes to not have her be upset. After Kelsey sat on Santa's lap, she got kind of sad. When we asked her what was wrong, she said she forgot to tell Santa two things she wanted. So we told her she could get in line again and finish telling him her wishes. There was so much delicious food for dinner. Mary is a great cook, and it is a treat when we get to eat her food. After dinner, the kids exchanged gifts and also received gifts from Mary. We feel so lucky to have Mary watch our girls. We see how much she loves them everyday. She is an absolute blessing in our lives.

Baking Day

Our annual baking day arrived and it was good as usual. We each picked a few yummy recipes to try and then we all shared the goodies. We started off with muffins, coffee, and girl talk, moved onto baking up a storm, and ended with some taste testing. The kiddos decorated cut out cookies as well. We all ended up with lots of yummy treats!

Thanksmas

We celebrated Thanksmas at my dad's house. We started this tradition a few years ago where we combine celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas. It allows us to celebrate together, as well we spend time with our other sides of the family and leave time to our own family. We all arrived on Friday evening. I know I have said this before, but it is pretty neat that we can all stay together in one house. The kids love all playing together and getting to have a sleepover. On Saturday we opened presents in shifts throughout the day so we could stop to enjoy the gifts rather than just the mass opening process where gifts sometimes get overlooked. Plus, with so many people opening gifts, we can all see what other people get then. There was a lot of good food to fill our bellies and a lot of good company to catch up with. On Sunday, Matt and Brian went to the Packer vs. Viking game while the girls and I got to spend a little extra time with Grandpa, Grandma, Molly and the girls. Jolene and Rolf headed back a little earlier than us. It was a very relaxing and fun weekend.