'Tis the Season to Be Jolly

Over the past few days we have really been getting excited for Christmas around here! Ryder and I have been doing a lot of Christmas themed crafts, planning to make a finger puppet nativity scene, and have done some finger painted reindeer to send to family. Tomorrow night we have plans to go see Christmas lights at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens, and I just finished wrapping the last of our Christmas gifts and placed them under our Christmas tree. It really is the most wonderful time of year and seeing it through the eyes of a child makes it all the more fun!

 Last week, Ryder helped me decorate our first Gingerbread house together. I figured since he just turned three that we didn't need to go all out this year, and we iced a pre-made house instead. It tasted just as good to me, and everyday since, Ryder has asked when he can start eating it. I'm not sure that you can eat it, so I told him we would just keep this one for everyone to look at and will make a better one that we can eat next year. He seemed content with this answer since I compromised and let him eat as much frosting and candies from the packets instead. I just wasn't sure how good the gingerbead part would taste.

 He looks pretty content to me ha!

On Friday my mom and stepdad came over to attend Ryder's Christmas program at his preschool. If you can't tell where he is, he's the one in the striped green sweater obviously not paying any attention ha! His class is one of the youngest at the preschool and for that reason they only get one part during the performance so I think he was getting a little bored. I teared up when his class first started walking down the aisle jingling their bells and clapping their hands. My baby is growing up! Sweet little goose.

 Here's a family pic which I'm kinda looking a hot mess because we hadn't slept particularly well this morning after dealing with Brynley's crazy 3 month growth spurt. Not to mention I was trying to get 2 dozen plus sugar cookies done before heading out the door. All of the parents were to bring cookies to snack on afterwards, and I was shocked when we got there to see all of the store bought cookies. I guess I didn't even think about it! I did hear one man say "No, let's head to the end of the table where all the homeade ones are" Ha!

 Ryder with his plate of goodies

 Brynley did squirm the entire time even after she ate, and then decided to settle down finally about the last 5 minutes before we left. The girl just isn't herself lately, but thank goodness I had the help of my mom!

 There are 3 girls in Ryder's class this year which cracks me up because he had all boys in his daycare class. Luckily he does have one boy in his class though, which he has made fast friends with and the two of them were so cute eating and playing together before telling one another bye.

We've been enjoying our Eggnog with a snack of cookies or other treats here lately too! I hate everything about eggs but just love me some Eggnog. Lattes, pancakes, french toast you name it if it has Eggnog in it I'm all about some!

I let Ryder try some and he loved the stuff too! We have had so much fun this month preparing for Christmas and I'm sad that January is fast approaching. We continue to remind Ryder of the reason for the season and it makes me smile when I hear him ask about baby Jesus. I just pray that he always remembers this!