Christmas!

Christmas was fun this year. Rushed as always but fun! Here are some momarazzi photos from our holiday.


When my son was four my grandmother bought him a suit for Christmas. He thought it was the best thing ever! This is the third Christmas that she has bought him a suit and he still loves opening the gift and modeling his new clothes! Mr. GQ.


While shopping at Kohl's a few days before Christmas I found this dress for Isabelle and her baby, Mary. Even though the dress was not my all-time favorite, I had to have it because her and her baby would match. They look adorable together!!


Every Christmas Eve the kids get new jammies. Usually they match but the time has come that their sizes no longer jive with matching jammies. So this year they got jammies that represent our trip to Disney. Even though Spongebob isn't necessarily Disney, we did see him at Universal Studios on our vacation.


Since Thanksgiving the only thing Isabelle asked for was a dollhouse. I guess it was good that I had already planned on giving her my dollhouse from my childhood. My grandfather made me this dollhouse for my second birthday. That was 31 years ago!! My husband sanded, painted and put new hardware on this house that my daughter now can call her own. I love that.


Alex's number one wish for Christmas was an electric guitar. Santa came through and brought him one with a built-in amp. It's not too loud, thus making mom and dad very happy!

WFMW - Christmas Traditions

It's Works For Me Wednesday over at We are THAT Family!

It is so easy to get caught up in the craziness of the holidays that you lose touch with what is really important. I have a few traditions with my kids that keep us connected and give us time at home to enjoy each other. These are the traditions that I'd like to keep throughout the years, the ones that I hope my kids will pass down to their children.

1. Paper ring countdown. I have a small tree that I decorate with a paper ring garland. Each day starting December first the kids take a ring off the tree and do what I have written inside. Sometimes it's reading a Christmas story, watching a Christmas movie or singing carols around the tree. My son looks forward to this every year.


2. Graham Cracker houses. I do not have the patience to make real gingerbread for a house. So we use graham crackers and icing to create houses. Again, my son loves this. Isabelle helped last year but this year she will be making her own!


3. We have a small nativity for the kids that I got at our local Berean store. It helps keep the true meaning of Christmas alive. Each day for seven days you read a part of the Christmas story, then you take out the box and place the character in the nativity. The kids love having a nativity they are allowed to touch!


4. This tradition is not for my kids but it is something my family enjoys doing every year. We hold what is fondly known as The Cousin's Christmas Tour. My mom's cousins get together around the first Sunday in December and we meet at my house where my husband has made a delicious meal. We then travel to each participating cousin's house so that we can see their tree and decorations. It's always a fun day and we end with dessert. I love this tradition and hope it stays alive for when my daughter is my age.


5. Toys for Tots. Each year I take my son to the local Dollar Store and let him pick out 20 toys to donate to Toys for Tots. I explain to him that there are children who don't have much on Christmas and this way their mommies and daddies can get them gifts. Thankfully he hasn't asked why Santa doesn't bring the kids gifts.

I think that's about it. I love finding new traditions for my kids. What do you do?