...to temper the holiday craze

...since I have been waking to night sweats and heart palpitations.

No.  Really.

I get myself all worked about all that has to be done.

I can start hyperventilating on a lazy Saturday morning in the middle of March when I think about something trivial like...how all of the closets 'need' to be cleaned out.

You can imagine how my poor heart is racing now.

ONLY 22 DAYS TO GO!!!

Excuse me for a moment while I take some deep breaths out of my brown-paper bag.

Breathe In-Breathe Out

Let's just throw it out there that our life is a little crazy here at the Crow household without adding on all of the holiday activities.

Christmas programs.
Holiday parties.
Ornament exchanges.
Cocktail hours.

Yup.  We are cramming it all in here.

And because this is my absolute favorite time of the year I feel the need to make it extra-special for my children.

So many things to remember for them such as...

Helping them track down their crazy elf each morning.
Remembering to put a special holiday joke in their lunch each day..
Creating a family-centered activity each evening for our Advent activity.

You can surely see why I can barely remember to brush my teeth each day.

So this morning as I was getting ready for my day I was trying to think of a fabulous Advent activity that would mesh with my work day, I was trying to figure out how I could mitigate some of the stress...or I was trying to figure out how I could cross several items off my list at once...

and so the activity of the day meshed into:

Take my cherubs to the PX and have each child pick out a toy they would personally love to have for Christmas and instead give it to Toys for Tots (teach giving vs. receiving...than I worry are they really getting this message???)   Afterward, we would grab dinner at one of the choice dinner locales offered here on Post.

In a little over an hour we shopped, bought our gifts, ate dinner (and dessert...soda counts as this), and even managed to have a little chat with the big-man-in-red himself.  Complete with a pretty good casual photo op!

Check.  Donation for school program.
Check.  Giving.  (On my list several times throughout the season for them to witness/participate.)
Check.  Family time.
Check.  Provide dinner for offspring.
Check.  Fill 5X7 empty holiday photo frame.

Bonus...Santa was super great with each of my darlings!

Even number 4 is sort of smiling!

Post Script:

I am not certain that my children really get it.  We are trying to teach them about giving vs. receiving.  I am trying to help them understand there are children, in our own community, who may not receive anything for Christmas.  But I am not sure how/when this message sinks in.  I can only hope that in some way, the message we are trying to give them is they should be thankful for all of their blessings.

...to begin the Christmas countdown

...with a family trip to Syracuse.

We went to see the Polar Express in IMAX at the MOST.

If you haven't caught this movie in IMAX you really should.  

We all really enjoyed the film.  I suppose my children even consider this a 'holiday classic'.

As Audrey said, it seemed like we were in the movie.

Amazing.

And another bonus...

Running into Santa on the way back to our vehicle.

Ahh...the excitement 

And wonder....

of the season.

Enjoy a very happy, beginning of the season.

...to take the girls to swim lessons

...at the local YMCA

William, the budding photographer, took all of the photos this evening.

Some a little far away...

Others a little blurry...

A few with interesting lighting...

And another just right.

Perhaps with a little more practice we will be able to hire out his services.

...to celebrate 5

...years....for Abbey!

To think that our #3 is already five makes me a little sad.  

However, you can see that she is ecstatic!

She has been waiting for the day of November 27th to come... FOREVER!

For the last week, she has wanted us all to 'practice' singing Happy Birthday to her.  Each morning she wakes us and declares that she gets to pick what everyone eats for breakfast, well...all because her 'birthday is coming up!"

And finally, today...she was so excited all day about her rainbow birthday party!

We invited four friends over for an hour and a half of coloring, painting, tie-dyeing, and fuse-beading.

My goal was to keep it simple.  I served a several fruits (a rainbow of colors) and fruit dip (clouds) and rainbow cupcakes.

And what party isn't complete without a game?  We played her very favorite...duck-duck-goose.

As you can see all of the big kids came home from school in time to enjoy the end of the party festivities.

She had such a fun time with her friends.

After dinner at her favorite restaurant (Cici's pizza) we came back home to open the rest of her gifts.  She was showered with fun art projects, toys, and games from her friends and our family.

It was so sweet to see how genuinely excited she was about each item she received.  Even later in the evening as she opened the things that Mark and I got her, she stopped after each present and said thank you to Mark and I each time.  

Her gratefulness melted my heart.

I just love that little one of mine.  

I can see five is going to be a great year for her!

...to be thankful

...for so many things.

Things like...

little hands

old farms

a crafty Aunt

friends

sweet nephew and Grandma

goggles and Grandpa

shared screen time

sisters

lazy mornings

friends

cousins

And...

family

My heart is full.

For that I am so thankful.

...to take the children to get hair cuts

...all of them.  At one time.  By one lady.  In the same small shop.

Our new hairdresser is a super sweet young girl.  Who doesn't have any of her own children yet.

And she does a really great job cutting hair.

And she takes a really long time to get the hair cut 'just right'.  Because she doesn't have any of her own children yet.

Two hours long.

Yup.

No perms.  No dyes.  Not even shampoos.

Just cuts.

Two hours worth of haircuts.

With four children in a small little shop.

You should have come.

It was fun.

See:

getting ready for cosmetology school

spinning in the chair

teasin' Abbey's hair...workin' some magic

twirling

not cooperating

It was kinda like a hair cuttin' party.

 

...not to be woken up

....when Abbey comes down 'scared' in the middle of the night.

Our conversation went something like this....

Me:  Abbey, I don't want you to come down and tell me you are scared tonight.  If you wake up and can't go back to sleep than you can go and sleep with either Isabella or Will.

Abbey:  But I am scared of the monsters.

Me:  There are no monsters in our house because Timber scares them all away.  If you wake up, just roll over and go back to sleep.  Do not come and tell us about it.

Abbey:  But what if my lip hurts?

Me:  It will be just fine.  Get a drink of water and go back to bed.  Either in your own bed, with Isabella, or with Will.  Mommy and Daddy need to sleep.  I get cranky when you wake me up.

Abbey:  So....if I wake up and I am scared, than I need to go and wake up Daddy?



Me:  Exactly.  Exactly little one.