Is it Chrismas yet?!

We have an Advent calendar in the kitchen that marks the days down to Christmas. Frankie is rather sentinel in her duty to keep track of how many days we have left, so I always know the count. I love Christmas, but usually reach a point where I am ready for all the festivities to be over and our normal schedule to return. This year, I'm not sure if it's because I have two preschoolers or because we're in Atlanta (Christmas is a much more subdued event in Boston), but I think I've reached my limit. I think it's the crowds more than anything, but I don't think I can handle any more crowded Christmas-related events.

But wow, we've had a time of it this year! We started Christmas off in Knoxville at Great Gammie's house. We went to the Festival of Trees with Mimi



The kids made ornaments, got their faces painted, and rode a carousel, all to benefit the local Children's hospital.











There was a pretty impressive gingerbread house contest there too. This was my favorite:


Then it was off to Clemson to decorate gingerbread houses of our own with Maggie, Sam, and Caleb






I've been told it's been unseasonably warm, even for down here, but this has been our favorite part of Christmas in the south:


Back in Atlanta, we went to the Life College lights display with Aunt Dawn and Uncle Bob. We saw Santa, who turns out is dog friendly!



When Santa asked what the kids wanted, Frankie replied a teddy bear (?) and Dex replied enthusiastically, "A present!". Frankie decided later what she really wants is a hula hoop, which sounds more accurate to me, so that's what we got her. Sounds like Dex will be happy with anything we get him, so Chris picked out a sweet ray gun for him at Target.

Speaking of presents, I entered our bedroom the other day to the sound of ripping paper. I found Dex in the midst of the wrapping paper roll mess below, and asked him (a little horrified) what he was doing. "Momma," he said, "I found this present under your bed and I kept opening and opening but couldn't find the present."



You can't discipline a boy for that kind of hilarity.

We got a tree and decorated our house.






One of my favorite pieces on the mantel - my mom made this a few Christmases ago.

Frankie has been a veritable factory of Christmas crafts this month.


There is a baby Jesus, lost somewhere in the house. That's probably why Mary and Joseph look so anxious.


One of my favorite ornaments she made. She was really proud of the pattern she chose to do. "Momma, I did two reds and one white. Most of the other kids only did red then white, red then white." How lame of them, right?


Finally! A use for all those discarded puzzle pieces.

We've now also been to Frankie's school Christmas sing a long and Christmas party, Advent Sundays at church, the lights at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, and Madeline's Christmas (a theatrical production for kids, and super cute). While all this has been loads of fun and really well done, I think we're ready for a little quit before Christmas is actually here.

I'm wishing you all a restful few days before the actual Christmas holiday so you can contemplate with me the birth of our savior and all he did. For unto us a child was born.