Celebrating the Season

Ahhhhhh, the most wonderful time of the year! This is the one month that we wait all year for.  It's the season of love, peace, joy, giving, family, and magic.  It really is the most special of all months.  

Our little elf friends returned a little early this year and brought along a new friend, the Saint Bernard that we named Rudy.  They also brought yummy snowball donuts.  On December 1st they brought the Advent calendars.  Then they joined us on our annual trip to NYC.  They put themselves in mason jars so that they could be safely carried on the airplane and to our hotel.

We arrived in NYC on Thursday, December 1st in the late morning so the kids and I spent most of the day playing in the park.  We went to the zoo, watched a 4D Rudolph movie, played in the Children's zoo, and climbed a lot of rocks.  Then we walked around midtown and took in all the seasonal sights.

plane ride to NYC

Our elves returned the next day ready to spend the day shopping in the city.  Savannah wanted to wake up early and try to get on the Today Show.  Unfortunately the crowd was way too big so we went for a run around Central Park instead.  Then we returned back to the hotel room to shower and get ready for our lunch at the American Girl Cafe.

This year we decided to visit Santa at Macys on Friday night instead of trying to beat the rush on a Saturday morning.  So after dinner at Del Frisco Grille we headed to 34th Street.  We didn't even need to use our Santa reservation because the regular line was so short.  Once we made it in to see the jolly man both kiddos took a seat on his lap and I didn't even have to get in the picture.

Saturday we were able to spend the day with Oscar playing in the city.  We took the kids ice skating in Bryant Park and then we took the subway downtown to see the 9/11 Memorial.  We also managed to fit in a Shake Shack lunch---my fav!  Dinner that night was also another fav---Balthazar.  

Santa in our hotel lobby

After returning home we had lots of holiday fun things to do to get in the Christmas spirit.  Our elves always surprised us with their silly shenanigans.

undies instead of stockings

a wrapped potty with green toilet water

Santa at the SECU gingerbread workshop

baking cookies

Santa at the Country Club

movie night

painting our annual Christmas pottery

hot chocolate bar

caroling to a recovering friend 

Elves brought tickets to see Disney on Ice

picking out a real tree to put on the porch

decorating the gingerbread house

and elves lunch

S's gymnastics performance

live show of Rudolph

Santa at Southpoint mall

time to get those final lists to Santa ready

delivering toys to the Ronald McDonald house

happy birthday mom

caroling in Southpoint Manor

All that's left now is to wait for the big day, although Christmas Eve is always my favorite day of the year.  The kiddos argue with me saying that no, it's Christmas Day.  I love all the traditions that we've created during this special time and I love watching the kids become more involved and excited about them.  Experiencing the magic through their eyes is really something special.  Oh how I wish they could stay this little forever.