The month of December was busy for us as we prepared for Christmas. The festivities began with the Otte Family Christmas Party at the beginning of December. The kids were excited to open the first gifts of the season.
We went to the library in mid-December to see Santa. Vera was excited, and did a great job talking to Santa. She even spoke on her brother & sister's behalf. Vince didn't cry, but he was not interested in sitting with Santa. He did offer a very reluctant hi five. Miss Annie was the crier and only lasted long enough for a fast photo. The most exciting thing was that Santa knew we were the Pearsons before we even talked to him!! That Santa knows everything!
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| A little uneasiness from Annie |
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| Then a lot of uneasiness. |
Later, after we ate a snack and then worked on a craft in the library, Vince walked off. He walked to the front of the Santa line and walked right to Santa. I grabbed him and made him wait his turn. He willingly waited and then comfortably walked to Santa when it was time! Woohoo, Vinners! Vince was so good while we were at the library. He stood by us, and waited patiently without throwing any fits. It was a fun evening!
Last year, Patty gave the kids a gingerbread house kit for Christmas. We didn't attempt the project last year, but I thought it'd be a fun weekend project for this year. Vera and Vince were so good as they worked together to complete "Pluto's Doghouse," as Vince named it. They took turns adding candies and were so diligent in making it turn out just right. It didn't take nearly as long as I had initially thought. They were eager decorators! :)
After the gingerbread house was completed, we made suncatchers with pony beads and cookie cutters. The project was inspired by Pinterest, and turned out well. I mediated the project and tended to Annie while dad, Vera and Vince crafted away. Vince mostly dumped beads in his cookie cutter, emptied it, and repeated. Vera made a snowflake and dad made a gingerbread man and a snowman. We melted the beads on the grill to avoid the melted plastic smell in the house, and they turned out really cute!
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| Hard at work! |
The Bertke family Christmas was the weekend before Christmas. Despite the icy weather, we had a fun day. Vera and Adam even won prizes for their Christmas-themed attire! I didn't take any pictures, but we did capture some successful photos of the great grandchildren. There are 12 of them, ranging in age from 5 (Vera) to 7 weeks (Aubrey).
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| L to R: Cohen, Vera, Aubrey, Blake, Annie, Eli, Scarlett, Vince, Amelia, Audrey, Nora and Beau on top I would say Paul and Lucille would be proud! |
As if Patty isn't already good enough to us, she got us all a Christmas surprise. Vince & Annie got bath crayons, and she baked some delicious muffins for our family. Patty is such a blessing to our family! We are so lucky to have her!
The kids enjoyed another year of Chippy the Elf and all of his antics. Even Annie got excited to see Chippy each day. Chippy didn't play many tricks on us this year, but he did leave behind some notes and gifts from the North Pole. One of Chippy's notes said that our house was too wild and noisy, and we found him in our car the next morning. His note said he needed a quieter place to keep watch. The highlight was probably the Christmas train that Chippy brought. The kids found it one day driving around the Christmas tree. All of them, especially Vince, sat for quite a while watching the train circle around.
As always, the excitement and magic of Christmas is so fun to enjoy through the eyes of children. I loved their innocent excitement, squeals of delight, and sweet smiles as we prepared for Jesus' birthday and the magic of the season!
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