A Pre-Thanksgiving...

filled weekend.

Since we are going to NC for Thanksgiving this year, and since this is a year where the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the shortest, we wanted to be prepared to start the Christmas festivities as soon as we get home from NC.  So we decided to cut our tree this weekend!

The past two years we got our tree from Ellms Family Farm (the same awesome fall-activity-farm), but their trees are expensive, and we knew MiniM.E. would have a fit if she saw the farm and realized all the fun fall things were closed.  Instead, we tried Bob's Trees.  They actually have a much larger selection, and despite the cold, we found our tree and had a good time.  (They even have reindeer!!)

Then today we went to a playgroup family "Early Thanksgiving".

Merry Christmas!!

ONLY FIVE DAYS until CHRISTMAS!!!

The anticipation is killing me.  Especially because Christmas will be extra fun this year with a one-year-old.  (Note: I'm already counting down to Christmas-with-a-two-year-old!)

I finally took some photos.  Christmassy ones.  So at least if I don't take another photo of MiniM.E. until 2013, I have a couple photos that I can show her later and say, "here you were doing Christmassy things when you were one."  That's all that really matters, right?

My checklist?  Shopping: done. Wrapping: done.

Baking: done. Decorating cookies: done.

Christmas Cards: done.

Really, all that's left is to eat an inordinate amount of holiday goodies and watch The Santa Clause (my all time favorite Christmas movie.  Some hot chocolate might be in order as well.

So, until next year (probably, because Christmas is a busy time, you know? and then there's all the Christmas take-down, and playing with presents, and planning activities for New Year's Eve...), here are some photos of MiniM.E. (doing Christmassy things).

Hope you all have a a wonderful Christmas, safe travels, and best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year!

I shouldn't be playing here...

I should be up on the desk!

This looks fun

So does climbing on this chair... 

Ahhh, the table is way more fun from up here...

Playing by the tree

Testing the pokeyness

Kitty!

Just looking...

AND... pulling the owl off the tree

Can I have that back?  "More owl!"

Checking it out from a different view point

Chilling with the kitty

Organizing Mommy's cabinets while she bakes

Helping to bake

...can't even say what's going on here... 

taste test

"All done"

Rearranging a train city while at our friend R's house

"What? It was already like this!"

Reading with Jingle

Building a gingerbread train

"I think I dropped something in there!"

"Want these?"

Carefully decorating

Then un-decorating

Then decorating...

Playing outside in a new jacket

Wagon ride!

Indoor sled ride
 

Playgroup gift exchange (we got a sweet giraffe backpack!)

Our tree, all decorated (and a kitty)

First family photo: Fail.

Not bad.  The other cat is totally under the tree.  You just can't see him.  You know, because we're in the way.  This is probably the best we're going to get... Merry Christmas! From our family to yours.

A Very Christmassy Weekend

My Christmas decorations are finally up!

I have to say, it is very difficult to get anything done with a 7-week old, let alone hang anything delicate or which requires hooks, lighting, electricity, or live branches.

Thank God for my mom who is willing to drive 3.5 hours anytime to see her granddaughter or my Christmas decorations would consist only of the boxes of Christmas decorations scattered around our house.

I was asked, when complaining about how much work it was to put them up, why I would even bother- after all, I have a new baby, and who is coming to my house to see the decorations anyway??
BUT, I LOVE CHRISTMAS and NEED my decorations, so to me, it was worth it :)

Saturday was the last step in decorating our house: we needed a tree!

We told MiniM.E. we were going to get a tree and she was so excited that we managed to snap a few good photos of some excitable smiles (or maybe I was just making really stupid faces and talking in a ridiculously high-pitched, sing-song voice... you'll never know...).

 And then she was SO excited that she fell asleep.

Sleeping doesn't last very long anymore, so after a few minutes we were ready to head out.

We decided on Ellm's Farm for our Christmas tree this year because you got to choose and cut your own.  They had trolley rides out to the farm and hot cocoa and cider and donuts and most importantly, reindeer!!

It was everything it promised to be, with the exception of the reindeer.  Turns out they were no longer living.  SO SAD!!!  Especially because I wanted a picture of MiniM.E. riding on one.  But I guess they probably would have allowed that anyway... sounds like a law suit waiting to happen.

It was a very Christmassy great time.

We found our tree and Bob cut it down

We tied it to the car

And enjoyed some hot cocoa, all while MiniM.E. slept, even through the photo op at this um, awesome? train with a hole cut-out for faces...

Yesterday, MiniM.E. put the first two ornaments on the tree!

SO CUTE!!

Alright... fussy baby- must go!!