The 31 Days of Christmas

Forget twelve. At our house we up that number by 150% (and a smidgen).

This year we went up the road to the Noble Fir farm where you walk around, pick a tree, and they cut it for you. Sometimes we go to the parking lot of Grocery Outlet to get it. And that's just as well.

By the first weekend in December, it was decorated and lit.

But the holidays don't officially start until the eve of December 6th. That's when the kids stuff their Christmas lists into their stockings and await the arrival of St. Nick.

And guess who was back for an encore?

Euseb!

He's so darn cute!

And he kept the fun going...sometimes he'd forget to move and end up in the same place the next morning, but he delivered....ornaments, socks, goodies for hot chocolate.

We scored and got to see a dress-rehearsal viewing of the Nutcracker. It was amazing as usual.

Santa came by on the fire truck,

And M didn't run away crying.

She saved that for the infamous photo session and dragged J along with her.

Because it wouldn't be the holidays without tears for the camera.

Winter came a few days early ~ the day before Winter break was to begin.

OSD called a two-hour late start for one

And no school for another.

We had an at-home-day the next with another round of snow play, hot chocolate, games, and what may very well be their last bath together.

(In case anyone is wondering, they both have bathing suits on :)

A trip to Jumping Jacks a few days later followed by dinner at J's best friend's house rounded out the week.

By Monday night, this is what the wind had blown in!

"Twas the night before Christmas

And a White Christmas morning.

The next four days were filled with games,

music,

adventures,

new places,

  and gross places.

There were smiles

and silliness 

and plenty of family time

And as soon as the good-byes were bid, another set of cousins stepped in to fill the void

                             

The slumber party was at their house, but not before playing the wii-U, Legos, and M getting her toenails painted.

As if that wasn't exciting enough, this is where we headed next

This was M's Christmas gift from us, but there was a little something for everyone in this here store: Excitement (M), amazement (me), disgust (daddy), boredom (J).

It came down to Josefina and Ivy Ling (because those were the only two choices I gave her), but in the end, the earrings AND long hair won out,

and Josefina is M's new best friend.

The next day was NYE. We headed to some friends' to celebrate what was supposed to be NYC new years; instead, we ended up staying until a little before midnight thinking we'd be home to ring in 2013, but Daddy was hungry, so

♫ we stopped at Taco Bell for some Mexican eats ♪

And just like that, J had stayed up to see the new year roll in and had late-night grubs for the first time ever! Awesome.

School started the next day and things got back to a somewhat-normal status around here, but the Kings never fail to stop by in the wee hours of January 6th.

They must have followed the smell the the star cookies we made,

And dropped of a little something in return.

And so a month after it all started, this is what I got:

What remains of the Christmas tree is on the floor along with massive amounts of lights and a random ornament here and there.  Hopefully by tomorrow any evidence of the holidays will be stored up high.

I look forward to what the next 334 days have in store for us; that's when we'll be pulling all this stuff down and starting all over again.