Christmas Party with Old Pals

Although we are no longer bringing the boys to Lanka's daycare, we are now invited to her holiday party as "alumni".  The boys, especially Andrew, had fun playing with some of their old pals.  And of course, Santa's visit and gifts are always a big hit with the kids.

Mini-Nut and Birthday Lunch

Each year we like to take the boys to see a holiday show. This year, we drove to Silver Spring  with Gramma and Grandad to see the Mini-Nut, a shortened version of the Nutcracker for kids.  Dan described ballet to the boys as "ninja moves for girls", but the boys didn't quite understand and were a little disappointed when they did not see any ninjas.  But they did like the soldiers!  After the show, we enjoyed lunch at Tower Oaks Lodge and celebrated Dan's birthday. 

Naughty or Nice?

So Santa visited Andrew and his friends at Discovery Station a few days ago.  So is Andrew on the naughty or nice list this year?  I guess we'll find out in a few weeks - but he's definitely on the cute list!

Holiday Concert at Wolftrap

Last night we went to the Holiday Sing-a-long Concert at Wolftrap with some friends.  The Marine Corp Band played lots of holiday classics and the audience got to sing along and shake our jingle bells.  The concert ended with Silent Night and a processional exit with candles and flashlights.  This was a great holiday event and one that can really remind you of the Christmas Spirit in the midst of the craziness of this time of year.  I hope that our family can make attending this event an annual tradition!

Breakfast with Santa

After the jog, we quickly headed home and changed our clothes so we could make it to Arcola United Methodist Church for their annual Breakfast with Santa event.  The event is co-sponsored with the Arcola Volunteer Fire Department and it something we look forward to every year.  Now the question is.... will Santa visit our house this year?  To be honest, if yesterday was the determining day, the answer would be no, but luckily the boys have 24 more days to get on the nice list. 

Jingle Bell Jog

On Saturday morning, the family participated in the Jingle Bell Jog at Liberty Elementary.  Elmo even joined us this year and was lucky enough to catch a ride with Andrew on his trike.  After our 6 laps around the track, we enjoyed a light breakfast of muffins and cocoa.