Thank you for holding. CHRISTMAS!!! I just love love love it. I should really have posted about it sooner so I could better remember the cute stories, but I didn't....so these facts are what I have.
Ellie and I woke up on the 24th and decided we should make Santa some cookies. I honestly think they might be the best batch of cookies I've ever made. The secret? All butter and a whole lot of Ellie love. Santa would be so excited to be getting them that night!
After cookies, Kevin arrived so we loaded the car full of gifts. What I love about Ellie (and maybe most kids) is that everything is exciting...just being in the back of a car packing wrapped box after box is fun.
Ellie picked a piece of Christmas paper to write a letter to Santa on so he could pick it up when he came that night. She was quite specific and had not only what she wanted, but the color and the quantity. It made me think of a Christmas I wanted a leather jacket - I would tell my mom and dad most every day - BROWN leather jacket, size MEDIUM. To get what you want, you need details. :)
We still had some shopping to do for Ellie's dad so we braved the malls and Ellie picked out some sweet shoes, a popcorn maker, and a shirt for her dad. It's fun to watch her shop. We took everything to Grandma's to get the gifts wrapped, set out some cookies and her letter for Santa and then we were off again to take Ellie to her dad's.
She spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with Garred and his family and had an incredible time....but I counted down until 1:00 when she arrived and Christmas with Ellie could begin for me. I was anxious and excited. She was excited - maybe a little gift overwhelmed - but still fun and ripped through everything.
We spent the rest of the day lounging, reading new books, playing new games, puzzles, etc. until we took Uncle Jed to see Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Squeakquel. It was a perfect day. But I honestly can't think of a Christmas that wasn't.
We had a sleepover without Grandma at Grandma's on the 25th so Ellie could play with her new snow stuff in Grandma's back yard. Kevin and Ellie made the best fort they could with the snow they had. I didn't have snow clothes for Ellie so I put her in my mom's and tied elastics on the legs and used an old tie for the belt to keep the pants up. She looked so cute, but was glad she was playing in the back yard, not the front.
A "Christmas Miracle" occurred this year...I played in the snow. Twice. Ellie is such a huge fan of the snow...I would much prefer to play inside in the winter...but she loves it. And to be honest I had fun. The snow at our house wasn't good for packing so we made a snowman on the ground instead...I think he's pretty cute. Ellie and her friend thought I should be the snowman in the ground...brrr.
The next day we went tubing. My kind of tubing for sure...no work on the way up and a long fun fast ride down.
I was nervous about Ellie. We had taken her a couple years back with Mason and it was pure torture. Not this year....she wanted to stay all day, kept asking if we could stay longer and when we could come back. We had time passes and she kept asking if we could buy the next two hours.
This is for sure the face of a kid having fun. She was laughing so hard because she had started about 10 seconds behind me but came racing past me and we were both just cracking up. I could hear her laughing coming down the slope. I called the her silver bullet after that.
It was seriously so fun, I could have stayed the next two hours. Instead, we went to the lodge and warmed up with hot cocoa and lunch. On our way home in the distance, we saw the Polar Express across the lake. We noticed it was much smaller..less kids to the North Pole after Christmas I assume.
New Year's Eve was the next day and one of my most favorites yet. Downtown SLC had so many events planned that we decided to purchase tickets, plan out where we wanted to go and head out! We started at the Gallivan Center. I am happy to report that Ellie's first ice skating adventure was successful. She was in true Ellie form, cautious at first, holding to mom, the sides, Kevin. Then with a little nudge she did a little by herself, and then a little more, and when she decided it was no longer too scary - she was skating like a pro. She said to me, "I could be a Disney on Ice skater when I'm big." How great is that? She did have a big spill towards the end, similar to roller skating, but it was still awesome. I was honestly impressed by how well she was doing. I too think she could be a Disney on Ice skater.
Check out this pro-skater.
We then went to dinner where Ellie had one of her favorites, Masaman Curry - then off to the Children's theatre to see "The Magic Fish." We were all in love. I highly recommend this theatre and this play. We LOVED it.
Then it was back to the Gallivan center for lights, music, and the incendiary circus. 
But we weren't done yet...when we got cold enough we went to a house party and at midnight, did what I did as a kid every year...we banged pots and pans on the porch. I don't know how Ellie felt about it, but it brought back a lot of fun memories for me.
New Year's Day was of course football, Ellie and I made a Chex-mix treat and then at half-time, Kevin and Ellie made a Buckeye treat. We were all sugared up to celebrate the Buckeye's big win!
Sadly the good times had to come to an end, but not before we could fit in a day of bowling, Chuck-e-Cheese and a Jazz game. That's just the way we roll. Until next year.
1 comment:
You crack me up lady! Still holding....
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