~Christmas Past~

Tonight I was looking at all of the Santa photos that we have acquired over the years and thought that I would share them with you!

1997

Madison - 2.5 months old

1998

Madison - 14 months old

1999

Madison - 2 years old

2000

Madison - 3 years old

Avery - 2 months old

2001

Madison - 4 years old

2001

Avery - 14 months old
(notice Avery is wearing the same outfit that Madison wore for her pic at this age)

2003

Madison - 6 years old

Avery - 3 years old

2004
Madison - 7 years old
2004
Avery - 4 years old

2005
Madison - 8 years old

Avery - 5 years old

2005

Caleb - 5 months old

2006

Madison - 9 years old

Avery - 6 years old

2006

Caleb - 17 months old

2007

Madison - 10 years old

Avery - 7 years old

Caleb - 2 years old

2009

Madison - 12 years old

Avery - 9 years old

Caleb - 4 years old

We are missing years 2002 and 2008, but not for lack of trying.

In 2002 we cheaped out (lol) and went to a place that was offering free Santa pics. When we went to pick them up, ours were missing and it's not like we could really complain because we didn't pay anything for them!

In 2008, Avery and Caleb got their pic done (for some reason Madi did not) but for the life of me I cannot find it. I fear that it has been thrown away.

This weekend we will be visiting Santa to get our newest pic.

~December~

I am sure that everyone can relate to the busy-ness that this month brings.
We have been busy decorating, shopping, wrapping gifts, preparing Christmas cards and packages to be mailed and the kids favourite...making treats for their classes!

Below are the treats that we made for Avery's class.
Treat bags with 2 cookies and some Christmas corn. I didn't make these tags this time. These are actually table place cards, they were on sale at Michaels for $1.49 for 12. I couldn't pass them up at that price and it saved me a lot of time and printing as well!

For Caleb's class, I made the same treats as last year.

Madison wanted to keep it simple (being in Gr 8 and all!) and brought in candy canes to give out to her class.

I have a few more things that I want to post before Christmas. I will really try to update again soon, so keep checking back.

Hope everyone else is on their way to being ready for the big day!

~Cake Walk~

Every year at the kids school, they have this fundraiser called Cake Walk. The grade 8's bring in a cake either homemade or store bought and then tickets are sold to the whole school and the cakes are raffled off. Kind of like a silent auction as the kids can buy as many tickets as they like.
Since Madison is in Gr 8 this year, she gets to bring in a cake. All of the money raised from the cake walk goes to the gr 8's for their year-end class trip.
Here are the cakes that Madison and I made.


The one on the left is a smaller version of the cake I made for Avery's b-day (kit-kat chocolate bars with chocolate cake and icing and smarties on top) and the one on the right is a cookies'n'cream chocolate bar cake. The cake is white with white icing and crumbled oreo on top.

The kids are looking forward to tomorrow and seeing all the cakes and 'bidding' on their faves. They have already told me that they plan on bidding on ours!

Maybe they will win one of these (or a different one) and it can be my birthday cake, seeing as tomorrow is also my B-day!

Christmas is coming & I need to get organized!

I have been slacking. I keep thinking about all that has to be done before Christmas, before December for that matter but yet I haven't really done anything.
I have started some Christmas shopping but not nearly enough is done. And of course, I make matters worse by browsing the internet and going to sites like Pottery Barn, where they make everything Christmas look so idyllic!

Maybe I need this craft organizer from PB to get me motivated! But at $229USD I don't think I need it that bad!
But it is so pretty! Yes, these are the things that make me excited!

Advent! It is fast approaching. The kids are wondering how I am going to top my advent Calendar from last year. They loved that one.
So far I have succombed to holiday advertising and purchased this Lego City Advent Calendar for the boy.


From the Pottery Barn website I saw these ones and they are really cute but way too $$$.

$99 for this one

$299 for this one!

Who shops at PB anyway?! Certainly not me!

Today, is the Santa Claus Parade. Avery will be a part of it this year with her dance school. She is super excited about it! She's been planning her 'elf' costume all week.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow is when I will get motivated. It always comes together in the end anyway!

~The "I want it" monster~

This week has been bit of a hard week for Caleb. Only now that I am at this stage again, can I really remember the girls going through it as well. Caleb is going through the "I want it" stage. I am sure that many of you reading this can relate! And really at this time of year when everything is geared towards children and their parents, it is kind of understandable.
However, lately he wants everything! It is getting hard to take him anywhere with me because he inevitably wants me to buy him something. Short of me not taking him anywhere (which is not an option!) we had to sit down with him today and have what I call "the need, want and have" talk.
I remember also having these talks with the girls every few months between the ages of 5-8 yrs old.
I explained to Caleb that he will always have what he needs. As his parents we will always provide him with unconditional love. As he grows we will provide him with food, a warm bed and clothes, he will never have to want or need these things.
Next, I explain to him that we all have wants of material things (for him of course his want is toys!). I explained to him that even Mommy and Daddy have things that they want and don't always get. He is not always going to get what he wants and that is just a fact of life.
And lastly, I explain to him that he should appreciate and focus on what he already has. I told him that he has many books and toys and many other things that he does not play with nearly enough and he has to learn to appreciate that.
This may seem like a lot for a 5 year old to take in but I really do have to say that he did understand what I was saying to him. Like I said I had these same talks with the girls when they were younger. It's all about putting things into perspective for them.
I just hope that it's working...

~Halloween is here!~

Avery - The Paperbag Princess

Madison - A Ginger Cat

Caleb - Harry Potter

Click on the pic above to see it bigger

The kids are excited to get into their costumes. And so am I!

~Halloween Treats~

I had wanted to break up the Halloween posts but didn't get a chance to post last night and likely won't tomorrow as well, so here they are all in one.

This year, I went a little overboard on the treats for the kids classes so this is going to be a long post!

First up, the treat bags for Caleb's class. With some home-printed tags, staples and cellophane bags, I made some cute little treats for Caleb's classmates.

Then for the class party, Caleb was one of the first chosen to bring in a snack. I made some cupcake toppers and wrappers for the cupcakes.

Caleb tells me later that he did not eat any of the cupcakes but the gingerbread cookies one of his classmates brought in were so yummy that he ate 2 of those!

Next up, treats for Avery's class. We made these candy spoons. She thought these were great!

With some orange chocolate wafers, plastic spoons, sprinkles and cellophane wraps and ribbons, these were so easy to make.

Avery then gave out these cute candy-filled bags to a few of her closest friends.

Last up, are the treat bags that Madi made for her friends. Madison loves anything that looks vintage. When I found these Martha Stewart stickers at Michaels, I just had to buy them for her. Here she has affixed them to small boxes of Mike & Ike candies. They were the perfect size.

With some more home-printed and cut tags we made candy corn treat bags.

When I saw the matching bags to the stickers I just had to get them!

Madison then requested that we make candy apples for the whole class.

We had a very busy evening of creating! The kids loved every minute of it! Of course, I stayed up a bit later to add some of the finishing touches.

Today was also orange and black day at the school (our school does not allow the kids to wear costumes), I have to say that the kids looked so cute in their orange and black outfits. Unfortunately we were rushing this morning to get all these treats to the school and didn't have time for a pic!

Now all I have to do is still buy some pumpkins and carve them, halloween candy for the door and make a few finishing touches to the kids costumes. Not to mention that the girls have separate Halloween parties tomorrow and the boy is going to a Birthday party, which I still need to get a gift for. Guess I should get to bed!

~more name plates~

Below is the name plate that I made for Madison. She picked the colour for the background and the ribbon and I designed it.

Here is Avery's name plate, she made this at her party, I meant to take a pic of all of the kids creations and forgot :-(

Halloween treats are well underway. I will post pics when we are done!

~Avery's Party & Birthday~

Loot bags for her party, she put all the loot bags together herself

KitKat cake that I made for her
close-up of the cake
Making a wish :-)
Waiting to open her presents

Avery's gifts wrapped and waiting for her, for when she wakes up on her Birthday

The kids always get to open one present before school, the rest wait until we are all together,

Avery picked Caleb's present to open

Avery had a wonderful birthday! She loved every minute of her party and then tonight we had a small family party for her, which she also loved. I can't believe that she is 10!