The Launch

Adam and I talked about that build up that seems to surge extra hard in little kids. We saved many of our developing traditions till Christmas Eve. We don't always make their food into something fun for Christmas Eve, but the kids love when I turn their food into something. Last summer we got in the habit of turning "cheese tacos" into airplanes. (We roll cheese in soft shells and stick toothpicks on the sides where we place things like a train of grapes to look like wings of the airplane.) They were equally tickled by pancakes as snowpeople.

The day was full. We had to run a couple of errands but Vanessa begged to stay home for the day, until church, so I ran the errands solo. 

We sort of started a tradition a couple of years ago where we make some sort of candy house using whatever. Last year we used plain Rice Krispie treats and made a huge building that seemed way more elaborate than a stable, so we called it Bethlehem's city building. This year we used chocolate Rice Krispies, sort of thinking it may look more like a stable, but instead it became something like a gummy bear disco. Dad is always great to adhere the building pieces together using icing.

We finished up some crafts and made molasses cookies for Santa. His favorite. Santa got two plates with about 8 cookies total.

Zane insisted he was making "horse poop cookies."

We made it to Christmas Eve services and afterwards the kids begged to get home to get ready for bed.

The kids were excited to give Dad new iPad screen protectors. They're pretty grateful that Dad lets them play on his iPad.