Christmas Break

Christmas break was a nice mix of relaxing and fun.  The boys look forward to our yearly paper "stockings" that hang in the kitchen.  Each day we open a note inside the one the corresponds to the day of the month, revealing an activity leading up the Christmas.  The things we do have become pretty consistent, though which day we do them varies.  We enjoyed a lot of our regulars and a couple new ones: the live nativity, making paper snowflakes, making a gingerbread house, making cookies for the neighbors, shopping for a child for Angel Tree, buying food for the food pantry, eating Little Debbie Christmas Tree cakes, seeing the Christmas trees at the Inn at Virginia Tech, driving and looking at Christmas lights, drinking hot chocolate and reading Christmas books, going to the boys Christmas programs at school, camping out in front of the Christmas tree for a night, going to the Blacksburg Christmas parade, making Christmas cards for their teachers, writing thank you notes to their teachers, opening a new Christmas book, opening a new Christmas ornament, and opening a new Christmas movie on Christmas Eve.  I'm sure I'm forgetting some but those are the main ones.  I love that they get so excited about doing these things each year and I'm thankful for the woman at church who gave me the handmade paper stockings for each day in December when Gabriel was very small.

Both boys were in the Christmas program at church this year for the first time (the kids do a play every other December).  Gabriel in particularly really impressed us.  This was his first time being in a play of any kind, and he had 3 parts: Townsperson, Innkeeper, and Wise Man.  All three roles had a couple lines and due to Thanksgiving and peoples schedules they never even got the whole cast together to practice before the night that they did it.  He remembered all of his lines, as well as other peoples, and said them clearly.  He said that he was nervous before it started, but he was so proud of himself afterwards.  On a silly note though, when he said his first line it was also the first time he had held a microphone.  When he realized how loud and clear it made him he stood there making little noises into it while others were talking.  I kind of expected him to get out of control with it but thankfully he reigned it in.

Corban was a shepherd and he also did a great job.  It was hard for him, and all the other kids his age, to be still and quiet for the 30 minutes that the performance took, but he sang some of the songs and generally went where he was supposed to go.

Each of the boys also had a Christmas performance at school, consisting mostly of songs and some poems.  I didn't get any clear pictures at Gabriel's unfortunately since it was crowded and there were no risers for the kids to stand on.  We did get some at Corban's though, and we also enjoyed going out to eat at Panda Express beforehand.

I won't post the video on here, but at the very end of Corban's performance he did the cutest thing.  When the last song was finished and the applause had died down Corban clearly looked at me and said very loudly "Merry Christmas Mom!"  There was many an "Awww" from those attending.  It was so cute.

And below are some pictures of some of the most important people in these boys lives.  All of these women taught both Gabriel and Corban in preschool and remain very special to both them:

4 year old class Ms. Lisa

4 year old class Ms. Monica

3 year old class Ms Lisa

We did some other fun things during the break, including going to our children's museum (Wonder Universe), going to the one in Roanoke, going swimming one day with Dad, having visits from grandparents, and then having a snow day after just one day back at school.  Here are some pictures of the fun:

Using his free birthday treat at Barnes and Noble. 
He has been wanting to try this cake for a long time.

Wonder Universe

Grandma Cheryl's hotel room
(and tired out from a friend's birthday party at the trampoline park)

The holiday house after the Live Nativity.  Hot chocolate, cookies, and Snoopy!

Christmas Caroling with Gabriel's class at a local nursing home.  Corban especially enjoyed going up to residents and saying "Merry Christmas!"  One timid older gentleman said to Corban "What did you tell Santa that you want to Christmas?"  He replied with "Santa isn't real!!!" and then ran off.

New ornaments

PJ day and Christmas Party at school

Pretending to be worn out from a morning date of shopping and
Panera with Mom while Corban was at his Christmas party.

Wonder Universe

The best part of Christmas Day: new Legos

Ninja gingerbread cookie decorating with Gammer

Corban and his new cat, Butterscotch.  He told me the other day that he needs a grey and white striped cat also.  I asked what he would name it and he said "Butterscotch."  I told me that it would need a different name and he said "Butterscotch 2."  Corban is still in love with cats.  Frequently, when pretending to be a cat, he will say "pretend that I'm a baby kitty who will stay as little as a baby kitty forever."  He also frequently says "I'm a little kitty and my family has died.  Can I live with you forever?"  While I'm on it, a couple other things of note that Corban has said recently: "I don't like playing with girl toys but I still love my mommy."  "Maddie at preschool was sad because no one was playing with her so I asked her to play cars with me." "Are we going to have a Mommy and Corban day today?" (usually referring to Tuesday mornings when we do things together and then go and help with Gabriel's lunch)

Roanoke Children's Museum

Roanoke Children's Museum

Roanoke Children's Museum

Roanoke Children's Museum

And finally the snow day.  I'm not sure if this made me sad or it was nice (or both), but for the first time they dragged the sled up to the top of our hill themselves and I just sat and watched them sled.  The sledding mostly consisted of Gabriel starting to go and then Corban pouncing on to him facing the opposite direction.  They both laughed and rolled around and thought it was hilarious.