'Tis the Season...weeks 1 and 2

The past two weeks have been full of Christmas fun! We started our Christmas book advent on December 1st. I love that every night Landry opens a new book, enthusiastically says, "Thanks Mommy...I always wanted this one...I was hoping for this one!" and then we get to cuddle up and read a story. Seriously, every time he is so excited and so appreciative...it warms my heart...especially on the nights when we have just had a dinnertime battle. :)

The first book was Elf on the Shelf...which meant the return of this guy...Elf. We are super creative with names at the Lofgren household. :)

Days 1 and 2 of Elf...just hanging around and watching.

Days 3 and 4...Elf had a message for Landry: 

"Dear Landry, Santa says you better be a good listener at bed time!"

Days 5, 6, and 7...yup...Elf got caught in the basketball hoop and stayed there for TWO nights. 

We think that he stayed in the same spot because Landry hadn't been a very good listener so he didn't want to tell Santa the bad news. What do you think?

Days 8 and 9...ziplining Elf...and hanging out in the lights.

He must have wanted a "bird's eye view!"

Days 10 and 11...Elf loved being in the tree...and then decided to do some climbing!

Days 12 and 13...Elf went back to the shelf...

and then tried to live in Landry's gingerbread house but he was too big!

I love that every morning the first thing Landry does is goes to look for Elf. If he can't find him right away he walks around calling, "Mr. Elf...Mr. Elf...where are you?" So stinkin' adorable!

Landry also made his first gingerbread house of the season! One of the sweet families in my class gave Landry a kit to build. He could hardly wait...and as you can see...he was so proud of it!

On Friday night our group of friends all got together for pizza and then walked Cindy Lane/Candy Cane Lane/Christmas Tree Lane Clovis/ whatever it is really called...the neighborhood with all of the lights! :)

Then yesterday, my mom and sister came over for cookie baking fun!

Right away Landry loved playing in the flour!

Rolling out the dough...you can see he likes his to be more like crepes than cookies. :)

Once they were baked it was time to decorate...it takes a lot of concentration. :)

Landry is sticking with his style of piling as much frosting, sprinkles, etc all on one spot of the cookie.

Here are the four cookies that Landry decorated!

Yup...he decorated a whoppin' four cookies...then took off and left my mom, sister, and I at the "Sugar Cookie Sweat Shop" to finish decorating all of these...

I think we may have made a few too many...what do you think? :)

I can't believe that Christmas is a week and a half away. I love making the time to have fun with friends and family. Today we are going to visit Santa Claus...wish us luck. So far Landry is very excited to talk to him...but that could all change very quickly. :)

Milk and Cookies for Santa???

After we spent a wonderful evening at Gary and Mary's on Christmas Eve, it was time for us to come home and get ready for bed...and Santa!

 

First thing we had to do was finish up our Christmas Book Advent with my all-time favorite...

The Polar Express!

 

Landry sat on my lap, listened intently to every word, and then "read" it all by himself afterwards.

 

As you know by now, Landry is NOT fan of the big man in the red suit. After we read our story I told him that he should pick out some cookies to leave for Santa. Here is how the conversation went...

 

"Landry, before we go nigh-nigh you need to choose some cookies to leave for Santa. He is going to come to our house tonight and leave you presents."

 

"Nope, I don't WANT Santa come to my house!"

 

"Remember when you went to see Santa, he gave you a candy cane. I think it would be really nice if you gave him some of your cookies."

 

"No. Santa not come to my house."

 

"Well, Santa has to come and get your elf so that your elf can go back to Santa's house."

 

"Santa not coming to my house."

 

"Ok. How about we choose some cookies and we can send them to Santa?"

 

Looking very interested he says, "You mean I go to Santa's house?"

 

"No. Mommy and Daddy can take them to Santa's house...or give them to Santa when he comes tonight. Don't you want Santa to have some of your cookies? What about your elf? Can we leave some cookies for your elf to have when he goes with Santa?"

 

"Ok. I get some for Santa and my elf."

 

"Ok. Let's leave him some milk, too."

 

"NO. No milk...just cookies."

 

"Ok...just cookies it is!"

 

So, I let him choose his cookies and we put them on the plate, on the table by the Christmas tree. He very willingly goes over to the tree so that I can get a picture.

 

 

After I take the picture he points to our front door and says...

 

"Wook, Mama!"

 

"What Landry?"

 

"Its Santa...he's HERE!"

 

"Santa? Santa's here? Where is he?"...I'm looking around, rather confused.

 

"He's owside, Mama. I hear him!"

 

"Oh, well if he is outside you have to go to sleep right now. Santa can't come in until you are asleep."

 

"Ok, Mama...I go nigh-nigh now."

 

Off he went...running down the hallway to his crib. I went in, put him down, and out he went!

 

I couldn't believe it! I didn't think he was ever going to agree to leave Santa any cookies. Finally I got him talked in to it but milk was OUT of the question. Then, with his crazy imagination, he tells me that Santa is at our house and that he hears him outside. I'm telling you, the child cracks us up, keeps us on our toes, and continues to amaze us each day!

CBA: Day 23: The Gingerbread Man

We are almost there...take a look at what day 23 brought...

 

Yesterday was a busy day. We spent most of it baking and decorating cookies with Nawnie. Handsome was a trooper and went all day without a nap! After we had cleaned up our cookie mess what else was there to do but make a gingerbread house mess! He he!!

 

No nap didn't stop this one from being excited to create his own gingerbread house!

 

While the house was "setting" we decorated the tree for the front yard. I put the frosting on and he put the candies on.

 

Time to build the snowman!

 

I had some old licorice in the pantry...from who knows when...yummy...so we used that to border the roof. Once again, I added the frosting...he put on the candies. He chose the candies and put them wherever he wanted to.

 

Gum drops for one side of the roof...

 

 

M&Ms for the other side. I tried REALLY hard to get him to use gum drops on both sides of the roof so that it would match. But he told me, "No, mama...dis is MY house."

Very true Handsome...very true! :o)

 



 

Here is the final product...the view of the front yard...

 

Side one...

 

the backyard...

and side two!

 



 

Once again...someone was sooooooooo proud of his work!

 

 

This morning, when he woke up, he came running out, saw the house and said, "Cookie right der...I made dat house!"

 

CBA: Day 16: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Day 16 brought...

 

I cannot claim any responsibility for this project...he created this at daycare...with the fabulous Tammy! Isn't it adorable...love, love, love it!



CBA: Day 15: Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

Moving on to day 15...

 

I think it is safe to say that this was Landry's least favorite activity...what do you think?

To say that Landry "doesn't like Santa"...is well, a bit of an understatement! He is TERRIFIED of him! Each year our amazing wedding photographer, Pamela Leeds, has Santa pictures at her studio. I love it because she has connections with Santa himself and you get professional shots, in her quiet studio, for the same price as the "mall Santas."

 



 

Everytime that we asked Landry if he wanted to go see Santa he said, "No...I don't yike Santa. Santa make me cry." How is it possible that he remembers last year's experience?

 

 

He wasn't a fan then either!

 

Whenever he sees pictures of Santa he loves him...but the real thing...no way. I am sure that we will probably have to pay this in therapy bills since I am sure to win "Mother of the Year" for

a. Prying my deathly scared, shaking, trembling, SCREAMING, child off of me.

b. Throwing him on Santa's lap

c. Running away...literally so that we could take the picture

d. Laughing at this whole experience!

 

When we tell him that Santa is coming to his house to leave presents his response..."NO! Santa NOT coming to my house. I don't yike Santa!"

 

Here's one quick trip down memory lane...with Santa:

 

Landry's 1st Christmas

 

His second

 

and his third

 

Maybe next year is "the year?"

CBA: Day 8: The Biggest Christmas Tree Ever!

Clearly I am behind on my posting.

Shocking.

 I know! :)

So, it is time to play some catch up!

 

On day 8 of our Christmas Book Advent Landry opened up this book:

 

It is a cute story about two little mice that go looking for the biggest Christmas tree...and it is Landry's favorite! Really, we read this story at least once a day...sometimes more...sometimes a lot more.

 

I had seen a really cute and simple Christmas tree art project on...yup, you guessed it...Pinterest. I thought that it was definitely something that Handsome could handle.

Here is the picture from pinterest:

 

these were done by kindergarteners

 

{insert the confession of a busy mama with the best intentions but sometimes life gets ahead of you...we just did this project last night! better late than never...right?}

 

 Here's what you need:

glue

q-tip

white paint

construction paper...I used cardstock because that is what I have at home. :)

Checking out the materials...

 

"Cheese!" Can you tell that he LOVES to do "projects"...and of course, that melts my heart!

 

First he had to find the biggest strip of green paper. Then he put some glue on it..."ahh by myself!" Big thanks to Tammy...the most wonderful daycare provider... for teaching him how to use a glue bottle!

 

"Yook, Mommy! I gooed it!"

 

After glueing on all of the strips...it was time for the star!

 

Next up...paint! Using a q-tip he added white "nornaments" to his tree.

{another side note...if you are afraid of letting your little one paint because of the mess...q-tips are a great solution! I use them in my classroom all the time...mainly because they are WAY less messy, kids can't get quite as much paint everywhere...and you can throw them away afterwards.}

 

 

 

 

 

 

He was soooooo proud of his "Chismas tee!"

Look at that smile! 

 

 

Here's another shot with his eyes open!

 

 

Landry's finished project!

 

 

You can see that he has the same "method" of putting "nornaments" on his artwork as he does on real trees...all clustered together. :)