Life Plus Two: Christmastime Things 2016

Christmas is pretty much the greatest. And maybe it's a bad idea, but I like to cram pack December with as many Christmas activities and traditions as possible. Being in Boston now, I had to figure some new and different things to do out here. We didn't get to a bunch of stuff because we left for Utah on the 14th but we still got to do some really cool things and then we got to do a bunch more once we were in Utah.

Because we were leaving so early for Utah (and because we still hadn't unpacked fully), I broke some of my rules and we set up Christmas before Thanksgiving.

Jonny enjoyed the taste of our glittery tree decorations.

On the 1st we went to the Boston Common tree lighting. It wasn't all that thrilling but it was fun to take the train into town and there was some music and of course the tree. During the show I mostly walked my kids around to keep them from boredom. But they still loved it.

They kept skaters off the pond during the show but my kids still liked hanging around.

Atticus decided to pose by standing on one foot and Jonny spent all her concentration trying to do the same.

Our ward Christmas party was Whoville themed and we were supposed to do our best Who hair. Jonny's hair stands straight up pretty well and all I had to do for Atticus was stick some mousse in and blow-dry it. That kid has great hair.

This was them waiting in line to see Santa. (Atticus was excitedly telling Jonny what they were going to do)

We had talked to Jonny a little bit about Santa but not really what it was all about. Just that he comes at Christmas. She was so thrilled to sit on his lap and then after everyone had their turn, Jonny just crept back over and stood close to him and watched him. He got up to leave and she followed him until the door closed to the gym. When she realized he had left, she had a meltdown. She was so sad he was gone and it was adorable.

This is Jingle. A dog Atticus got for Christmas from my grandma, Stella, a few years ago.

We made some good ol' fashioned graham cracker houses. They were both really into decorating and Jonny loved wiping frosting off her house and then sucking it off her fingers.

This picture just because she was oblivious to the jelly bean stuck to her arm.

This smile.

I love how proud he is in this picture.

And this was because I was trying to get Atticus to laugh by telling him not to smile. Jonny took that direction seriously.

Lots of lying by the tree while I read them Christmas stories.

We went back into the city to see the Blink light show at Faneuil Hall Marketplace. (It was overrated, and freezing) But it was still fun to go into the city at Christmas and see a big giant tree.

Atticus' letter to Santa. He asked for surprises and "all the kinds of chapstick".

Watching The Grinch

And several hours playing The Grinch.

Their cute Christmas outfits for the Sunday before Christmas at my parent's house (Atticus packed his own special Christmas Sunday outfit for actual Christmas day.)

We joined my parents for their trip to Temple Square.

My dad was teaching Atticus about some symbols.

Candy windows

My Granny's annual Christmas party is one of the best and usually funniest nights of the year. One of this year's highlights was my discovery of a grey hair growing out of my little sister, Samantha's head. She was mortified.

Many ridiculous selfies were taken. This is my aunt, Jenny.

Samantha, Granny, and me.

My sisters.

We make a billion cookies each year. Some for us, some for Santa, and then the rest we take on Christmas day to a hospital, or fire station, or some place like that for the people who have to work on Christmas. Except this year, I forgot and left roughly 40 cookies and a big tub of homemade frosting at my parent's house. Whoops!

Mixing

And Frosting

Jonny loved frosting her cookies but she liked eating the unfrosted cookies best.

Atticus loves putting as much of every color frosting and every type of sprinkle as he can cram on to one cookie.

This is a great example of Jonny and her personality. She wasn't actually trying to eat that cookie. She just knew I wanted her not to, so she was teasing me.

We went back to temple square with my in-laws. This is the view from my father-in-law's office.

I loved the snowy streets in this one.

My mother-in-law looks like a little babushka.

Atticus wore some of my mom's "firework glasses". They're actually really cool. They're made for Christmas lights (but my mom always wears them on the fourth of July, too) and they are like 3D glasses but they turn all the lights into Christmas shapes. These ones made them all into candy cane shapes. Also, he looked super cool in them.