December 2015 + Christmas

December was a super busy month for us.  The kids and I performed in the Nutcracker.  I think we all had a lot of fun, and we were all relieved to be done.

We hosted the cast party afterward and it was fun to hang out with my fellow classmates in a casual setting.  The next day we had Charlotte’s birthday party and the parents watched the Broncos game while the ~15 kids run around like crazy people.

Chris, Mikael, and I went and saw the 11 pm opening show of the Star Wars movie.  I forgot to wear contacts, so I wore glasses on top of glasses for the 3D showing.

Chris and I went to a pub crawl in crazy pajamas with a great group of new friends.  We had such a great time with them!

Charlotte got her haircut and she also had two cavities filled while on break.

Cooper retrieved Smiley’s ball. 

I made a new snowman ornament to commemorate my learning how to sew.

Christmas was simple and wonderful.  We do the 5 gifts for the kids:  wear, read, want, need, big gift.  It helps keep the budget under control, make shopping and wrapping faster, and makes each gift more thoughtful.

Charlotte:  Wear – School of Mines shirt and Broncos shirt, Read – 3 Magazines that she gets to pick two for a subscription, Want – Remote Control Robotic Cars (R.E.V.), Need – Headbands & Pajamas, Big Gift – Bicycle.

Cooper:  Wear – School of Mines shirt and Broncos pants, Read – 3 Magazines that he gets to pick two for a subscription, Want – App-Enabled Robot (Ollie Darkside), Need – Reading light & Pajamas, Big Gift – Bicycle.

We had a lazy day and watched some more Star Wars movies that evening.  The entire family, except me (I need my space), cuddled on the couch.

I took the kids roller skating for the first time.  It’s been more than 10 years since I’ve been on skates, but it came back to me very quickly.  Charlotte was at first terrified and broke down in tears, while Cooper just got out there with my help and went around the rink once.  They took a break and then we tried again.  Charlotte got more comfortable and was doing great after her third time around the rink.  We left a little early, but I think they had fun.

We took the kids out to dinner and then to see the new Star Wars movie.  They both loved it.  It was so exciting to see their faces light up and to see them surprised by the twists and turns.  They were goofy at dinner.

Charlotte noticed her name at the restaurant.

 

Chris and I stayed home this year for NYE.  We got all dressed up and had a stay-at-home date in the basement.  It was a fantastic way to celebrate and stay low-key.