All was Merry

Christmas this year was all it was meant to be. Two kids completely enthralled with the magic.  Two parents nearly as excited.  There were presents, treats, family gatherings, decorated cookies and lots of smiles.  There was a lovely Christmas Eve service and celebration of Baby Jesus' birthday.  Although this year was not met with snow, it provided the perfect opportunity to test new bikes, play new games, and enjoy all the merriment that was found underneath the tree.

 

The Anticipation is Great

On this Christmas Eve, these two are pretty excited. Just to be certain, we visited our yearly Santa to once again recite the list. Then we stopped by a local nursery to view the trees and purchase ornaments. Today cookies will be baked and decorated, church visited, and then new PJs donned with excitement for tomorrow. It’s magical to believe!

Life continues...with holiday cheer

It seems the last few weeks are flying with holiday parties, a trip to Grandmas, present gathering, craft making, and tons of cookies to decorate.  It's been the ordinary time of the season for which we have focused every ounce of energy.  There was one incident with a tree falling down in the middle of the night...which only means new ornaments are needed.  We had more Santa visits, letters written, and spread good cheer.  Christmas songs were sung. 

 

It seems the last few weeks are flying with holiday parties, a trip to Grandmas, present gathering, craft making, and tons of cookies to decorate.  It's been the ordinary time of the season for which we have focused.  There was one incident with a tree falling down in the middle of the night...which only means new ornaments are needed.  

Small Town Christmas

The first Saturday in December is our town's Christmas celebration.  The day is filled with bazaars, Santas, lights, carols and lots of holiday cheer.  This year it coincided with mommy's birthday and was perfect in every way.  There was breakfast with Santa, crafts to be made, and friends to visit with.  Then we topped off the weekend by selecting the perfect tree for us in that it was not entirely perfect but beautiful. 

Thanksgiving Victory

This Thanksgiving, we traveled to Southern Iowa to spend the holiday with Uncle Chris, Aunt Melissa, Rhapsody and Grammi/Grampi.  There was lots of swimming, massive ball pit all to ourselves, plenty of cookies and yummy food, bunk beds, and tons of quality cousin time.  Although only three days, it was nearly perfect in every sense.  There is a lot to be thankful for, and these kids are blessed. 

 

Added bonus in first trip to Kinnick Stadium to see the Hawkeyes pull off a final field goal to win the game.  Jack loved herky.  Kyle loved chicken tenders and dancing. Mommy loved that everyone was in her favorite place for college football and finally seeing the Hawks in person again!!

Reflection on Heroes Everywhere

For the first time, Kyle choose to enter the PTSA Reflection competition.  The theme was Heroes Around Me.  She drew an awesome neighborhood picture showing a child learning to ride a bike and helping finding a lost dog.  Kyle explained the drawing noting we can all be heroes by helping each other.  At the school celebration event, Kyle learned she was a finalist and will move onto Districts.  She was pretty excited!!  So we were all!

 

Minor Moments of the Every Day

The lull between Halloween and Thanksgiving in many ways feels like the calm before life gets so hectic.  It's been nice to occupy our time  at home with fun in the yard, puzzles to build, books to read and pictures to draw. Soon we will be busy with all things holiday and preparing for winter break. It’s nice to focus on being present.

Even with the mundane, there have been some treasured moments. Car rides with gnomes because why not??

Visit with friends to see the newly built hammerhead aquarium. This little guy was amazes as sharks are his favorite thing. Next time he is hoping for a whale shark!

Plus a fabulous Thanksgiving feast complete with dressed-up preschoolers, historical facts and cute songs..then a bounty for the ages where he ate only a brownie.

All Hallow's Eve with Costume Delight

In true Watson fashion, Jack and Kyle were deliberate in their costume choices.  Jack combined two loves of  crocodiles and pirates to be Captain Hook.  Kyle chose an elaborate eagle that was astounding and got tons of comments.  We did discover wings are not always ideal, but it was definitely worth.  For the third year, Kyle took home "Most Creative" in the local costume parade. 

Plus it seems Halloween no longer falls on just one day.  We played bingo at school, trick-or-treated at church and then hit our favorite neighborhood. There were amazing costumes, games at school, and lots of smiles. This holiday is clearly a favorite and I hope to enjoy the magic as long as we can.

Fall Festing with Plenty of Harvest

Fog set in over the valley this weekend for a perfect day to visit our favorite fall festival.  We crafted, rode tractors, picked pumpkins, and saw lot of fall color.  Added bonus this year was wax hands - something entirely new and pretty much awesome!  Already announced wax hand is going to school for Anything Day.

Muddy boots, plenty of corn, and tons of farm fun

A gorgeous fall day brought no school.  So we started with dentist appointments followed by a trip to one our favorite fall destinations.  There was jumping, cow trains, scarecrows, big tires, and lots of smiles.  Plus we nearly got lost in a corn maze full of muddy puddles and bridges to the top of the world.  It was glorious and brought two worn-out kids.