Last Weekend Before Christmas

It's the last few days before Christmas...woohoo!!  I'm not gonna lie, it's still sometimes hard to get into the Christmas spirit when it's in the 80s outside.  Most days of the year, I'd take sunscreen over snowpants, but there's something about being cold at Christmas that makes it a little bit better.  At least next year we'll get a cold Christmas in Indiana.  This year, I'll just count my blessings and catch some rays.  We took advantage of the gorgeous weather on Friday and hit the pavement for a run to our drumming party with Miss Rabe...

Don't miss next week's class!

In case you're interested in her other offerings, here's her schedule for the winter session...

Rabe Cogsil Cogsil@aol.com 772-349-1799SCHEDULE for Jan 2014------5 weeks=$50 Start week of Jan.7 End week of Feb.5 Tuesdays---------9:00-10:00 toddlers-emphasis on sign Language within activitiesTuesdays--------10:30-11:30 33 months plus Tuesdays---*12:45-2:00--4 month olds to reserved beginner walkers (safe environment for all)Wednesdays------9:00-10:00 toddlers and siblings Wednesdays----10:45-11:45 (time can be arranged around participants)
*= class starts for each family when they arrive- user friendly start and stop class format
5 weeks -$75 VPK Students or EAGER 3 YEAR OLDS
12:45-1:45 (DAY tba) Each class has 3-6 students and studies TONE BELLS No instrument is needed*= class starts for each family when they arrive- user friendly start and stop class format5 weeks -$75 VPK Students or EAGER 3 YEAR OLDS 12:45-1:45 (DAY tba) Each class has 3-6 students and studies TONE BELLS No instrument is needed*= class starts for each family when they arrive- user friendly start and stop class format5 weeks -$75 VPK Students or EAGER 3 YEAR OLDS 12:45-1:45 (DAY tba) Each class has 3-6 students and studies TONE BELLS No instrument is needed

We headed to the park after music class for some more outdoor fun...

It was a fun morning and we all returned home sunkissed and happy.  Unfortunately, things started to go downhill after naps when the Mason woke up with a fever.  The darn bug that's going around finally got its hold on us...bummer!  

We spent most of the rest of the day snuggled up...

Sambucol and Motrin to the rescue...

...if you haven't tried this stuff for colds, I highly recommend it.  I'm a believer!

I was able to squeeze in a bit of fun with some girlfriends at a cookie exchange that night.  It was nice to enjoy a glass of wine and catch up with the girls.  

Our original plan was to go to SeaWorld on Saturday to check out the special Christmas shows but we ended up staying close to home, with our major outing of the day being a trip to Publix.  It's almost as exciting as SeaWorld, right??

We did venture around the block on the bikes for some fresh air but that's about as much excitement the boys got.  They were just too beat to do much else.

I got a little stir crazy come nap time and decided to tackle my long run that afternoon in hopes of being able to sleep in on Sunday morning...

MapMyRun told me I did a good job...I agree!  It's definitely not my fastest but it's done and I'm ready for the half marathon.  Bring on taper time!!  And things went according to plan...I got to sleep in til 7 this morning.  Woohoo!!

This morning, the boys woke up fever-free but still congested so we hit up the beach to breathe the salty air and get some vitamin D...

...it was GORGEOUS out there today.  My secret plan is to see the beach every day in the next two weeks while Mickey is home.  Wish me luck!

While we were over there, we checked out the new playground too...

...even Mickey had fun, haha...

I think it's better suited for my littler love bugs, don't you???...

We rounded out our morning with a couple of errands before calling it good and heading back home for some R and R...for the guys at least.  I did squeeze in a quick, fantastic, upper body workout that looked like this...

I have a feeling I'll be squeezing in this quick, intense workout again over the holidays...short and effective!

I tackled a few other chores and now it's time for some R and R for me.  I see a family bike ride in our future now that Mickey fixed his bike.  Gotta take advantage of the sunshine :-)  

Santa Visits Story Time

Our Christmas Story Time at Blue Door was a HUGE hit.  I'm still smiling from how wonderfully it turned out.  Check out who showed up to join in on the fun...

....I love our community and all the wonderful people and businesses who work together to make it such a wonderful place to live.  Thanks to everyone who came out for the event and for continuing to support my little gig at Blue Door.  It truly brings joy to my heart and I feel blessed to have the opportunity to see so many smiling faces each week...

In case you missed last week's special story time, you still have a chance to get in on the magic tomorrow night at Coffee Bar Blue Door at 6:15.  Hope to see you there.

Some of My Favorite Things - Toddler Christmas Edition

With twin two and a half year old boys, this Christmas season has been especially magical so far.  The excitement of the season is very real for the boys and I'm having a blast experiencing the excitement and wonder of this wonderful time of year with them.  I won't bore you with everything we've done, but here are some of our favorite things we've found to make our holiday season extra special...

You know us and our love our books.  Here are some of our favorite Christmas books...

  

Some of our favorite movies included...

We definitely got crafty these season.  These crafts were kid-friendly and fun for all of us...

This fantastic kit...

  

...resulted in this lovely house...

a first for both the boys and me.  Fun stuff!!

We also had fun making Rudolphs with our hand and foot prints...

These cute little guys are easy enough for a 2 1/2 year to assemble independently once everything is cut out....

This one took quite a bit of help from me, but I'm very happy with the results and the keepsake we now have...

....thanks Pinterest for the inspiration.  

We enjoyed lots of yummy treats too.  The biggest hits was the following...

Cut-out cookies for santa...

hand decorated by my talented toddlers...

...using a tried out a recipe from Rachael Ray's Everyday magazine...

...it got 8 thumbs up from our family.  Delish!  Check out the finished product...

We've also eaten more than our share of white chocolate and peppermint covered pretzel thins.  I have to hide them from the boys, they're that good.  

I see some potential traditions getting started in our house and it makes my heart happy.  What are some of your favorite Christmas activities??  

Party Weekend

The theme of this weekend was Celebration!  You'll hear no complaints from this gal when that theme rolls around.  What's not to love about yummy food, delicious drinks, fantastic friends, great people watching, and holiday cheer.  We had a great time...especially since Miriam got to join us for the fun.  

Friday night's fun included a trip to my old stomping grounds, Redeemer Lutheran, for the Live Nativity.  It has become a family tradition for us and we love the way they help us remember the reason for the season.  The petting zoo is a nice bonus too...

We continued the holiday spirit by watching Frosty the Snowman at home.  Mason held onto this poinsettia branch he broke off the whole time, waiting to give it to Aunt Miriam when she arrived...

...so sweet!

Saturday morning kicked off bright and early with a 12 mile run with Miriam.  We're pretty much ready for her first half marathon.  Only one more long run before the big event.  I can't wait to experience it with her.  She's definitely catching the running bug.  Woohoo!

After our run, it was time for some fun with the boys.  Our first stop was Lowes to build a train...

...they're really starting to get the hang of things and are always so proud of their creations.  This train was a huge hit with the boys...

It is officially impossible to get a decent photo of both of them when they are having so much fun...

Saturday mornings aren't complete without a little shopping and some Starbucks so we made sure to fit those in before tiring of the crowds and heading home for some fun in the comfort of our own home.  

While the boys napped, Miriam prepped the gingerbread house she bought to make with the boys...

...thank goodness we had the wisdom to get the structure put together while they were napping.  There's no way this wouldn't have happened with 4 toddler hands trying to help.

Saturday evenings plans included a babysitter and some fun out on the town for the grown ups....fun times for us all.  

Our first stop was a new spot in town, The Crafter Keg...

...yum!!  It has a pretty cool vibe inside...

...be sure to check out the upstairs seating.  Fun stuff!!  

Happy Happy!!  Enough said.  

We also swung by Blue Door for a bit and joined up with another friend before heading to our final destination for the night, a holiday party with some friends.   We made sure to hit up the photo booth while we were there...

Good times!!

We had such a fun night.

Sunday kicked off the way most Sundays do, with a trip to church.  It's getting crowded there these days, and you know me, never on time, so this week our tardiness was rewarded with front row seats... love that...NOT!!  That will teach us to get there on time.  Haha!

We did a quick stop at the park on the way home...

...it's always fun to watch the boys play with their dad.  They loved having the place all to themselves...

When we got home, we turned that gingerbread house into a masterpiece...

...it's no easy feat with twin boys at your service but they ended up having a blast and so did we...

The rest of our Sunday was spent at parties...first the birthday party for an adorable one year old and secondly, the Christmas party for Blue Door employees.  It was a fun day! 

We finished up our day with some snuggles on the couch...

...before it was time to call it a day.  What a fun weekend!!!!  

Now it's time to tackle the week.  Only 5 workdays before we get Mickey all to ourselves for a while.  To say we're a little excited would be an understatement.   Here's to hoping this week flies by and the to-do list gets finished so we can enjoy some quality family time this Christmas.  Can't believe it's only 9 days away.