Santa Claus

In preparation for the busy Christmas Day, Santa came once a week to visit the children and see how they were behaving. We went each week to visit him and make sure he understood exactly what Noodle and Tashi wanted. 

The past two years, our visits with Santa have been filled with tears, not knowing what to expect this year at first I was a bit concerned. 

On our first visit, Noodle didn't cry, but she wanted Mommy to be there when she spoke with Santa. Tashi was perfectly content in his arms. 

 On our second visit, she loved Santa. Spoke with him for a long time, mentioned the 3 toys she wanted for Christmas, asked for Rudolph and made sure to ask what Rudolph liked to eat, so she could leave it out.  

Sweet hugs

 She was so eager to talk to Santa she went in for a second conversation, and to get a replacement candy cane since hers had broken. 

On our third visit, we went with the entire gang. All six were perfectly happy (one little one is missing, he wanted nothing to do with the big man)

On our fourth and final visit, Noodle made sure Santa knew that she definitely wanted a cape (she had been flip flopping on it), the scooter and the skates she was certain she wanted all along. On this visit, she also told Santa that her baby sister wanted a ball popper so they could play together. 

She was more interested in talking with Santa than posing for photos

Tashi wanted to get a look too

Babes in Toyland

Noodle and her little friend went to the see the classic family ballet, Babes in Toyland. 

Noodle was so excited to see the ballerinas in person. This was the perfect ballet introduction since it is a performance filled with all the classical storytime characters, including: Little Bo-Peep, Little Miss Muffet, Red Riding Hood, Mother Goose, etc. It is a simple story to understand and the girls were able to understand the story without difficulty. 

Girls in red

Excited with their wands after the show

After the show, we had a chance to meet the characters. I thought Noodle would not be interested, but I was wrong. She was so excited to talk to the all, she wanted to take pictures. There were children asking for autographs and although Noodle doesn't understand what an autograph is, she asked me to give her the program so she could get some too. 

Getting autographs

With Jill

With Red Riding Hood

With the Snow Flakes 

With Queen Moth

After the show running with her friend

I just love this face

When is Christmas?

As if we didn't have several ways to count down Christmas, I came up with one more. 

We collected 24 rocks, put Christmas stickers on them and the plan was that each morning we would take one out, by Christmas morning, there would be none left in the jar. 

Collecting the rocks

Picking them carefully

Final selection 

Stickers

Noodle putting the stickers on the rocks 

The happy little helper

They are done!

Putting them in the big jar

She call this her sweet face!

"They are mine and I don't want to take one out each morning"

"Good plan Mommy, but we don't want to be part of it"

Ultimately, Noodle is not interested in the rock countdown; however, it is not a total loss. 

She does play with her rocks, she lines them, pretends they are airplanes and takes them in and out of the bucket. They get played with, just not the kind of play I expected, but that is the beauty of it all: she gets to do what interests her. 

Countdown to Christmas

Noodle is very excited about Christmas. 

I figure it would be nice to have a countdown, a sort of advent activity that would entertain her and would help her figure out when the actual day arrived. 

We have an advent Noah's Ark she loves, but I decided to create other fun activities. 

I checked out 24 Christmas books from the library and wrapped them for her and each night she opens one. 

I numbered each book, so it helps her work on her numbers.

Working on her numbers. Counting

Excited opening her book

Every night she asks we read her the book twice in a row, then she takes it and reads it herself (or pretends to read it, telling the story as she remembers and can tell from the illustration)

Daddy reading The Polar Express

Noodle reading to Tashi

I built a felt board and we attach the numbers to the board each night, when we fill the board it will be Christmas!

The felt board with the left over wrapping paper

Christmas Preparation

We had a great Thanksgiving. It was filled with family, food and football. 

The day after Thanksgiving, we went to pick a Christmas tree. 

Ready to go

Noodle was in charge of picking our tree. She decided she would smell them, until she found one that she approved of. 

Helping Daddy

Dancing her way around the store

Helping Daddy take off the net

Concentrated on her decorations

Most decoration ended up at her level and a few branches got many balls

"If I can't decorate, I'll play with the garland"

Noodle hard at work

The end result