naughty or nice?

This Christmas season has been so full already - parties, friends, gifts, treats, songs, shows, hayrides, skiing, and every now and then all being home together as a family!

In anticipation of the holiday, the boys have been absolutely wired with thoughts of gift exchanging and elf spotting! And they have been very, very (mostly!) NICE!

Their good behavior might have just a little something to do with our December visitor.... Zack!

Our "spy" elf has for the past 3 years been merely a watchful presence, finding a neat little spot every morning to sit and wait to be discovered by the boys!

This year though, he seems to have grown a little more comfortable in our house... and I'm sure it's because when he visits with all his friends every night at the North Pole and hears all their stories about what kind of mischief they make at their houses he realizes finally that he can interact a little more and show off his personal side just a bit!

Turns out Zack is a good-natured elf. I have fortunately not had to consider nominating him for the inappropriate elf contest. He is thoughtful and kind and interested in the arts and education... we're pretty lucky to have  him around!

listening to some Christmas tunes on my ipod

reading Frosty the Snowman

He brought us a new ornament for our tree... with a picture of Gabe!

doodling with Hamp's new crayons

hanging out in Sam's makeshift stocking!

encouraging Hamp to practice his spelling words!

Sam left his superhero friends out one night, so Zack called them all together for a game!

His most mischievous act? Giving the boys a new Christmas puzzle... but holding back one piece!

So we're leaving our snow-less Colorado home for the next 10 days to spend Christmas with family in Tennessee! We're so excited... but sad that Zack has probably made his final appearance for the year! Hamp has already written Santa a note explaining our whereabouts and asked Zack to take it up to the North Pole with him tonight. I'm sure Zack will take care of it!

In the mean time, we're sad that our favorite little "presents" under the tree will have to stay here with friends while we're away...

sweet Gabe

Minou & Kitten

Looking forward to a wonderful week with family... 

and wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!!!

hayride

Sam's adventure for the last day of school was the traditional pre-school/kindergarten hayride!

It was a cold, clear day - full of lots of smiles and a little bit of singing...

We caravanned around town on three flatbed trailers for almost an hour, singing carols and laughing mostly! Not sure who had more fun in fact - the kids or the adults!

The chill wore us out after a bit - just in time for a hot lunch and a playdate... and the beginning of a very restful, much anticipated 2-week vacation!

Rock 'n' Roll Snowman

The pre-school Christmas program was so fun...

We couldn't wait to see Sam on stage performing his songs and poems - especially since we had gotten some fun previews over the past month!

Perhaps my favorite moment of preparation for the big show was when Sam asked me if I knew what "jazz hands" were... apparently the Rock 'n' Roll Snowman is pretty flashy!

*** warning: screaming 4/5 year olds ahead - you might want to turn down your speakers!!!!! ***

Sam spots his family in the crowd!

check out these dapper looking dudes!

Christmas at the OK Corral

The 1st & 2nd graders put on a wonderful Christmas program last night... an old fashioned story of good vs. evil in the Ol' West... at Christmastime.

Santa Claus had a bit part, mainly dispatching the hero (Candy Cane Kid) to save the little village from a dastardly villain (Bubble Gum Bart). But we thought Hamp played the part to a tee!

ever wonder what Santa wears under his red suit?!

Good vs. Evil

 Some of the younger theater goers got to pose with a real cowboy from the show!

 And after the show was over, there was just enough time to catch Santa with one of his best prairie friends on set!

Sunlight

HOORAY!!! It's finally that time of year to pull out all the ski gear and get up early on the weekend and pack a lunch and ski with friends until the sun starts to set... and Saturday was our first day at Sunlight Mountain, our favorite family hill.

Sam has jumped right back into the groove - a nice, easy slow groove! - and thinks that he is a super skier! (then, I suppose he is pretty super for a four-year-old!)

Meanwhile, Hamp has really started to look like a real skier and will probably do very well this season - especially if he's got a buddy to go with!!!

Looking forward to many slope-side adventures this winter!

icicles

I can't help it... one of my favorite additions to Christmas Tree decorations are those stringy, shiny, messy, lovely tinsel garland strings called "icicles". 

So I figured I should get a couple packs so the boys could appreciate the fun of trimming the tree by literally tossing tinsel all over it!

It was fun, short-lived, messy (as expected!) and intriguing enough... and the boys didn't exactly work on "spacing out" the garland so that it lightly covered the whole tree in shiny little icicle-like tinsel:

But I do think it is definitely the perfect touch to a lovely tree... and last night I remembered easily why icicles are my favorite part:

so shiny!

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season so far...

Santa Claus is coming to town...

Ol' Saint Nick stopped by town this morning to say hello to all the boys and girls ~ and the boys were first in line to visit with the jolly elf and discuss their wish lists for this year!

Santa listens intently

reading Hamp's list

This year, Sam is asking Santa Claus to bring him a plush bunny rabbit (?) and this.

Hamp's list included a wii game (Madden NFL), a board game (Sorry!) and a tee for his football!

Here's to hoping these guys will make the "nice" list!!!

But just in case, Zack is watching...