Wrapping It Up

It's time to wrap up all the pre-Christmas posts before the big day rolls around...I know I won't have a shortage of pictures and stories to share, so I should probably cram as much as possible in while I can! First things first...I hope our nemesis, the flu, hasn't visited (translation: taken over) your house like it as ours. We've been home bound for almost a week now, and I'm ready for it to vamoose. We're finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Thankfully, J and I have stayed healthy. That's rather helpful when you're taking care of two super sick princesses who need someone at their beck and call at all times. I can't confidently tell you that they haven't worked it to their advantage. That's what we're here for, though!

Take a look at this poor baby...
She couldn't even hold her head up in the bathtub, bless her bones!

Here's what we were up to before the sickness struck...

Towns asked to make ornaments for her classmates for Christmas, so I put her to work one night after Cate went to bed. She was so determined to paint them just right...
But her big sister loved tickling her to try to break her concentration...
It's safe to say Bethany has a little of her daddy in her!
While she was painting up a storm, I was baking up a storm...
Towns' big celebration on the last day of school would be centered around a Christmas Cake. One mom out of the class volunteered, and yours truly (knowing how much the girls love being in the kitchen) decided I'd be the lucky one. What I didn't count on was our oven going out and having to bake a 3 layer cake using a toaster oven. Talk about a sight for sore eyes! The whole thing is pretty neat, and I did enjoy it. The cake is round to represent the world into which Jesus was born. The black layer represents the fact that all have sinned. The red layer symbolizes Jesus' blood that was shed for our sins, and the green represents the new life we have in Christ after our sins have been washed away. The whole cake is iced with white icing for Jesus' righteousness and purity. A border of red hearts stands for brothers and sisters united in Christ circling the earth as His witnesses. Then there's a 6 point yellow star on top like the star that shone leading shepherds to the manger where Jesus was born. It's a very ceremonial thing with the lighting of certain color candles that represent various things. The kids were captivated when Mrs. Lindsay was telling them about what everything meant...
It was so sweet seeing them participating...Afterwards, everyone got to dig in. That, along with eating most of what was supposed to go on the gingerbread houses they decorated made for some hyper kindergartners...
You should see the picture I have of her eating the icing like it's her job. Priceless!
The only two girls in the class...
A class photo was a major challenge. Remember the icing, candy and cake?! At least they're all in their seats in this one. In most of the ones I took they look like they have ants in their pants!
Mrs. Lindsay got to open her gift from the class before the big gift swap...
I do believe she loved it!

Mrs. Lindsay and Mrs. Pace's two classes combined to swap gifts. They played musical chairs, and each time someone got out they got to pick a gift to open. This led to people wanting to get out so they could have the best pick of the gifts, so we had to modify things a bit and give them incentive to stay in the game.
Once everyone had a gift they tore into them, which sent wrapping paper flying like you've never seen...
Emma B., Josie and Towns comparing their goods...
Towns couldn't have gotten asked for anything better...
Sweet Delights Moon Sand!
After the party we hit the road to see the Rockettes, but I couldn't help but get a picture of Towns on her last day of the first half of the year...
Sentimental is my middle name, and I'm not afraid to admit it!

Cate was supposed to have a big Christmas party in her class, but it got called off because of school letting out for bad weather. I couldn't leave without a picture of her and her main squeeze, though...
Other than that, we've spent our days and nights (and everything in between) like this...
I'll be glad when everyone is back up and running...literally. Didn't realize how much I could miss the sound of their little feet ripping up and down the hardwood floors!

Here's hoping you and yours have a very Merry CHRISTmas!