holiday greetings

Waiting for Santa...

Merry Christmas!

Here's a few samples from Alicia's xmas eve. Santa doesn't reach our house until Saturday.. but our families have started the fun today.

Here's Alicia singing a song for us.

Hmm

Shopping isnt too bad when i get free taste tests! Alicia getting her
first try of a strawberry gelato at the chocolate store we went to.
She loved it along with the hot cocoa and caramel chocolate candy she
tried! Woah, yummo! I think she has my (mommy's) sweet tooth ;)

Video test

playing in the snow

We got to enjoy the snow in our courtyard area today. It finally wasn't so cold outside, so we decided to go play in the snow, and of course make some snowmen! Alicia really enjoyed sledding too!

Sunday football fun

santa train and visit

Last Saturday we had a day full of Santa(s). After the previous year or so, we weren't so sure how this year's experience was going to go. Needless to say, I didn't want to take her to the mall and stand in line FOREVER just to see jolly o' st. nick. I didn't want to have to pay 30 bucks for some horrible pictures that were forced on her and made her cry. All I wanted to do was to introduce/show her Santa and see what happened. So when I heard about this Santa Train event in Naperville, we decided to give it a shot. It sounded like a fairly laid back event that I thought would be a perfect fit.... and it was! Alicia really seemed to enjoy herself during the day on Saturday! The Haney's also joined us on the Santa train, which was Sam's first train ride! We rode the Metra from the Naperville station to about Brookfield area and back. Our train car wasn't too full or anything, which was nice and not overwhelming. The best part was each train car had their own Santa, which allowed Santa to sit and visit, sing, and play games with the children. Overall the trip went pretty good, she was a bit skeptical of Santa at first, and didn't really want to sit next to him. She was content with sitting on the opposite side of where Santa was, until I showed her that Santa wasn't too scary and had her sit next to him while I safely had her on my lap. We didn't have any tantrums or crying, so it was a successful Santa visit in my eyes. I think Alicia was better with meeting the dude in the red suit after her gave her a candy cane. haha..

Later that evening, we met up with the Suttmanns and Bormets where we had Santa round 2! The park district we go to had a winter festival with arts and craft for the kids and of course, Santa. This wasn't as much fun for Alicia, as she was in the "I want to go home" phase and almost hit complete meltdown. But really, it had been a long day already for her and I don't blame her for not wanting to pose with yet another Santa... enough is enough! All I want for Christmas is no more Santa visits!

Alicia coloring while on the train, very focused :)

Alicia posing with Santa, only after she got her prized candy cane treat from him!

Alicia's preschool picture