The Christmas Season

I have decided that after this past year, I actually like the weeks leading up to Christmas better than the actual event itself.  The Christmas season has a magic to it, my kid's eyes shine a little bit brighter, as if they can feel that something wonderful is about to happen.  The lights, the activities, the ballet and newly added this year to our holiday tradition the symphony - all equal a wonderfully busy time when even a diligent Mom can't keep up with it on her blog.  And so without further ado - I give you a slightly belated look at our Christmas season....

As I mentioned above, we have added a new event to our annual holiday tradition - the symphony.  Each year the Nashville Symphony has one of their "Pied Piper" Series concerts around Christmas time.  The symphony plays Christmas favorites as the conductor helps Santa Claus build lots of instruments for boys and girls for Christmas and along the way helps the audience learn a little bit about each family of instruments.  And while the kids enjoyed the music they MUCH preferred the pre-show instrument "petting zoo" where everyone was allowed to try each and every instrument that makes up an orchestra - from strings, to woodwinds, brass and everything in between.  Raif and I were both impressed that Quinn and Greyson were able to produce a sound from every instrument - though sometimes it was a make you want to scratch your eardrums out hideous noise, but a noise nonetheless, even from all the brass which takes some wind power.

Then of course we took in The Nutcracker - the kids absolute favorite event of Christmas.


We took in light shows both inside and out and the kids were amazed by the giant Poinsettia Christmas tree at Opryland.

 We made our annual Gingerbread houses.  Seriously, is there nothing that Raif and Greyson can't make into something related to hockey....

 



 

Then we made cookies and decorated the house with homemade wreaths and snowmen and filled the tree with kid made ornaments.





(Rudolph with a slightly enlarged nose or rabid, killer reindeer just returning from the hunt...I will let you decide.)

Oh and just for the record....yes my children are in their pajamas pretty much anytime they are home.  First thing they do after school, if it is too yucky to go outside is put their pj's on and they will leave them on all weekend if you let them which is what I did most days of Christmas vacation..

So there you have it - our Christmas season.  I hope yours was filled with as much magic and fun as ours.  And now on to the New Year!!