It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

 A blog for all of our Pre-Christmas Shenanigans....

 Christmas through your child's eyes is such a wonderful thing! It is even more special than I ever imagined. :)

Owen learns best from play. Rather than a pre-school curriculum, I try to do lots of activities that pertain to the time of year that he can learn from. 

On top of our fun projects, we've had lots of  Christmas play dates, celebrations, and parties...so keep up if you can! It is a blog overload!

First things first, our Elf on the Shelf came to visit for the first time. I think Owen kind of gets the concept. He is always worried his elf will fall from his spot and lose his magic.

Meet "Stinky Pants"...Yes, Stinky Pants! Can you tell I live in a house full of boys???!?

This is the sweet smile I see every morning when Owen finds "Stinky Pants".

Listening to Daddy read about the Elf on the Shelf.

Our first Christmas activity of the season, helped Owen work on his fine motor skills. He scooped plastic ornaments from bowl to bowl with an ice cream scooper. Since this day, we have continued to do this activity with different kitchen items. One of Owen's favorites is moving the ornaments from bowl to bowl with tongs. :)

I was able to talk Owen into doing a hand print ornament for the tree. We have been doing this every year. This year Owen has decided he doesn't care for hand prints, because he can do his own beautiful work. All part of his developing  individuality, but he loved his Mommy just enough to make me this ornament. :) I will cherish it forever. Thanks, O!

Our Little Tots play group recently got together to decorate Gingerbread cookies. It was so much fun!  I am so thankful for this group of Mommies and their sweet little boys.

I just love this concentration look...

You can never have enough sprinkles!

I found this cute little board in the dollar bin at Target. I love Target's dollar bins. :) Owen and I have been practicing our counting skills every day, by counting the number of days until Christmas (when I remember). He has done really well counting, although I can't seem to convince him that "eleventeen" isn't a number. "It is a number MOM! It comes after nineteen and before twenty. I taught me that!" He has a reason for everything. He has the mind of an engineer like his Daddy!

Another fun way we practice counting is with our advent calendar. We count the empty slots and get to eat CHOCOLATE! :)  (PS...my child refuses to wear pants when we are home)

This is how I feel about chocolate too, buddy!

Owen worked on patterns and fine motor skills by making those candy cane ornaments we all made as kids. (the ones with pipe cleaners and beads) I was very surprised, but Owen was able to string his beads without any help and followed the pattern without being corrected. I know it sounds simple, but those are hard skills to accomplish for a two year old, so Mommy is very proud of his "hard work".

Time to hang our ornament on the tree!

Perfection! (Yes, that is a gift tag hanging on our tree! Owen is convinced it is an ornament. haha!)

We also painted these little Candy Cane and Christmas Tree ornaments. Not only are we not wearing pants, we lost the shirt for this one. ;)

This particular craft was a two day craft. We made Puffy Christmas Paint that smelled like peppermints. Owen painted a Christmas Tree and a wreath. The next day he added a trunk and star sticker to his tree. He also glued some Christmas Pom Poms and a bow to his wreath. This craft is really neat. It dries kind of bumpy. Owen loves to touch it and smell it. Although, he gets a little upset if glitter gets on his hands!


First, we had to mix up the paint...

Then we painted with this fluffy, sparkly, scented concoction...

The next morning after our paint had dried, Owen couldn't wait to finish his projects. He finished them in his pajamas with breakfast remnants on  his face. ;)

Every tree must have a topper! :)

Gluing his pom poms to his wreath...

TA DAH!

I promise we haven't forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. Owen and I read this book every day. I got this for him on his first Christmas. This board book does such a good job explaining Christmas to toddlers! I plan on doing the Jessie Advent Tree with Owen as he gets older. I didn't feel like he was quite ready for that this year.

We also made this baby Jesus in a manger with his sweet feet. He let me do a foot print, can you believe it?!?!

We had a fun sensory activity with "Christmas Rice". It was colored red and green and smelled like peppermint. Owen helped me mix it up the day before.

Pretty and smelled delicious!

Our sweet friends Lisa and Blake had us over for some Christmas cookie decorating. Benjamin, Blake, and Owen had so much fun. :)

When we got home, Mommy attempted to make Owen a "Santa" lunch.

I found a really simple recipe for "scented" water colors. Owen and I mixed up candy cane and sugar cookie scented water colors.  The colors didn't stay on the paper very well, but he had fun nonetheless!

Later that evening, we took our water colors into the bathtub. Owen sprayed his bubbles and turned them into "Santa Suds". He had a red and green bath, and the bathroom smelled heavenly!

Owen has even received some early Christmas presents in the mail, that absolutely could not wait until Christmas to be opened. Thanks Cousin Debbie! We have played and played with our Playdoh and tools.

Owen is convinced it is going to snow on Christmas Day because it did on Caillou. When we tell him it probably won't snow because it is too hot, he says "Yes, it is!!!! It snowed on Caillou, so it is going to snow here, and I am going to make a snowman." He doesn't quite understand...I hope he isn't too disappointed! I made him some pretend snow from baking soda and shaving cream (it even felt cold), but it wasn't the same...

We really enjoyed our apartment complex's Christmas party! We are going to be in for a reality check in the next year or two when we have to say goodbye to easy apartment living.

Owen made an ornament at the party...

Eating dinner! They served roast beef, loaded mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and other snacks.

Owen is a Santa pro now.

Santa gave Owen a candy cane.

I am pretty sure Owen ate about 20 cookies at the party. He grabbed one every time he walked by the table.

Dancing...

We took Owen to the Avalon Christmas concert at church. He loved the music, and was very good for a two year old! It lasted about two hours. I loved watching him dance and sing.

One day we decided to have a day dedicated to gingerbread. :)

Owen made some gingerbread men with gingerbread scented puffy paint. I started out with a gingerbread man, but he said that he "needed a girlfriend". We made a girl and a boy. Owen made sure we didn't forget the bow!

Painting away...

He loves art projects!

Adding some buttons.... The "girlfriend" had on a polka dot dress according to Owen. :)

Mr. and Mrs. Gingerbread!

I also made Owen some gingerbread clay. I am not sure that I cooked it long enough, because it was a little sticky. The house smelled wonderful, but Owen refused to touch the sticky goo!

Get this away from me!

Later that night I mixed up some gingerbread bath paint. Luckily, this one turned out just right.

Who had more fun? Owen or Daddy?

I have been on top of things this year, and got my Christmas cards out the earliest I ever have. I love how the little things in life make Owen so happy. He thought putting the stamps on the envelopes was the best thing ever! This ended up being a 45 minute trip at the UPS store, and your stamps might be a little crooked when you receive your card, but we made a sweet memory that I will always cherish!

One day, Owen and I worked on his fine motor and gluing skills.

First, we glued cotton balls to a candy cane to make its stripes.

We also glued "garland" onto a Christmas Tree. :)

I love his smiles!

Some days, you just need to play with Christmas stickers...

We had a fun play date in the park lined up one Friday, but unfortunately a lot of the children were sick. The play date is set to be rescheduled and Daddy was off of work, so we headed to see Frozen. Owen LOVED it! He was so excited to go, and loved the movie. He ate a piece of popcorn off of the movie theater floor, so I am anticipating that we will be the next ones sick. ;)

Poppy and Uncle Nekko recently came to visit and help haul some of Owen's Christmas presents to Enterprise. Owen got an early Christmas present from Mimi and Poppy. He loves his stuffed Elf that he named "Poopie".

 

We took Uncle Nekko and Poppy to the Pensacola Christmas Parade Downtown. It was an absolute blast!!! I didn't get a bunch of pictures of the actual parade, but after 2 hours we left and it was still going strong. It was definitely one of the best that I have been too.

Patiently waiting for the parade to start....

Being silly with Poppy...

Nose kisses!!!

A little unsure about all the sirens...

Owen was very proud of all of his beads. He also caught two stuffed animals and a cup.

When we got home Owen put an Easter bucket around his neck and played the drums like the marching band....

Owen went with Mommy and Daddy to our Sunday School Christmas Party. I am so thankful for this wonderful group of people, and that we all like to bring our children. :)  Owen really enjoyed playing Dirty Santa.

Owen's gymnastics class had a fun Christmas party....with SANTA! We love Kidsnasium!

Santa was telling him "Stinky Pants" said he was a good boy.

Trampoline!

Owen matched the beanbag colors to the circles and then hopped on the beanbags while saying the color names. He loves the "stations". (and I love that fly away hair)

Playing in the bounce house...

Cookies and Chex Mix...Yum!!!!

Shaking his ribbon wand...

We are SO excited that Blake joined our gymnastics class. You are going to have so much fun, Blake!!!

Owen and I had to miss the MOMS Club Christmas Party. We were a little sad, but Mommy and Daddy NEEDED to tour the hospital. Brother is due in roughly 7 weeks and we don't even know where to go. :)

Luckily, Ms. Toni had us over for Little Tots/ Big Tots, and we got to paint Christmas wreaths. Owen LOVES Ms. Toni's house, and his MOMS Club friends!

Practicing cutting for the first time!

These little monkeys kept jumping on the bed. Five minutes prior to this picture Owen fell and got a big knot. Apparently, lesson was NOT learned. I love his face....BUSTED!

Owen has been slightly obsessed with stars this Christmas. He thinks EVERY tree should have a star, and he isn't afraid to point it out if your tree is missing its star.

He picked out a wooden star to paint when we went to the store the other day. I taught him about how the shepherds followed the star to find Baby Jesus. I later asked him about the star and he said "Shepherds followed it to Baby Jesus in a manager in Bethlehem, and he was swinging from the star. He was swinging from the top and the bottom." Close enough for a two year old I guess? haha!

Owen and Daddy made a gingerbread house together. I think gingerbread men would have been a little more age appropriate. I tried to talk Owen into an easier project, but he insisted on making a house.  We almost broke the roof a few times...but the house survived!

Owen and Daddy both had a Tootsie Roll!

The Fall Gingerbread House!

One morning I attempted to make Owen Christmas shaped biscuits. Definitely a pinterest fail....

He didn't seem to mind!

Owen woke up yesterday and asked to write a letter to Santa. He was very specific...he needed green paper and a red marker. His letter was short and sweet. It said "Dear Santa". I asked if it said  that he was a good boy, or what he wanted for Christmas? He said "No, it just says Dear Santa, and that is all it says"....

 

We had our Pensacola Mommy and Me Christmas Party/Cookie Exchange today. To say Owen had a blast would be an understatement. He ate cookies for lunch, so he should be in a great mood later....haha.

Enjoying his "stah" cookie...

Dancing on the "stage"...

I always get a picture of these two chasing each other. Nickolas and Owen play so well together!

Group pictures...Take 1 and Take 2! I love these Mommies and their sweet, sweet babies!

Owen took a small break from the party to go do a craft in the library and play in the "balloon room".

So proud of his grinch magnet...

There is always an opportunity for learning with my Owen. He wanted to know why he could see through the red balloons, but not the green balloons. I told him if he could see through the balloon it was transparent, and if he couldn't see through the balloon it was opaque. I don't know if he will remember it by tomorrow, but he caught on to the concept rather quickly. He spent about 5 minutes sorting the transparent balloons in a group and the opaque balloons in another group. 

 

After Owen's balloon "experiments" we went back to the party....

Boys will be boys!!!

If you made it this far, I hope you enjoyed all of our Pre-Christmas fun!

Our Christmas starts this afternoon. Grammy, Papaw, and Aunt Devon are coming to our house until Monday. After that, we head to Enterprise for the week. I am so excited for Christmas this year. Owen is going to be so much fun!

We hope you have a VERY Merry Christmas!!!!

ShelliRaephotography www.shelliraephotography.com