Let the Mayhem Begin

Thanksgiving through  New Year's is my absolute favorite time of year even though it's filled with a million things to do. It always puts me in such a joyful mood and I like to find every possible way to celebrate the Christmas season. We checked the first activity off of my "To Do" list by ice skating with Erik's parent's at South Jordan City Plaza. It was tons of fun, and free, which made it even better. Although we were freezing, Claire thoroughly enjoyed going around the rink with her Daddy and could not stop smiling.

 
A couple weekends later, we marked going to the lights at Temple Square off of our list. This has seemed to become a tradition in our house and I enjoy it every year. Claire loved seeing all of the lights and kept signing "hot", because she thinks lights are hot and I haven't told her differently. It's managed to keep her little fingers away from our Christmas tree entirely. She did throw a little temper tantrum after she was put back in her stroller and we were given a few "crusty looks" from on-lookers walking by. They probably weren't as bad as the looks I gave them when I noticed their child had no coat, gloves, or hat on. It had to have been 20 degrees outside for heavens sake! Although Claire enjoyed the lights everywhere, she was more enamored by the big water fountain she saw as we were leaving. Claire loves water and said "wa wa" a hundred times after setting her eyes on the fountain ahead. It was a fun family outing that we all enjoyed.

The week before Christmas I was pleasantly surprised when I happened to come upon the most PERFECT ornament for Claire this year. This is a tradition my parent's started where we would pick an ornament that represents something we did or liked that past year, which began from birth and went through to age 18. Claire is obsessed with my parent's vintage Little People playhouse/ferris wheel set that is probably from 1975. She plays with it every time she goes to their house and I could not believe it when I came across an ornament of the exact house. What a score!

That same week, Claire also got to enjoy a Christmas themed "Gotta Move" class at the Whitmore Library. Claire and I go to various libraries every week and she has really enjoyed listening to the stories and dancing with the kids around her. She was pleasantly surprised to receive a candy cane from the teacher at the end of class and even tried to steal a few more when she wasn't looking. :)

Before things got too hectic, we enjoyed a lovely dinner with Erik's siblings and grandparents. It was a wonderful opportunity to exchange gifts and converse with one another before the mayhem really began. It also eliminated another house we would have to drive to on Christmas Day. Claire's great-grandparents gave her their gift (money) and she promptly responded with the sign for "thank you". Not to our surprise did it only take her a second to look at the gift, throw it on the ground, and run to the table full of toys nearby. Although it means nothing to her now, I know the day will quickly arrive when all she wants are dollar bills, checks, and gift cards.

With Christmas day closing in on us, Claire had no idea all of the excitement that lied ahead.