Smelly markers and other Christmas happenings

For Christmas this year Madison wants smelly markers.  All that girl talks about is smelly markers.  She's obsessed. Last Friday she had enough tokens (rewards) at school that she earned the privilege of using the teacher's smelly markers on Monday.  Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, in every prayer she said she thanked Heavenly Father that she could use the markers and asked that it would be fun! Today she told me "maybe my teacher will change her mind and I can use the smelly markers all week instead of just one day." She has also told me that if she gets smelly markers for Christmas she will just take them and start coloring right away, all day.  

So obviously, Santa is bringing Madison some smelly markers.  She also asked for skinny markers and a new toothbrush!  Pretty sure we can handle that.

Jaxon's letter to santa said this:

Dear Santa,

   I want Superheros.  And movies.  Please I want superheros.  What is your favorite car?  Who is your mother?

  Love, 

     Jaxon

Just out of curiosity, who IS Santa's mother?

We've had lots of fun around here doing Christmasy things.  The weather has been nice and cold  So we've been having hot chocolate and fires in the fireplace and staying warm and cozy.

Our ward Christmas party was on Saturday and we submitted a "gingerbread" house for the competition.  Except we cheated and didn't use any gingerbread and DID use a ton of hot glue.  We didn't win, but we had fun.  The kids were so proud of their house!  (Sadly I didn't spend a dime on that house.  I had all that candy in my cupboard already.)

front of the house, the snowman is made out of tootsie rolls covered in frosting

back of the house (that's a swing in the yard to the left)

Saturday was also a momentous day, because, for the first time in her 5.5 years of life, Madison finally sat on Santa's lap. 

Hooray!

Obviously Jaxon is totally unimpressed.  He just wants to chew on his candy cane.

The part you can't see of this picture is that I'm to the side of Colton laughing.  I KNOW I'm so mean.  But he's the only one of my kids I've put through this.  I had to get at least one "crying on Santa's lap pic."

And here's our Christmas decor this year.  We repainted our kitchen and living room this fall, so now it's not burgundy and yellow (hooray) it opened up a lot of possibilities for decorating!  We also got furniture in our front room.  So a lot of what we had in the living room got moved to the front room.  I was so excited that I had the chance to add to our Christmas decorations.   Growing up my dad worked for Hallmark, so we always had a million decorations.  For some reason I feel the need to completely redecorate every room of my house for Christmas.  I blame my mother :)

mantel

stairs

kitchen (each kid picked out an ornament for the light)

front room! It's so nice have furniture in there now.  We used it as a basketball court for about 3 years!

Madi's tree.  We always put all her dress ups on it (like the wand on top)  It's also a great place to hang all the "beautiful ornaments the kids make in nursery!

And now it's party time!  We're going to be partying all weekend.  Plus a 5K, piano recital, family dinner, finishing Christmas shopping, it's gonna be great!