day 1.

Jackson has been counting down to our Christmas countdown for weeks. 

Yes, a countdown to a countdown. I have no idea where he gets this from (!!). 

So, when I came home from work on Monday they could wait NO longer and ripped opened enveloped #1 on the countdown... "build a gingerbread house!" The world's hardest-to-construct-house to be exact. They loved it. I'm positive Audrey ate more of the candy than she decorated with. Almost. 1 day down, 24 to go!

Happy Birthday, Jesus...

   

{dc take one}

a christmas preview.

Christmas is in full swing. The tree is up, the house continues to get decorated, Christmas music is on and today we took photos for our card. This will go down in history as the only time Jackson has ever been so, so excited to take a photo. He is Mr. Holiday, that one, ready to jump on board with anything as long as I tell him it's for Christmas. 

christmas bucket list.

Jackson is so EXCITED for Christmas this year! He has been asking to put up the Christmas tree for weeks already. I have promised a full house decoration party this weekend and he is pumped. He is also confused because now he thinks that this weekend is Christmas... but we'll go with it! Another sign Christmas is getting close? The babies' Christmas pajamas came in the mail today. Absolutely one of my favorite traditions we started when Jackson was born- here are the past PJs: 

Since he is so excited we've been talking a lot (a LOT) about what we'll be doing during Christmas time to celebrate Jesus' birthday and so here is a running list of the things we want to do this season- our Christmas Bucket List. The main goal with this is to fully enjoy this most amazing time of the year and to keep it all about Jesus- not Santa Claus, not gifts, not running stressed from one place to the next. Several of these are traditions we began when JP was born, some of which came from my initial traditions brainstorm HERE, some are new traditions to begin and I'm sure there are more that we'll add along the way: 

1. Wear new Christmas pajamas to bed on Christmas Eve

2. Christmas Eve church service 

3. See a Christmas Carol with girlfriends

4. Have a "pancakes n' pajamas" playdate

5. Make a gingerbread house 

6. Make Christmas cookies (Jackson would add "with LOTS of sprinkles!")

7. Make a Christmas countdown and/or Advent calendar 

8. Stick with our "3 gifts" rule for Christmas morning (PJs count as one)

9. Festival of Lights at the Zoo

10. Make a birthday cake for baby Jesus. 

11. Fully decorate the house the day after Thanksgiving 

12. Have a "sleepover" in the great room on Christmas Eve (still deciding if this is the year to start this or if JP needs to get a little older...)

13. Carriage Ride and tree-viewing downtown

14. Visit National Tree and Pageant of Peace in DC

15. Make homemade snow globes

16. Read THE Christmas Story on Christmas Eve

17. Take annual Christmas card photo and send out cards 

18. Take nighttime walk around DC to see lights

19. See a live nativity

20. Visit Christmas Town at the Creation Museum