Microblog Mondays: Christmas activities

This year with Izzy being a bit older we had a lot of fun doing various Christmas activities with her.

Two weeks ago we met up with friends at the local Botanic Gardens where they have a cool train exhibit. She loved it last year and enjoyed it once again.

While we didn't make a big production about getting a tree (*cough*cough* local nursery), we did have a fun time decorating it. We didn't have a tree last year because we left for Spain on Christmas Day so every time we opened a box of ornaments, Izzy would say "whoa" or "wow." She certainly enjoyed the new moose ornament CP and I got at the Chriskindlemarket downtown this year.

A couple weeks in and I am AMAZED that Izzy isn't pulling on ornaments or the tree and hasn't tried to open any presents yet. When we get home from work/daycare every day she does request that we turn the lights on the tree and has picked up a couple of presents and said "hold it?" I ask her to put it down and then tell her "not yet. We have to wait for Christmas." She then tells herself, "not yet." LOL.

This year was also the first year that Izzy has met Santa. I didn't want to take her out in public too much her first year since she was less than a month old and last year we didn't have time (instead she took a picture with one of the Three Kings while we were in Spain).

She was a little unsure (Mommy why are you putting me on this strange man's lap?), but no tears and a cute picture despite the worried look on her face.

Afterwards Izzy got to write a letter to Santa to put in his mailbox. Since she is only two she wasn't asking for anything specific so we just put down "toys please" and she scribbled on the paper.

Very proud of her letter (and her first hair cut earlier in the day!).

Mailing the letter.

Finally we made Christmas cookies! I used the allrecipes.com sugar cookie recipe and made the dough Saturday night. It cooled in the fridge overnight and yesterday morning we were ready to make the cookies. (Izzy didn't quite understand that we needed to cook the cookies first as she kept saying "eat it?")

I did most of the rolling and Izzy helped me press the molds into the dough. After baking the cookies we let them cool before putting some icing on them. Izzy would press the cookie into a bowl of sprinkles to decorate them. The kitchen got messy but she had a great time!

Cookie decorating by Izzy.

Excited to eat the final product!

Otherwise, since Izzy doesn't get the concept of the Elf on the Shelf quite yet, CP has enjoyed moving the Elf around when we get home and having Izzy find it. We don't exactly follow the rules on touching the Elf....maybe next year.

Speaking of Elf, we watched the movie on Saturday night. I was amazed that Izzy sat through basically the entire movie. She loved it! It's definitely my favorite Christmas movie so I'm excited to watch it with her every year.

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