Countdown to Christmas, Days 5-8

We put the tree up while Bella was sleeping, then surprised her with it. You can see how excited she is!

Day 6 was making reindeer cups, and I got the idea here. We didn't have brown pipe cleaner, so I let the kids choose what color they wanted. Of course Bella chose purple, and Ryan chose green! (In case you're feeling left out on the other days, Day 1 was decorating their tree, Day 3 was jammies and Polar Express, and Day 4 was paper snowflakes, Day 5 was sugar cookies.)

Day 7 was the library for story time. They read us books about baking and cookies, we sang some songs, did some dances, then went into the craft room to make gingerbread men.

Bella was very fastidious with hers (of course).

Ryan's more "free spirited" with his art.

Day 8 was a trip to The Children's Museum for Jolly Days. Here they've turned the main staircase into a two-track slide!

Two children, very excited, but waiting patiently for their turn!

There was a section for kids to bake Christmas treats and put them in the "oven." Ryan loved this section and we had to pull him away-twice!

I tried to get a cute picture of them by the "fireplace" but these are the poses I got. Not necessarily what I had in mind...

Bella participated in the "Elf in Training" program. She had to feed the reindeer...

"Ice skate" on the "pond"...

Participate in a "snowball" fight...

And go ice fishing. Her reward...?

She earned her ears!

Here we are riding the carousel. If you look closely at the benches, you'll see Ryan, sitting by his lone self.

We're at the world's largest children's museum, amid millions of dollars worth of interesting, innovative, educational exhibits and what does Ryan love? The water. Something he could do in the bath tub!

That's the face of pure joy, folks.

Our treat with lunch was chocolate doughnuts. Ryan and Bella split one, and, looking at his, Ryan put them up to his eyes. "Mama, 'noclars." He had made chocolate doughnut binoculars.

And, what Ryan does, Bella has to do! My two silly monkeys!