Christmas preparations

This past week has been a flurry of getting ready for the 25th! T and I got smart this year and hired a teenage babysitter to come over for a few hrs last Saturday so we could finish Christmas shopping.  I anticipate this will become a new tradition!
This week was really slow for work so I took advantage and got cards in the mail finally,  baking underway, turkey purchased and menu planned. We also had the opportunity to spread some Christmas cheer to strangers down on their luck with some gift cards and Christmas decorations which always adds so much cheer to the season for us.
I got to spend Thursday afternoon helping AL's class make gingerbread "houses" (icing was giving them grief ) while WR destroyed the classroom ;) And then taught all day Friday a door down from JA. It was indoor recess all day (brrrrr our first cold snap ) combined with crazy excited kids and I can definitely say I was ready for a very early bedtime after! But all of that excitement and energy sure is contagious and has us counting down the days. 
The kids have also hit the ice a few times this past week or so and J would go everyday if he could. I have a hunch we will be down at the lake a lot over the next two weeks! Love this time of year.