Christmas when you're 4

It's such a glorious thing.  No worries.  Well, maybe if you get too much frosting in between your fingers--but that's fixable.  Not a care in the world.  Santa, treats, cookies, decorating graham cracker houses...and topping it off with watching The Nativity.  Does it really get better than that?! I think not.  I love that Cole can talk openly with his classmates and teacher about the Savior.  I love that they started their day with a prayer and gave thanks for Jesus Christ and His birth.  I love that they can sing Silent Night and other Christ-related music.  Heaven forbid we allow children to sing songs about the Lord whose birth we are CELEBRATING.  That is one thing that I've been grateful for while Cole goes to school at American Heritage.  I'm not totally slamming public schools because I only know one person who has even attended a private school (and she's totally cool) but so are all the other people I know who went to public school...so it's not the SCHOOL that I don't like.  It's the fact that they don't find it "appropriate" to talk openly about religion or Christ.  EVEN at Christmastime.  It's like talking about the nucleus of a cell without discussing protons and electrons. It just doesn't make sense.

Cole's teachers pitched in and hired got the real Santa to come visit with the kids.  He was awesome.  He juggled, he made the kids laugh and was very, very jolly.  (He just wasn't fat enough) OH well...nobody's perfect ;)

Prepare for 1.7 million pictures.

This is how to start the day off right.  With a craft.  Cole sometimes struggles with glue sticks while other kids need theirs taken away...

I'm not sure WHY he's doing gestures to "Jolly Old St. Nicholas" all by himself, but whatever.

 

Santa has entered the building...

 

He comes in and starts busting out tricks.  The juggling was an obvious hit. Cole stood up not long after Santa arrived and promptly introduced himself.  "Santa? Hi, I'm Cole". Just a quick FYI.  I think he just wanted to get acquainted so he could build some trust, therefore ensuring the delivery of his desired Christmas gift.

 

The last time Cole was sitting on Santa's lap we were at Danny's work at Little America Hotel and he was NOT pleased to be there.  Cole was comfy right away this time.

What did he ask Santa for? A waterslide.  A "big huge one with (insert every color of the rainbow) that girls AND boys can play on!".  I have absolutely no clue where he pulled this out from. It changes every time we talk to him. He was so enthusiastic.  It seemed as if this was a big lifelong achievement for him.   Right after telling Santa what he wanted he casually hopped down and walked away.  Kind of like "thanks, I got what I wanted from you--have a good day".  It was pretty funny.

 

I just love the way he watches and soaks in the world.  I wish I could figure out how he thinks and the opinions he is forming and the person he's becoming.  He's totally at an age where he'll start creating real memories that he'll take with him for the rest of his life.  I'm very aware that these years are the building blocks for what will be his future.  That is absolutely no pressure for a mother :)

 

 Down to the dirty work. 

 There was so much candy to decorate with...and he just got frustrated with the frosting...

 

So after he did this smiley face he just ate.  And ate.  And ate.

 

Then we sat the kids on the rug, put in a movie and got the tables cleared for round 2 of sugar.

CHRISTMAS COOKIES. Yum.

 

 The houses turned out fabulously.  It's so fun to look at each individual project and see the personality in each creation.  You can tell a lot about a person just by the way they decorate their graham cracker house!

 

 We did this just in time to spoil lunch.  No joke. After snack, they were promptly taken down to the lunch room and all the children were happy (and full).

 

What a fantastic day! And 3 cheers for a 3 week Christmas Break!