Norman Rockwell Christmas

This is my new favorite Christmas picture!   Kate spent the night at my parents' house last week and helped them decorate their Christmas tree.  As our tree is not yet up, Kate was so excited to be a part of this activity.  My dad snapped this picture.  Love it!!

Who needs a Sleigh when you have a choo-choo train?

Another year.  Another Christmas.  Another ride on the Walkersville Santa Train.   The anticipation builds each year as the kids look forward to seeing Santa.  Nathan was so excited - he didn't know which was better - seeing Santa or riding on a train!!!

 

 

The man of the hour has arrived!  He sits down with each of the kids and talks at length with them.  I love how much attention they get from him.  And honestly, he is the real Santa!

 Nathan wants a firetruck- of course.  It is the year of the firetruck after all.   Kate wants an American Girl Doll, or a SnugglePuppet Blanket, or a camera, or a.... you get the idea.

 As we are leaving the train, Santa is waiting at the bottom of the platform waving good-bye to all the good boys and girls.  When Kate gives him a high-five, and yells over her shoulder,
"Bye Santa, I'll see you at the mall!"

Shrek the Halls...

We always joke that Josh can be a bit of an ogre come holiday season.  He even has a Shrek ornament on our Christmas tree!  The holidays: Too many people.  Too much fuss.  Too busy.   (Of course, it's all a bluff.  He's the biggest softy when it comes to the kid's excitement.)   But keeping with his cold facade, we just had to go to see SHREK on ICE.  

The Gaylord at National Harbor hosts an amazing ice sculpture show each year.  Last year it was the Grinch, and Shaun and Debbie said it was incredible.  This year, Shrek and Fiona took center stage - and we were there to see it.

It was 13 degrees inside where the sculptures were, so part of the admittance fee covered the use of thick, warm coats for everybody. Not only was it a chilling 13 degrees, but the pumped the air in so it felt like air conditioning blowing on you at 13 degrees!!   The thermal coats were a great idea, except as Josh pointed out, it was very hard to tell which kids were ours--they all looked the same as they all ran about the place.

 

 

Nathan could barely walk in his big thermal coat.  He stayed pretty warm thanks to Mommy's layering of clothing, hats, mittens, winter coat, and thermal coat.  His cheeks, however, were bright red when we finally left the frigid air!   

 Kate with her boys:  Brenden (left) and Collin (right)

I have to give props to Debbie, who has proudly taken on the role of Gallagher family activity co-coordinator.   Without her, I would never get around to buying tickets to anything.  It was a fun morning.  Thanks, Deb!!

Christmas Sing

Kate has been practicing her Christmas songs for months now.  And today her day to shine finally arrived; it was the Covenant United Methodist Preschool's Annual Christmas Sing.   Kate was beside herself with excitment.  She practically skipped down the center aisle to her front row stage seat.   (Notice the orange heart sticker on her sweater; that is her self-appointed good luck charm for the day.)

 This shot is so blurry, I almost didn't even include it.  However, you can still see her about to burst she is so excited!

 And well now, 8 songs in, she's not so trilled anymore.  Is it time for cookies yet?

Santa Train

Last year my sister-in-law, Debbie, introduced us to the Santa Train.  It's an older train in Walkersville, MD, that does about an hour long ride (very slow moving I might add).  The kids love being on a train, and this train ride is even more exciting because Santa makes a grand appearance. 

 

We were so impressed with how personable Santa was last year; he spent a good amount of time talking to each of kids.  It was a highlight last Christmas, so we decided to go back again this year. 

                      

Here the kids are eagerly awaiting Santa's arrival! And I must say, Santa did not disappoint.  I really love this Santa.  Kate told me today that a "fake" Santa came to her school.  I asked her how she knew he was fake?  She said because the real Santa was on the train, Mommy!"

Here is Santa trying to explain the intricacies of getting a rocking horse down a chimney.  Daddy had to remind Santa that we didn't have a chimney.  This news made Santa very happy, as he explained it is much easier when he gets to use the front door. 

Of course, it was a lot of fun to just go on a train ride too.  Nathan was more interested in the trees going by than he was in Santa.  I hope the kids remember these things when they get older.  Christmas is really magical when the kids are little.

Goodbye Autumn...Hello Christmas

I was able to capture the last few moments of fall before the cold air blew in for good.  One day last week, Josh took advantage of the nice weather and took Kate outside for a few minutes of kite flying. Kate is actually airborne in the first photo. 

A friend of ours lives in an older neighborhood with the most beautiful red maple trees.  We snapped a few photos knowing the leaves were going to drop to the ground in the next few days.  And I was right, by the weekend they were gone.  :(

Yesterday, Josh and I bundled the kids up after dinner and headed out the CVS parking lot to see the official lighting of the Montgomery Village Christmas tree.  There were musicians playing holiday carols and families huddled together in the cold singing along.  The tree was lit and the kids were in awe.  Moments after Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived for a surprise visit with the kids.  Kate was excited to see them, but very perplexed at where the reindeer and sleigh were parked.  Not to mention that Santa looks 25 and so fake.  Nothing gets past Kate!  (Sorry about the poor picture quality.)