December wrap-up

December was a month full of Christmas-related activities. We did a lot of what Williamsburg had to offer but still couldn't cover everything. Despite always trying to finish shopping before December rolls around, I constantly feel like there's always one more thing! We had lots of fun this month.

Eleanor assisted me with baking an apple pie - she really wanted a lattice crust.

Matching Christmas jammies, mixed and matched from two previous years...

The kids all entered the "reflections" contest at school. They all made watercolors. Rosie called hers "tie dye," Ben's was "mountains," Jane's was "Court of the Patriarchs," and Eleanor called hers "Once Again."

Ben and Rosie made fun crafts at school and ate them all.

The kids watched Home Alone for the first time and Rosie really enjoyed it.

Rosie was invited to a Christmas Tea Party.

Grandma and Dave came down for a quick visit.

Jane got to go see the Nutcracker for a school field trip and ran into a neighborhood friend who was in the performance.

Buddies hanging out at big sisters' basketball practice.

Rosie and Ben had a STEM project at school:

Ben has gotten the hang of reading recently!

Rosie in her snowflake day outfit at school:

We got to have a cousin night and the kids loved it!

Rosie dominated her class kahoot.

We all drank lots of hot chocolate.

We spent some time at church after we got out for break sticking bobeches around candles for the Christmas Eve service.

Ben found out some sewing pins were magnetic when I wasn't looking and used his magnet men (which he calls teenage mutant ninja turtles) and soon there were pins literally all over.

One kid from each class at the kids' school got to "soak the principal" after the school met a fundraising goal. Eleanor was chosen for her class. It's nice to have a fun principal again!

Reindeer Ben out there helping Chris with the fire pit.

We decorated cookies with friends - an annual tradition!

When Jessie and Henry came down to visit, she helped us make peanut butter balls - a Stratton family tradition that I've never actually made but have assisted with.

One of the things the kids look forward to every year is getting these books from Grammy - she spends all year making them! They got to open them the week before Christmas and they are always so excited to see themselves and what they've been up to all year!

A couple days before Christmas, Santa drove through our neighborhood!

 

Jane and her buddy playing Joy to the World:

 

I got this post together well before today, so more of December is coming, particularly Christmas! But these are the random pictures, and we are ready to see what 2024 brings (except for Middle School - not ready for that one).