25 Days of Christmas: Day 25

12.25.12
Merry Christmas/Maligayang Pasko! The kids were so good about waiting patiently until the adults got up. First, we took some photos in our matching pajamas (adults included). Then, they ran to their stockings and opened some goodies. We headed to the tree and opened up more presents. We watched the goddaughter sing at the morning mass, headed back for some Christmas preparation and then headed to my aunt's for extended family celebrating. The kids performed their talent show (gymnastics, Jingle Bells, Silent Night, juggling, and the finale--Gangnam Style). The kids made out like bandits (~$18 each in tips!) and then proceeded to open up more presents. The adult cousins participated in a gift exchange (I won a $20 gift card to Starbucks and the hubby won some moonshine with zombie looking strawberries). We had a ton of food and people liked my vegan kare kare (that made me happy). My belly was very full and of course, no Filipino party is complete without taking home leftovers. I loved spending time with my cousins, aunts, uncles and lolas. But, of course, Mama was greatly missed and it was noticeable she wasn't there this year. At the end of the night, the kids each received one of her rosaries. They are really special and mean a lot to the kiddos. Merry Christmas, Mama. We love you.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 24

12.24.12
Santa is coming soon! We checked the radar earlier and he had already visited Scotland and London. We are ready for him. My coz and I spent the morning doing some last minute shopping (including Frango mints in Marshall Field's containers) and spent the afternoon cooking for Christmas Eve dinner and our Christmas get together with family tomorrow. Ate lasagna (both vegan and traditional meat versions were available) and then the kids rocked out to 2012 YouTube Rewind featuring PSY and Gangnam Style. The kids got to open one present each and now we're relaxing with some Shrek 3 and the cousin twins playing tag. 

25 Days of Christmas: Day 23

12.23.12
Full day. Met up with the hubby's side of the family for a get together at the Machine Shed (think of it as a Cracker Barrel) and then headed over to his sister's for some dessert. It was great seeing folks we don't get to see very often. Afterwards, we headed to my cousin's where we will be staying for the next few days. I'm bummed I don't have my computer because I can't do any photoshopping while we're here. So, just putting up 1 pic of my cousin's beautiful outdoor Christmas decorations. Well, maybe 2.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 22

12.22.12
1st day of winter break and it started off with an early visit from Santa. Santa was super thoughtful this year and the kids had "the best Christmas ever!" The oldest, the one who struggles getting up for school everyday, woke up at 5am. Seriously? She said she was "so excited." Well, I made her go back to bed. We got up around 7:30 and headed downstairs. The kids were surprised with lots of goodies with some of the highlights being the Lego Diagon Alley from Harry Potter and a sapphire necklace from Grandma and Khunta. The oldest got a humongous stuffed wolf and the youngest got his laser that "reaches the stars" plus a visit from fairies who left him a house, winter decorations and fairy dust! He was super excited. I got the purse I've been eyeing and the hubby got his business sweat pants. I have to say they are pretty sweet. Later in the morning, we headed to Chicago and got there in record time (we were in Illinois in 3 hours) and jetted straight to Siam Noodle for the best Thai food. We then met up with family at the Christmas German Village, bought some glass ornaments, did some shopping and then headed to Greek Town for some yummy food at Pegasus. 

25 Days of Christmas: Day 21

12.21.12
21st day of December and we are still here ( :  Well, we have to be since my youngest is expecting to lose his tooth soon and wants a visit from the tooth fairy. Not really interested in money, but would like her to leave some fairy dust.

Last day of work and I made it count for 2012--cleaned my office, finished my notes, visited with colleagues, went out for lunch, and later today we're meeting up with friends to exchange gifts and enjoy some appetizers and drinks! Excited!

25 Days of Christmas: Day 20

12.20.12
Day 20 was another full day. Last minute shopping for teachers and caregivers at a very busy Target. But, I think we have everything done...at least I hope so....

25 Days of Christmas: Day 19

12.19.12
Only 6 more days til Christmas! I have to say, getting a good night's rest really does wonders for me. I went to bed at 9:30 last night and woke up at 6:30 today. I felt more alert and more excited about the holidays. Getting a box full of Christmas cookies also helped. Those cookies were really good and even included one of my favorites, a Mexican wedding cookie/almond crescent cookie. Not the same shape, but definitely the taste. Reminded me of a fantastic bakery in Western Springs called Kirschbaum's. They have the best sprinkle and almond crescent cookies. I also had fun opening up Christmas cards and hanging them on our berry garland. Maybe I'll take a pic of that tomorrow. I love seeing children grow through the years, reading people's holiday newsletters, and decorating our house with these fun images. Can't wait to get more in the next few days.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 18

12.18.12
Short and sweet post today. Had our work retreat at Trotter House today with a lunch beforehand at Pizza House. Then, a few of us headed off for a little happy hour. I have to say, the fries at Charley's are amazingly good. 

So tired. Ready for the semester to be over.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 17

12.17.12
How is it that there are only 8 more days left until Christmas? Didn't I just post Day 1? This week should be a blur, did some last minute shopping today, tomorrow will be a bit more of the same. I think I'm pretty much done, but there's always something to add to the stocking. And, it's also probably because I stopped jotting down what I have already bought. That's not good.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 16

12.16.12
Woo hoo! Last day of the Nutcracker. I do have to say I really enjoyed this year's performance. We watched yesterday afternoon and the dancers did an amazing job. It also felt like a different Nutcracker since my daughter was in a new role. I was paying closer attention to a different scene (she was a "boy at the party") and watching the girls she has been dancing with since she was 4 dancing their hearts out was just a joy to watch. Yesterday was also the Disco Nutcracker and it was fun watching the pre-professional troupe interpret the Nutcracker and the many roles. Another year done. Looking forward to the spring recital....

25 Days of Christmas: Day 15

12.15.12
An early post today. Excited to see our daughter perform this afternoon for this year's Nutcracker. I may add more pics later.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 14

12.14.12
Such a sad day for Newtown, CT. The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School reminds me to not take my children for granted, to tell them I love them multiple times a day, and even when I'm frustrated with something they're doing, that I am such a lucky woman to have such amazing children in my life. My heart breaks for those who have lost their children, the many people who knew them and loved them, and for those kids whose lives and sense of safety are forever changed. I'm posting pics we took this morning, before we knew of what happened to those 20 children. I'm also posting a wonderful message from Fred Rogers.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 13

12.13.12
Today was the Nutcracker school show. And, it was also a nice, bright, sunny day. I think that's the 4th sunny day this month. Very thankful. After the show, the oldest and I went to Macaroni Grill for lunch. It was really nice hanging out, chatting about school, friends, and playing this game "What would you choose?"--would you choose a tiny rhino or a guinea pig the size of a cat? would you choose an alien spaceship or pegasus? You get the gist. Just a silly game. And, a great way to bond with the girl. At the end of our meal, we decided to order dessert. I got dark chocolate gelato and she ordered the blood orange sorbet. These servings were huge. And good. A great way to end the meal, not a good way to stay alert for an afternoon full of work. But, wouldn't have had it any other way.

Oh, and thought I would chronicle our visits with Santa over the years...mostly....couldn't find the pic from 2007. And, 2005 was a different Santa who did not allow personal pics. Boo to you for messing up my photo collage.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 12

12.12.12
The 12th day on 12.12.12. Those have to be lucky numbers. Today was the 2nd day of Nutcracker rehearsal and the oldest also had auditions for a school play right afterwards. Tonight has been full and long. So, just a quick blog and off to unwind. I'm also including another collage from last night's rehearsal.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 11

12.11.12
The Nutcracker season has begun! Jetted over to the Power Center after work today to do my duty volunteering for tonight's tech rehearsal. My oldest is a "Boy at the Party" and I felt a bit nostalgic watching her get ready. Her first role in the Nutcracker was as a toy angel at 4 years old. And, now she's applying her makeup by herself and has her own dressing room space (that she made sure to decorate with wolves, Matryoshka nesting dolls, and of course Nutcrackers). It was fun getting the girls ready, experiencing another Nutcracker developmental milestone (Boys and Girls at the Party versus previous years as Sugar Plums and Toys) and watching these little ones grow up to be amazing tweens and teens. And, I especially loved being backstage and watching them perform. It'll be exciting watching them perform for real this coming weekend.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 10

12.10.12
Ah, Mondays....started off with the youngest waking us up 30 minutes before the alarm because of a nightmare. It's one thing if he fell asleep again, but he's actually wide awake. To his credit, he was trying to be quiet as he snuggled with us, but you can just feel his wanting to start the day. That is, start the day off with a show before school. Oh, and this morning during my walk with the dog, I saw a lawn ornament Snoopy in Christmas garb and lights. That helped brighten the grey day. Then your typical Monday--drop offs, work, pick ups, dinner and straightening up the kitchen. Now, watching the last few episodes of Entourage's season 8. Not a bad way to end the 10th day of Christmas.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 9

12.9.12
Another gray and rainy day...a perfect day to wrap presents! I spent several hours wrapping packages and trinkets. A great way to spend the day. Only 16 more days until Christmas and I'm almost done with my shopping. This is a good thing. The upcoming week will be crazy with work and heading to Nutcracker dress rehearsals and performances in the evening. 

25 Days of Christmas: Day 8

12.8.12
Today was a flurry of activity--the oldest's ballet practice both this morning and this afternoon, visiting the Bead Gallery, having lunch at Sava's and then a much needed date night with the hubs! We tried out the new pizza joint--NeoPapali's and enjoyed a vegan pizza (for me) and a margherita pizza (for the hubs). We saw Skyfall--I need to remember that I'm not a huge Bond movie fan and even though I very much enjoy Daniel Craig, IMO this movie didn't live up to the hype that others had made it out to be. After the movie, we headed to Main Street and had drinks and dessert at Melange--an Old Fashioned for me and a 12 yr. Macallan scotch for the hubs. We also shared a yummy creme brulee'. When we got home, the kids were still up! But, they went to bed soon after we arrived, so that was good. All in all, a very fun Saturday and 8th day of Christmas.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 7

12.7.12
It's Friday! Very long and stressful work week, but it ended with a much needed Happy Hour filled with chatting and laughing with fun colleagues. Kids were in a great mood when I saw them later in the evening and they remembered to open the 7th envelope. Watched a bit of the Pirates movie, ate some Peppermint Crunch Junior Mints (these are delicious) and some peppermint white chocolate M&Ms (not as tasty as the Junior Mints, but still good) and then cuddled in front of the tree listening to Christmas music on Pandora. 

25 Days of Christmas: Day 6

12.6.12
Tonight was focused on trimming the tree. Unfortunately the youngest got upset because he couldn't find a special crystal ornament he had last year (I have no idea what this special ornament even looks like). But, we hung the rest of the ornaments with care and at the end, the youngest decided he wanted both stars to top the tree. So, we have a double tree topper. Done and done. So glad tomorrow is Friday.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 5

12.5.12
Ah, Day 5. A colder day in the 30s, but a bright, sunny sky. An orange disco ball to add to our tiny tree and a couple of candy canes. Today also marked mailing off our holiday cards. I feel behind this year (usually I send them off around Thanksgiving). It's already been a long week so we decided to take a night off from cooking. We went out for sushi instead and had nice hot bowls of ramen and a crab roll for the youngest and a spinach roll for me. Yum. The hubs also put up the Christmas lights. I love the twinkling of those lights and so does my youngest. He decided to cuddle up in front of the tree before heading upstairs for bed and said that a lot of kids in his class don't believe in Santa. I asked him what he thought and he said that he still believes. That warmed my heart. Nothing wrong with viewing the holidays with magic and wonder.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 4

12.4.12
Day 4 started off with a lot of grey, wet fog which turned into rain. Left work with a grey sky dusted with a few pink-y orange-y clouds above the parking structure. Again, not the best lighting. And, definitely did not have time to pull out the strobes. So, natural light with a high ISO to capture the goodies of Day 4. A tiny bell, some Godiva chocolate, and our 1st holiday card. Also tried a few new recipes today--Southern skillet black eyed peas (didn't have these so used black and red kidney beans instead) with homemade biscuits and a raw brownie recipe I found on Pinterest. Chilling the brownies right now and will try them later! Definitely a full Tuesday.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 3

12.3.12
So, Day 3. Definitely much harder to do during the work week. We didn't even get to the Advent Calendar until dinnertime because our schedules are so hectic in the morning. So, here are some nighttime shots. Not the best, but definitely captures what the evening was like. My son found out that he still fits in a little display sled we got several years ago. He felt very proud.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 2

12.2.12
Day 2 welcomed us with a warm December Sunday. We had a slow, easy start to the day. The kids experimented with our doughnut pan with some apple cider doughnuts sprinkled (or doused) with cinnamon and sugar. Day 2's ornament was a cute jolly Santa and Dove chocolates. Later, the kiddos played with the newly reconstructed (aka me sorting through thousands of tiny pieces so that the OCD part of me could feel that each structure was "just right") Harry Potter Lego village after utter destruction at the hands of visiting little boys a couple months back. Finally, the day was topped off with the hunt for this year's Fraser Christmas tree and a pic with a humongous Santa.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 1

12.1.12
I was inspired by a post of beautiful images I saw on Pinterest entitled the "25 days of Christmas photos" and decided to try it out this year.  My daughter also encouraged me to think about choosing a different advent calendar this year (as opposed to the one I typically buy with the stale chocolates inside). So, last night I was in Target planning on buying an already constructed wooden calendar, but realized the compartments were way too tiny. So, after wandering around for awhile, I bought a little tinsel tree, some ornaments, candy canes and dark chocolates (my favorite) plus green envelopes (inspired by a co-worker who saw an advent calendar made out of envelopes). So, envelopes stuffed with little goodies on a disco tinsel tree? Yup, that's our advent calendar for this year. Check out our 1st Day of Christmas......I'm not sure if this photo project is going beyond today, but we shall see.... 

Day 1's ornament: why, a disco ball, of course!

We've had this guy for around 11 years, still looking good Mr. Snowman!