On December 14, we went with a few (read, 18) friends and family to go see the Singing Christmas Tree at Capital Christian Center. This is an annual event for Sacramento, in fact this year was their 52nd year! Our group took up 3 rows! It was quite an impressive setup. And that church is HUGE. It felt like a stadium inside.
Our group
The "tree" -there are people standing inside!
Aiden's last day of school before the break was his Christmas Party. Both the morning and afternoon classes combined to put on a Christmas performance for family. They sang Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Jingle Bells and more. They had cute little sticks with jingle bells glued on them that they shook to the beat. They even had a piano accompaniment! It was really super cute.
Aiden amongst a GANGLOAD of preschoolers (he has on a maroon shirt and is holding his stick up in the air - he's to the left of the girl in the light blue long sleeved shirt)
Santa showed up for the event. Here's Jeremy telling Santa what he wants for Christmas (he said, "candy").
Here's Aiden telling Santa what he wants for Christmas (he said "a Darth Vader suit")
Here's Aiden singing with the kids
The weekend before Christmas, Dionne invited us to the Elks Lodge in Elk Grove that was having a Disney themed Christmas party. We went with her along with Gina & kids and her friend Ann & son. The kidlets decorated gingerbread men, had their faces painted, and got balloon animals (well...Aiden and Jeremy prefer balloon swords to balloon animals. black balloon swords really say "Christmas" to them)! After eating lunch at the Lodge, Santa made his grand entrance. The kids lined up and got to sit with Santa and take pics. He gave each of them a stocking filled with treats like stuffed animals, hot chocolate mix with mugs, and coloring books. They really enjoyed those stockings. Jeremy got an unidentified animal that he's completely in love with. We were calling it a yak. But now we think it's perhaps a bull or a bison. Whatever it is, Jeremy says it's a bunny (his favorite) and carries it around everywhere.
Gina and Jocelyn with Santa (Jocelyn was nice enough to help pull the tickets and read numbers for the raffle...we dont THINK she rigged it! But Aiden and Jeremy did both win prizes!)
Jeremy and Santa (see his yak/bull/bison in his stocking?)
Aiden making a gingerbread man with Auntie Fifi (aka Dionne)
Alyssa with Santa (she got a butterfly painted on her cheek)
Aiden with Santa
Another activity we did this year, that we've been meaning to do EVERY year since Aiden was born was to go Christmas light looking. And this year, we went for the big guns. There's a community in Citrus Heights that decorates every year. Everyone who moves into this neighborhood has to agree when they purchase their home that they will decorate for Christmas. It's all on one street called Dovewood Court. There are probably a dozen or maybe 16 homes on the court. Some of them have a theme, like "North Pole" or "Disney". This year, we saw themes of the Grinch, Peanuts, Spongebob, Disney, North Pole, and more. It's quite a sight to see.
Peanuts Home
One of the mechanics that works on our cars lives in this house. Can you see the leg lamp in his front window? How cool is that?!
The Disney house
And of course, what would Christmas be without cookies? Drew made cookies with the boys one evening while Maria was out. They did such a good job! They even made the traditional candy-cane style cookies like Vavu makes, and the Summits made this year. Then they also made sugar cookies which they had fun decorating. They especially liked adding the sprinkles! Jeremy mostly liked sticking his fingers in the frosting and trying to eat it. Aiden took his cookie decorating very seriously, tho.
Christmas Day was a full house here at the Pascoal home! The Gonzales clan came over on Christmas Eve and spent the night. We went to the early version of midnight Mass at St. John Vianney (they do "midnight" at 10pm). Then we got ready for the big day! Angie and Heath, Grandma and Grandpa, and Angela and AJ all slept here and got up with the kiddos on Christmas morning. Shortly thereafter, we were joined by Dionne and Vito and Jake and Laura. We opened stockings and presents...then Drew got onto making some turkey! Gina stopped by with the girls for a bit, but they had other destinations to visit, too...so they couldn't stay for too long. It was nice to have so many of us there. We watched Christmas movies and played games. The boys got TONS of toys and clothes. They were in heaven.
Jeremy wearing the new Hulk gear~ "Hulk Smash!"
This bow and arrow set was in with the presents from Dionne and Vito. When Aiden opened it, he said, "this is what I've always wanted!" It's so funny to hear kids say things like that. But he was super-excited and was calling himself the "Green Arrow" (he KNOWS his superheroes)!
The wrapping paper carnage
Aiden opening presents
This bow and arrow set was in with the presents from Dionne and Vito. When Aiden opened it, he said, "this is what I've always wanted!" It's so funny to hear kids say things like that. But he was super-excited and was calling himself the "Green Arrow" (he KNOWS his superheroes)!
The wrapping paper carnage
Aiden opening presents
Only a few days left 'til 2009!
1 comment:
Christmas was SO fun! Yay!
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