Time for a haircut?

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

My husband said I couldn't come sit on your lap this year. So I decided to write you a letter instead. I just wanted to let you know that this year for Christmas, I would like a nap. I can't remember the last time I had a mid-day nap and I really cherish those. If you could bring me one in your big red bag I would really appreciate it.

I have been very good all year!

Love,
Katie

PS: Don't forget that you need to do our stockings early since we will be going out of town soon. Thanks alot!
PSS: I hope you have the internet at the North Pole.
PPSS: How is Prancer?

12 Days of Christmas

On the First day of Christmas...
-We picked up a paper bag from the food bank and filled it with non-perishables. Chase even picked out a can of green beans. This is a great way to start the season and to remind ourselves how much we've been blessed with. Donating unused coats and mittens is also a great thing to do as a family. We read this quote before our activity: "The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that it is our responsibility 'to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to provide for the widow, to dry up the tear of the orphan, to comfort the afflicted, whether in this church or in any other, or in no church at all, wherever he finds them'. May we be generous with our time and liberal in our contributions for the care of those who suffer". -Bishop H. David Burton

On the Second day of Christmas...
-St. Nicholas and Zwarte Piet (Swar-t-sah-pay-tuh) came to our house! When my family lived in Belgium we started celebrating this holiday by putting our wooden shoes by the door for St. Nicholas (San Niko-lah) to fill with candy. This is actually the origin of the Christmas stocking, and St. Nicholas is the basis for Santa Claus. It is celebrated the morning of the 6th when children find their shoes full of goodies, or filled with switches and coal. He always leaves gold chocolate coins. Here are our shoes:
On the Third day of Christmas...
-We went to the Festival of Trees at SouthTowne Expo centre with a couple from our ward. All the trees and gingerbread houses are donated and then auctioned off as a fundraiser for Primary Children's Medical. I was especially happy to pay admission and buy some little things for Chase since they were so wonderful to him this past year. It's fun to see how creative some people get with themes for their trees. Someday, when we're rich, Tim and I want to decorate and donate a tree. I wanted to phone-an-elf in the Kids Village, but the line was awfully long. We did a little shopping, had some scones (Utah scones that is...), and enjoyed some little dancer's christmas performances.
(As you can tell, Chase was THRILLED to be looking at trees...)

On the Fourth day of Christmas...
-We went to Swiss Christmas up in Midway. They have a little Christmas market and Cottages for the Children (another gingerbread auction). I don't know why I'm so obsessed with gingerbread houses, but I love them.



On the Fifth day of Christmas...
-Tim took me to the Nutcracker. My dad has taken me for years, and it is one of my favorite things about the holidays. Every time I go, I remember that it was my destiny to be a ballerina, and I am a little bit sad that I'm not... (Jannifer, if you're reading, I know you understand!) I love looking at all the little girls in their christmas dresses as well. I think Tim enjoyed it more than he thought he would (although his favorite part was the acoustics in Capitol Theatre. Go figure.) I feel pretty lucky to have a husband who will buy me tickets to the ballet and accompany me, and not complain about it.

On the Sixth day of Christmas...
-We went to see the Elves at Gardner Village. I just love this place. It's so... festive. They have a scavenger hunt online that you can take to look for elves. This time of year you can also grab a tractor ride with Mrs. Clause as she reads you stories. We got some free fudge and bought some ribbon candy at Sweet Afton's and after some Elf Hunting we went home pretty quick because it was so cold.

On the Seventh day of Christmas...
-Tim and I made gingerbread houses after Chase went to bed. Chase was overjoyed to find, the next day, that these were edible creations (see pictures below). Tim made a train he was pretty proud of and I made a castle. We pondered doing an edible Candyland board, but maybe next year.






On the Eighth day of Christmas...
-We went for a Christmas drive to look at the lights. The best we found were in Orem. I can't remember where exactly this was, so I'll have Tim post the address later. If you live nearby you simply must go see this. It is incredible. This house takes up the entire block and is SURROUNDED by colored lights. Every tree is done; it looks like a miniature Temple Square. Seriously crazy... I want to know who lives there.

The Chocolate Fair & a man named Chris Martin

Last Saturday we decided to check out the Chocolate Fair up in SLC. Upon arrival we noticed lots of men with mustaches and goatees, most of whom were driving trucks. We thought this was an unusual crowd for a Chocolate Fair... and we weren't quite sure what we were getting into. Katie was somewhat bewildered by the men walking by holding their hunting rifles and handguns in plain view. We wondered if we had actually come to the right place...

It turns out that there were two conventions going on last Saturday, the first being the Chocolate Fair, and the second being the Gun Show (good combination, no?). Needless to say, it was pretty entertaining watching avid hunters carrying gun cases accidentally walking into the chocolate show. One of our favorite parts of the Gun Show was the a funny sign they had, pictured below.

The fair was a lot of fun, we got to vote on our favorite cakes, test tons of different types of chocolates and other deserts, watch cooking demonstrations, and... well, laugh at people walking into the wrong convention and being very confused. There was one negative occurrence at the Chocolate Fair... It's called Choffy (the Mormon coffee). Instead of brewing coffee beans, this company has taken cocoa beans and brewed them essentially the same way to... I guess... provide Mormons with a coffee alternative. Katie and I approached the table thinking it would be like hot chocolate (they advertised it as such) ... but boy we're we wrong. It was disgusting. We were satisfied to see a trash can chock full of full sampler cups as we threw ours away. Apparently no one else liked it either.
After the Chocolate Fair we dropped the boy off with Lauren, and headed up to Salt Lake City for the much anticipated Coldplay concert with Joel and Becky and Janni. The concert was pretty much amazing. They played all of their hits (unfortunately mine and Katie's favorite songs aren't any of the hits). There were two moments that really stick out in my mind. The first was near the end of the show when the band moved to a mini-stage in the back of the arena (much closer to our nosebleed seats than the main stage) and played a short acoustic set. It gave those of us with not so good seats a chance to be much closer to the band and really added to the show. The second was Coldplay's encore in which they played the song that got me hooked on the band, "Yellow" It was so awesome hearing it live, it literally made the entire show for me.

Overall, it was a great weekend, even if it was slightly tainted by Choffy.

p.s.- Katie, did you know that the Fray just put out a new single for their upcoming album?

Weekend through pictures

(Double date with Noelle and Clay: Shopping at Gateway & dessert)

______________________________________________________

(Early-morning donuts)

(SouthTowne Expo Centre Christmas Bazaar: samples, shopping, dancers, Christmas train & Santa Clause)

(Sign I've wanted forever. Found it there for 50% off!)

(Lunch at Schlotzskys)

(Brighton)

(Chase's first sledding experience. Bewildered... but exhilarated!)

(And finally back home)

So it's not just me...

On Sunday while waiting to do singing time, my co-coordinator and I were sitting in the hall with our little munchkins. I got out a bag of cheez-its for the kids. Chase got excited and started begging. And my co-coordinator said: "Did he just say cracker??"

So it's not just me!

He started saying "cracker" at 8 1/2 months. I wondered if I was insane and just imagined he was actually saying a word. But he only did it when he saw food, and actually associated the object with the word. I decided to wait to write down his "first word" in his babybook, just in case. Well, it hasn't stopped, and now people actually know what he is saying. He shows no indication of having any desire to say "mama" or "dada" discriminately. Apparently there is not as much motivation to say "mama" as there is to say "cracker".

Unfortunately, now every time we go to Target or Walmart Chase breaks into a chorus of "cracker" "cracker" "cracker" as soon as he spies the food section. He also breaks out screaming if he doesn't get one. So my purse has now become not only a toybox but also a pantry.

I am enjoying my chatty little monster; and expecting him to be just like Tim... quite loquacious.

Happy Fall!