full blown Christmas mode

We are in full blown Christmas mode over here and have been for a little over a week. I'm talking cookies, decorating, Christmas outings (including breakfast with Santa tomorrow..eeee!!!), the radio station that plays back to back Christmas music, crazy elf on a shelf fun, crafts, oh, the crafts...haha! It has been a blast. This is seriously so fun. I almost forgot how wonderful it is having young children believing in Santa and all the Christmas magic. I am feeling so lucky. Madeline is just blown away by every little thing, story, song, craft, Jesus...wow, has she has a lot of questions about Jesus.haha. We made a manger today and she insisted she was there when he was born...she cracks me up.

She can sing "Jingle Bells", "Santa Claus is coming to town", "The Grinch" and she said her favorite was "Mary's boy". The words may not be right, because she makes it up as she goes along, but it is adorable. I actually teared up the other day when, my favorite, the Trans Siberian Orchestra came on and she said, "This is a beautiful song, Mommy". What an amazing time of year.
How about some pictures of all this adorable fun??

Fuzzy Santa beard! 

Sparkle hat!

Advent calendar. So funny, I didn't know this was mine when I was little until I had a totally weird flashback while vacuuming....

"Mistle Toe" salt dough ornaments..

One side is Madeline and the other is Joseph.

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Silly Krinkle...just drying off with the diapers.

Gingerbread house ....

She loved painting the salt dough ornaments...

Only time I've found our elf to be "creepy"...

Wrapping....

 Forgetting a toy...

She is so crafty and loves every thing that has to do with paint and glue and coloring and glitter...so her mother's daughter....

She is enjoying this time of year so much that I never, ever want it to end.