This year I am trying to be intentional about enjoying the holiday season. For money reasons we are keeping things simple gift-wise but we are trying to still pick some special things to do with the kids throughout the holiday season. Yesterday we had tickets from a living social deal for an enchanted forest. It was really just a small Christmas bazaar. I had built up my expectations so didn’t think it had as much as I thought going on but the kids had no idea what they were missing and we all had a good time. They had crafts for the kids, performances by different dance groups, a train room, a magic show, etc.  The highlight was a room full of holiday train sets. The boys loved it. Their other favorite thing was a magic show by a pirate, who oddly used lots of potty talk and didn’t seem to know what was appropriate, sheesh. So much for potty mouth boot camp at our house. As we snuck out of the magic show early we ran into Santa Clause who was about to get going with all of the professional cameras. While the people bustled to get set up he told us we could snap our own pictures. Owen is standing by his closed eye smile! It wasn’t until after the pictures that I realized this was our first fear-free, scream-free year of meeting Santa. The boys walked up like they knew him and didn’t hesitate when I told them to jump on up. It was a fun morning out as a family. Away from the house projects and upkeep!

I ordered our Christmas cards last night. I have NEVER had them done this early. And it is just a little way I am letting go this year. I began hunting for the perfect picture, pining to take a more recent one, wondering what everyone would wear, and then I just pulled up a picture of the boys from yesterday. Not perfect, no.  Owen’s hand has a big pirate tattoo smack next to Jackson’s cheek and his eyes are almost closed in intense smile oblivion, but they are loving each other and happy and I am letting go of the perfect Christmas card picture for the sake of enjoying the other things that feel far more important!

My next item on the holiday checklist is to get gifts wrapped in the next couple of weeks. Not to be superwoman but to avoid being so stressed and bogged down as the holiday season progresses. I am usually in such a tailspin and so tired by Christmas that it passes by without being enjoyed! Hoping to avoid that this year.

and some blasts from the Santa’s past…

Bogota 2007

Bogota 2008

Bern 2010

We have been lucky enough to get free Santa pictures at Embassy parties in past years. The times we were in the US Seth didn’t think it was worth the money to pay for crying kids to sit on Santa’s lap.