Twas the NIGHTS before Christmas...

We made our second trip to see the lights at Saluda Shoals the Friday night before Christmas.  It was PACKED full of cars filled with excited children hanging out of windows and sunroofs.  So fun!

Santa Reindeer brought the girls each a little surprise on his last morning with us before heading back to the North Pole.

The milk snatcher...

A Christmas Playdate

A few other moms and I put together a little Christmas playdate for the kids.  They did a Christmas craft, had Christmas tree waffles for brunch and did a little dancing to some festive music!  As always, the girls had a blast with their little crew :)

We finished off every night this month will a little snuggle time by the tree and an 8pm showing of Lily's new favorite Christmas movie, "Pep and Wanding".

One of Lily's friends has a sneaky elf, too, that toilet papered their tree one night.  Lily thought this was so silly and she just knew her elf would do the same thing.  What do ya know...she was right :)

Oh what fun!

We headed to Altanta for a few days before Christmas to meet up with my sister and her girls, Olivia and Emily.  We spent a full day at Stone Mountain/Snow Mountain, did a movie night with chinese take-out in the hotel, went to a puppet musieum to see a fabulously done Roudolf the Red Nose Raindeer Puppet Show and had several delisious meals - indluding a stop at the American Girl Cafe to dine with our baby dolls.  We packed just about as much as you can into 2 1/2 days!  The girls were completely exhausted but it was so much fun.  My sister and I are definitely thinking this is a new "week before Christmas" tradition!

 

Oh by the way...3 days in Atlanta + 0 trips to a mall = 1 very proud husband :)

Back to the Zoo...

Lily informed us this morning that we would be going back to the Zoo today because she didn't get to ride the merry-go-round or see the gorillas last night.  Since she pretty much calls the shots in our family (not really, but we like to let her think she does every once and awhile), off we went! 
I learned two new things about my family today:
1.  If I ever need Charlotte to be perfectly content in a stroller for over an hour, all I need is a bag of baked lay's
2.  My husband of almost 6 years is secretly a bird whisperer!

The girls found Santa Reindeer goldfishing

in the bathroom sink this morning: