Pre-Christmas Build Up!

I had wonderful intentions of blogging all our December activities as they happened... good intentions, no follow through.  So, I'm now reflecting back on the fun we had this month preparing for the holidays.

Sam wrote his own letter to Santa this year.  He needed help with the spelling of words, but did the rest on his own.

One of our adventure activities was to make a wintery breakfast.  Sam and Shaun made snowman pancakes with chocolate buttons of course!

Westjet Christmas party out did itself again.  While we waited in line we had a chat with Mrs Claus.  Very sweet lady, an obvious match for Santa!

Here is Sammy and his singing debut!  They asked if someone could sing Jingle Bells, his little hand shot up and the next thing we knew he was up on stage singing his little heart out.  I thought I was going to cry!  Click this link: Sam Singing to see him in action.

Santa and Sam just chatting about gifts and flying a sleigh and other guy stuff. 

We had out annual supper with our dear friends that Gordays and Daytons.  This year we chose to do a PJ exchange.  Pretty great for the shoppers but slightly disappointing to the kids... meh, who doesn't love a good pair (or two or three) of PJs!?

After supper and gifts we headed over to the Airdrie lights (I read today that Airdrie ranks 10th in Canada for Christmas spirit because of the festival of lights... kinda cool!)  It was pretty busy and the kids were pretty wild, so the visit was short but fun.

We went to our second annual Munchkin Academy Christmas concert in mid-December.  They are the best darn signers around.  A+ for volume especially during Jingle Bells!!!  Caedon didn't seem to love this tune as much as his buddies to the left of him. ;)

Not only cute, but hilarious Rudolf noses.  Love that little face!

Singing his little old heart out!

Wishing a Merry Christmas... Harper in the front thinks maybe they are too loud on this one too.  Haha!

Super cool finale, all the kids wore glow in the dark necklaces and Jenny shut the lights off.  They sang us Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in very gentle sweet voices.  It was beautiful.  Thank you Jenny and Mariah for this special gift of a concert at such a young age.  It's so awesome!

Munchkin Movie Date

Had another fun day at Munchkin Academy with Sam and his friends.  Jenny plans the COOLEST stuff and this week was drive in movie week.  The kids worked all week to fix up and shine up their rides for today.  
I got to be the crazy lady to pick up the movie snacks.  7 vanilla, 2 chocolate and 1 fruit smoothy disguised as a milkshake later I was back with everyone's orders.  The poor girls at McDonalds looked at me like I was looney, but seeing how happy the kiddos were was completely worth it!
They parked their cars and settled in wearing their comfy PJs and snuggling teddies or blankets.  A pretty cute scene.  They slurped milkshake and snacked on popcorn while watching Milo and Otis.  I remember seeing it sooo many times as a kid, so it was awesome to see these little monkeys watch it and love it just like I remember.  Such a great day, full of fun and smiles.  Another few hours to prove once again that my Sam is the luckiest little boy.

Pre-movie!  Everyone revvying their engines before the big show (or nap time!)

Cute little Connolley

Loving Milo and Otis.  I loved the constant commentary throughout the WHOLE movie!  So funny to hear their take on it, giggle at the funny animals, reenact scenes.  Loved it!

Funny faces

Hehehe!

Thank you again Jenny for all you do everyday.  I don't know how you do it, but I'm so grateful that you are so passionate and so in love with all these kids.  I've seen you in action and you are the best.  No doubt about it.

Messy Munchkins

I had an awesome opportunity to volunteer at Sam's school for Messy Day.  I use the term volunteer fairly loosely as Jenny and Jodi had everything under control and I was mostly just a bystander for the morning.  The great thing is that I got to take photos and laugh A LOT!  I got there and they were having 'bug infested' jello!  The kiddos were digging bugs and snakes out of their snack with sticky fingers.  Little did I know this was only the tip of the iceberg!

Patiently waiting to check out Messy Day!  Watching the set up going on outside.

Jenny giving a very clean crew the rules.

And this is how it begins... slippery feet and funny faces!

Next step... bum slides... things started to get a little crazier and obviously so much fun!

Everyone slip sliding away.  I love the face of 'K' in the background... she looks shocked at the whole ordeal.  I'm sure my face looked very similar to hers!

Zombie hands!

I don't think they enjoyed this at all...

Oh Sam, you have a little something on your nose.

Messy Munchkins on the hill, ready to get back to play!

A very messy group shot if extremely happy kids.  What an awesome idea.  Who knew a tarp, some shave cream and a big backyard could be soooo fun!  Not going to lie though, one shower and a tub with TWO shampoos later and he still smells like a little old man!  All worth it to watch him and his friends have this crazy fun!

And this happy little face reassures me each day that he is in the very best school each and every day filled with fun play and tons of learning.  That he is growing up with sweet kids and having a blast doing it.  And each day I'm grateful for Jenny and her sisters and the work they put into ensuring that my boy (along with all the other kids) have the very best pre-school experience filled with CRAZY memories!  Each day I know Sam is safe, loved and having the time of his life.  Does it get any better than that?

It's a Parrrrrrrrty! Sammy Turned 3!

My handsome little pirate invited all his friends and family to a party in the gym of my school.  It was a blast, from set up to take down and turned out to be a huge hit.  Prepare yourself... there are a lot of photos!

(I took some of the shots myself, but I need to give some photo credit to my Auntie Bobbi, Kaysi and Lindsay F.  Thanks ladies!)

Pirate grub!  Everything from rainbow fishies to a pirate ship fruit bowl to enough hot dogs to choke a shark!

Uncle Blair doing last minute cupcake decorating... thanks sooooo much! 

Pirate garb!

One of the brilliantly pirate-ish decorations Yanna did for us.  LOVE IT!

Loot bags

Kicked off the party with some pirate colouring sheets.  Super easy way to ease the kids into being together.  They loved them and I printed them off the internet... easy!

Birthday boy with one of the million balloons we blew up... soooo many popped but we just started calling it cannon ball fire and no one cried anymore!

Having a little snack while watching our guests arrive.  I counted 15 kids and about 30 adults... what a loved little boy!

Payton walking the plank.

Sammy peeking over Payton in the ship wreck!

This shot looks way more dangerous than it actually was... Lincoln taking the fun to a new level!

Sam walked the plank and hopped fearlessly into the ocean!

Another quick bite.

Kaysi made the cutest birthday shirt for Sammy... we did a costume change and he was soooo excited for his new outfit!

Kids dipping into the pirate costumes... soooo funny!
Captain Lincoln

Silly Sammy

Kiley and her mustache

Pirate Peyton!

Avery looking very sophisticated.

Logan hiding behind her giant mustache.

ARRRRRRRRRR!

<3 

Pirate garb table... BIG HIT!

Even baby Serry, Auntie and (great) Granny got in on the fun!

Auntie Bobbi brought this great parrot... the perfect addition to a pirate party.  It looked very real, moved, winked and talked.  It even munched on Colten's finger!!!  (Love Caedon's face in the background!)

The Gorday girls checking out our parrot friend.

Pretty P(irate)

Happy little lass!

Photo booth (bought at the dollar store and it made for many funny moments, especially when kids fell over trying to poke their head in the hole... hahaha)

Mac loving the millions of balloons!

Sammy trying to buy Peyton's attention

Pin the Patch on the Pirate.

How cute is the back of Sam's birthday shirt... perfect!

The kids were soooo good.  They all took turns and watched each other.  Love these kids.

Sam and his lovely ladies... what a lucky boy to be surrounded by beautiful girls all day every day!

Hilarious and very awkward moment... ask me about it some time!

Next stop... pinata time!  We couldn't find anything pirate like for a pinata and we left it too late to make one.  So, the next best thing was a Nemo one.  We filled it with fruit snacks, BEAUTIFUL necklaces and gold coins.  It was soooo heavy!

A very captive audience waits patiently for their turn and for someone to break it!

Baby S (and Auntie) take a hilarious turn.  Tons of fun!

Sam up again.

Logan using all her muscles

Then, the moment everyone was waiting for, Lincoln steps up to bat.  He swings so hard it breaks off the string and lands on the floor.  With only 2 seconds of hesitation, he begins to beat a hole in it while it's laying on the ground.  Soooo funny.  Afterwards my Gramma told me "I had my money on that one!"  

Shaking the pirate booty (not mine!  The goodies inside!)

Quickly the kids gathered as much as they could hold.

Everyone found tons of things the liked!

Sam scored jewels and some snacks... perfect!

What little boy couldn't resist a beautiful girl with a chocolate coin kiss!

He's not at all excited about this situation!

All the kiddies waiting and waiting for cake.

Big blow!

Avery enjoyed her cupcake.  Nothing compliments the chef more than a little face just like that one!

Present opening time... probably the most intense part of the whole day for me.  I really did feel like these little pirates had invade my ship and were going to loot me.  Fortunately they were just trying to be sooo helpful for the world's slowest gift opener.  I'm thinking next year we won't open presents in front of our guests... is that ok to do or is it politically incorrect/

A hug for Yanna... our very special friend who not only helped decorate but helped us party too!

A very played out pirate heads home with all his new treasures.  He felt so special and so loved and unbelievably happy.  We truly have some of the most incredible people that have shared in Sam's life with us.  We love each one of you and are so grateful that you could come be with us on this day.  How in the world did my tiny little baby turn into a three year old.  Happy birthday my Sammy.