Merry Christmas from Toronto SAM!

Thank you for reading along with me each day.  I am happy I get to share our life with you.  We wish you a Merry Christmas. 

Now, check out the behind the scenes of the Christmas card photo shoot.

Friday Favourites

A round up of some fun videos I've seen this week, in case you've missed them.

This is a nice throw back to Home Alone.  I think E may appreciate this movie this year, although it is kind of rude and they are so mean to Fuller and Kevin.  

I watched the original of this song the other day and then Jimmy Fallon did this updated version.  I mean it's exactly the same except everyone is older and Ariana Grande is there for some reason.

Speaking of great SNL Christmas content, I love this skit featuring Ryan Gosling and Vanessa Bayer

And finally this rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody with puppets.

We do a lot to empower girls, which is great, but I like seeing posts about how we should be treating boys too.  It's a good reminder that boys didn't always get these messages and instead of assuming things we change, we should reiterate these points when we can.

Check out my post about E's various Christmas concerts here.

And our visit to Santa here.

Linking up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci for Friday Favourites
and The Blended Blog for Friday Loves.

Christmas Concerts

Twas the week of Christmas concerts.  We start this year's edition with this huge egg on E's head!  He had rehearsal for the church choir concert on Friday night so we dropped him off and when we came back he had this big bump on his head.  The kids were playing tag between practice and the show and he ran right into a door.  Poor guy, but he was fine in the end.  And he still remembered the words to the songs.

The junior choir sang a few songs and we also heard from the symphony made up of mostly kids from the Etobicoke School of the Arts.

A round of applause at the end for everyone. 

We are so lucky to hear these young musicians and we really appreciate them sharing their talents with us!

On Sunday morning we were back at church early for the pageant rehearsal before the service.  E had a part of a shepherd with a couple of lines and I had set aside a sheep costume for Q.  I didn't know if he would be into it or not, but he was not and refused to even try on the costume, let alone participate in the pageant. 

E tried on the sheep headpiece to show Q but was not interested

A quick pic with this cutie before I took him down to the nursery.

Saying his lines.  

The choir was also singing.

Another successful pageant!  Dave and I were giggling at various things throughout, and I always say if you're not laughing during the pageant then the kids aren't doing it right. 

On Tuesday night we went to E's school for his holiday concert. All dressed up!

We arrived early to get a seat so then took Q for various walks around the school before the show started. 

The program.  E is in the Grade 2 French Immersion group as well as the choir. 

This is the performance with his class.

And then he was front and centre for the choir's performance.

Hamming it up for the camera. 

When I went back to pick him up in his classroom he showed me the elf he made of himself.

What's up Wednesday

What we're eating this week...

Sunday - Salmon

Monday - Macaroni and Cheese

Tuesday - Baked Chicken Tacos

Wednesday and Thursday - I don't know yet

Friday - Chinese Take Out

Saturday - Lobster

(And cookies of course!)

What I'm reminiscing about...

Christmases past of course! This time of year is so full of memories of when the kids were smaller, trips to visit loved ones, when we were little ourselves, and people that are no longer with us.  It's a tough time for a lot of people so even when we are full of Christmas spirit and celebrating all of the things, I always say a prayer for those who find this time of year hard.  

This is E when he was three, relaxing after Christmas.

What I'm loving...

Our advent calendar.  It has two chocolates each day, one for each of E and Q, and the bible verses telling the Christmas story.  Q is very excited about the chocolate, and E always makes sure I remember to read the bible verse.  Even though we have hectic mornings, I'm happy we get to pause for a few seconds to remember the reason why we celebrate. 

What we've been up to...

We hosted our Annual Christmas Party on the weekend so everything was focused on that. We had so much fun despite the work that goes into it. 

Also we visited with Santa last week.

What I'm dreading...

Putting away the Christmas decorations.  We are leaving on our trip on January 3, so we have a short window to take it all down.  I also always hate putting it away since everything is so pretty and our living room looks so empty after it's gone.

What I'm working on...

Trying to wrap up some files/deals by tomorrow, or push them off until the new year.  I am rarely this busy in December but people are coming out of the woodwork this year!!  I'm over it!

What I'm excited about...

Seeing people open the gifts I got them on Christmas morning.  I like my own presents too of course, but I'm always happy if people like the gifts I've picked out for then.

What I'm watching/reading...

We watched Office Christmas Party and Love Actually this week.  We will start in on Santa Claus 2, Polar Express, and other favourites next. 

I have a Christmas book to read, and I want to start it soon.  It is Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand.

What I'm listening to...

We made our own Christmas playlist for our party by combining all of our favourite CDs.  We have some old favourites like Bing Crosby, Michael Bublé and Anne Murray, and some new ones like Serena Ryder and John Legend.

What I'm wearing...

Sneakers.  It has been pretty mild around here and no snow on the ground, so although I still like my Uggs for warmth, and my tall black boots when I am going to work, I have been able to throw my sneakers on while doing errands, etc. 

What I'm doing this weekend...

My parents arrive on Friday, so we will be doing all of the Christmas things - wrapping the presents, working on our puzzle, eating lobster, going to church, watching movies

What I'm looking forward to next month...

Our trip to Lisbon and Barcelona! And then when we get back, maybe doing some skiing. 

What else is new...

Not much else - the holidays, work, and our upcoming trip have taken up all of our time and attention. 

What is your favourite last minute gift idea?

A bottle of wine, like a Beaujolais Nouveau.

Linking up with Shay, Sheaffer, and Mel for the last What's Up Wednesday of the year.

5th Annual MacDonald Family Drop In

On Saturday we welcomed our neighbours, friends, and family to our house for our annual drop-in Christmas party.  It has become a great tradition and we love that people make it a part of their holiday plans.  This year I think we had about 85-90 people, and lots of babies and kids this year.  

The island is spread with the savoury food - meatballs, meat and cheese, vegetables, dips, and crackers/chips/pitas. 

The table is laden with sweets, nuts, and fruit.

Our drink list. 

Our gingerbread house took centre stage on the sweets table.  E was a little upset at first that people were breaking pieces off to eat, but I told him it was okay because it meant it was being enjoyed. 

Q was napping when the party got underway so he missed the traditional family photo. And E forgot to smile.

Our helpers (Dave's parents)

Once he was up, Q enjoyed a few peanut butter balls.

When everyone left we tidied up and hit the sack!

The next day at lunch we did our traditional Swiss Chalet order.

Thanks again to everyone that came!  See you next year.