In Between Time

I saw this quote the other day, and it couldn't be more accurate.

There aren't anymore presents to be wrapped.  (There are some to still be given though!!)  No more decorations need to be put up.  The radio literally stopped playing Christmas music at midnight as it became December 26th.  And we're still eating on Christmas candies, cookies and Chex Mix.   No complaining on that last point, though.

I originally thought the week before Christmas flew by, mainly because Matt and I were both off, and we didn't do as much as we had planned, which isn't totally a bad thing.  But now, after having this week literally fly by, last week seems like it lasted twice as long.  What's with that?  Thankfully, we do still have a long three-day weekend ahead of us.

I hope you all have an amazing New Year's weekend! We'll be spending tomorrow with my dad's side of the family for Round 2 of Christmas!! Bring on all the fun, food and laughter!

25 Days of Christmas: Day 25

How is it that we only have a few hours left of Christmas day? 😭 It always makes me sad that there's so much build up leading in to Christmas (hello, Hallmark Channel started playing Christmas movies BEFORE HALLOWEEN, which I had no problem with at all!), but then December 26th, it's like Christmas never happened.  Everyone's moved on.  Except me, and several other people I know who will keep on embracing Christmas through the 12 Days 😀

I can't believe these 25 books have come and gone. WHERE did the time go? It seems like we just started this year's 25 Days posts, and now, this is the last one. I love that we were able to do it this year, even when we had to double or triple up books for one night. Now, time to brainstorm themes for next year's posts! (Suggestions are welcome, if you have any fun ideas!)

Book #25: Mater Saves Christmas

Apparently, Christmas was exhausting for this one...

I think Maple's going to miss these fun nights, too.  Okay, probs not.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

25 Days of Christmas: Day 24

To be totally honest, I didn't think tonight's book was going to happen either.  Marshall was so tired after an evening full of fun Christmas traditions and it was his past bedtime.  Luckily, he did settle down just long enough to read!

Book #24: Twas the Night Before Christmas (of course!)

Photo bombed by Santa Maple. That's her new Christmas sweater and she loves it! :)

25 Days of Christmas: Days 21-23

The past couple nights, Marshall hasn't been "feeling" reading. On the 21st, when he first started this, I thought, "okay, no big deal, we'll just double up tomorrow." But then, it kept happening. haha. The 22nd and the 23rd were no different.  He'd sit still for MAYBE 10 seconds, and that was the end of that.  A couple of the books, I did actually finish, but I know good and well he wasn't paying a lick of attention. haha.

Last night, after the 3rd night in a row of Marshall not wanting to read, I realized we were running out of days in the 25 Days of Christmas, and I'm just going to need to do a blog post now, before Days 24 and 25 are ready to be written.

So, here are the books we attempted reading the past couple days:

Book #21: The Snowbelly Family of Chillyville Inn

Book #22: Christmas Joy

Book #23: Lady and the Tramp: Lady's Christmas Surprise

25 Days of Christmas: Days 19 and 20

Tonight's one of those nights where I'm just sitting here staring at this blog post--all the pictures and links are good to go--but I have no idea what to write.  I keep clicking other tabs, then coming back, thinking something will come to me.  It doesn't, so I do it all again.  So, let's just cut to the chase!

Book #19: The Pups Save Christmas

Book #20: Santa's Toy Shop

25 Days of Christmas: Day 18

I know yesterday's post was posted within the past couple hours, but here's tonight's! Matt read Marshall his Christmas book tonight, and of course, Maple had to be right there with them. (But I'm thinking Marshall's food may have had something to do with that...)

Book #18: Santa's Sleigh is on its way to Virginia

I love how this book mentions lots of famous landmarks and cities in the state.

Apparently Marshall's drink was so good, he could only focus on that 😂

25 Days of Christmas: Day 17

Y'all, I was all set last night.  We read our book, the pictures (and videos, in this case) had been taken, and I was ready to get this blog post up.  Then what happened? OUR INTERNET WENT OUT.  I was so upset, because I was really looking forward to getting this one posted. But, as I've come to accept, it's okay if this gets posted later than planned, right? Right.

Book #17 was actually read by someone extra special.  This book was given to Marshall from my dad, Marshall's Poppy, on Marshall's first Christmas  Dad had his dad, my Papa, and Marshall's great-Papa, record himself reading this book, so Marshall would always have it.  Sadly, Papa passed away just a couple months after this Christmas, so we really cherish this book!

Book #17: A Charlie Brown Christmas

I can't get this video to turn the correct way, sorry!

25 Days of Christmas: Days 15 and 16

I love how much Marshall loves books now, which makes doing these 25 Days of Christmas books so much more fun!  Sure, there are some nights where he's such a wiggle worm, but then there's nights where he'll sit studying each picture.  Or maybe he'll start knocking on the pages when I say, "Joseph knock, knock, knocks on every door...", much like he did tonight. haha.

Book #15: The Itsy Bitsy Reindeer

Book #16: One Small Donkey

I just love this first picture! I read The Itsy Bitsy Reindeer to the tune of The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Marshall did the motions of the spider version as I read! It was so funny. And he probably thinks I'm nuts for singing a really wrong version of the spider song he knows. haha

"Dad, why do you take pictures of us reading every night?"

"Mom, read faster!" He started turning the pages way too soon 😂

25 Days of Christmas: Days 11-14

Since it's been four days since my last "25 Days" blog posts, I've been reminding myself (and accepting the fact) that it's really not the end of the world if I don't get a post up each day. Plus, when we're not feeling well or one of us is sick, sometimes, something's gotta give.

When I first started doing my 25 Days of Christmas posts, I was a sophomore in college.  I was only involved in a couple of organizations and my class schedule wasn't super crazy.  I had much more "down time" than I do now.  Do I still have "me time" now? Of course, but it doesn't always line up with when Marshall is awake.  So, if we have to do four books in one night, so be it.

Book #11: Five Little Reindeer

Book #12: Phineas and Ferb: Oh Christmas Tree

Book #13: Santa's Magic Bag

Book #14: Christmas in the Manger

25 Days of Christmas: Day 10

I feel like weekends fly by way too quickly!! Wasn't it just Friday afternoon and I was driving home from work, IN THE SNOW, ready for a nice weekend?  Thankfully, this is our last week of school before a much needed two week break! While I'm ready for this Friday afternoon to be here, I'm looking forward to fun and festive things going on at work, and exchanging a few gifts!

Today at church, we had our annual Christmas Cantata and Children's program.  I love how they incorporated both groups into the same program this year.  All of the music was awesome!!! And of course the kids are adorable to watch :)  Marshall was still too young to participate this year, but maybe next year!  Wonder if we can find my old sheep costume at church from the Christmas play about 24 years ago for him to wear? 😂  Haha, I'm sure it's been cleaned out by now!

So, tonight's book was a great way to end the day, following the Christmas program at church.

Book #10: The Best Christmas Gift Ever (Veggies Tales!)

Maple couldn't get herself situated for story time. haha

While I was reading to Marshall, he was looking up at the tree, just staring.  Matt took him over to the tree and he was pointing at each ornament and saying what it was, specifically "car"--we have a Mater Christmas ornament (from the movie cars), and Marshall recognized it from the Mater Christmas blow-up we have outside by the porch.

Marshall also got a bonus book tonight after our Christmas book.  He went and grabbed his most favorite book ever and brought it to Matt to read.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 9

We got to read tonight's book somewhere else!!  We spent the evening hanging out with Sue Sue, Poppy and Auntie Abby snacking and decorating the Christmas tree! There's was lots of eating, laughing, coloring and quoting Elf....and lots of decorating of course, haha.

Sue Sue had a snowman book we'd never read before, so it was a perfect book to read with all the beautiful snow we have to look at!

Book #9: Snowmen at Christmas

Don't hate on my leggings + sock combo 😂 I'm fully embracing my Christmas spirit.

25 Days of Christmas: Days 7 and 8

I like to think I've learned how to "go with the flow" more, but it doesn't always work out that way. ha!

I soooo wanted to get a blog post up last night, but someone was all hyped up and crazy for some reason, so there was no sitting still to read. 😳

As this crazy week comes to an end (WITH SNOW!), I'm just going to cut to the chase, so Matt and I can catch up on Arrow on Netflix! Is anyone else as addicted to the show as I am now??

Book #7: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: Rudolph Helps Out

Book #8: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: A Very Merry Christmas This book has three buttons on the side that plays music...I so wish technology would've cooperated with me tonight and let me upload a video of Marshall dancing...it was hilarious!

*The Mickey book Marshall is *reading* is one of our books from the other night...he was flipping through the pages as I was reading.*

Here's to a fun, snowy weekend! Happy Friday!

25 Days of Christmas: Day 6

This crazy week continues!! Around lunchtime, I was thinking this evening would be a little more relaxing than Monday and Tuesday, but of course I was wrong. haha. Even though it didn't go quite as planned and all of us were running all over the place it seemed, Matt still made us an awesome dinner....and I rarely finish everything on my plate, but tonight, I almost cleaned it. haha

And even though sometimes it seems like getting this blog post up seems like one more thing just to check off my to-do list, it is nice to slow down and read with Marshall...I know he won't always want to read each night, so we'll take it while we can!

I was so excited to find this cute little Hallmark book, in perfect condition, at Goodwill last year!! I'd never read the book until now, and it's such a cute little story.

Book #6: Jingle All the Way

P.S. My little munchkin is looking so much bigger and older these days. :'(

25 Days of Christmas: Day 5

I feel like this is the week of no slowing down! Three more days to go....we can do this! But this time of year, weekends tend to be just as busy, but at least it's filled with fun Christmas stuff :) I'm looking forward to it, but I don't want to wish this month/season away at all!

After shopping for our Angel Tree child tonight (with funds raised from my LuLaRoe sales and Matt's personal contribution), we were all exhausted, but we still got our books in tonight! 

Books #5: Mickey Mouse: Deck the Halls and Be Jolly

It was so cute--while I was reading the first book, Marshall leaned across me to get the other book, and flipped through it as he was following along. Then, when it was time to read the second one, of course he switched and did it again! haha.  This year's 25 Days of Christmas books is going so much better than last year's, since Marshall is very much into reading and loves books!