Winter Fun Ideas

What we did this year with Nicollette:

- Durham Tree Lighting and Ethnic Trees exhibit (went the day after for a much less crowded afternoon of museum time)
- Mormon Gingerbread Festival (was only a little interested in the gingerbread but loved the play house)
- made peppermint bark (helped break the candy canes)
- Advent Calendar - opened a winter or Christmas themed book or DVD counting down to opening the presents under the tree (about half were already owned)
- crafty activities - decorate felt tree, decorate foam gingerbread man with foam sticker, felt snowman, hot chocolate cloud dough, holiday themed coloring books (see post)
- Whole Foods Holiday food tastings - sample Saturday with a holiday theme

Ideas for next year:
- Bass Pro Shop Santa visit (didn't want to actually sit with Santa this year, so we didn't try)
- see Neighborhood lights (too cold this year and too hard to see from rear-facing car seat)
- Laurizten Gardens Poinsettias (thought she might be too little this year)

Nicollette turns 2

Growing up so fast. Our oldest child is now 2 years old. I had started to plan a party but I realized I only had two kids to invite and that is really more of a play-date, and then with all the busy-ness of a newborn never set anything up. 

So even though we ran a few errands I tried to make the day special. We went to Target to get some gifts for the church Angel Tree and we got a soft pretzel. Then went to Bakers to get her a giant cupcake as her cake and got a kids hot chocolate at the Starbucks. Daddy had to work but after he got home we opened presents and had cake and then just a normal dinner since it was too cold and too late to go out to eat. 

Since both my kids are winter babies I am thinking of getting them spring presents on their half-birthday as "unbirthday presents."  I would like to get her a bigger ride-on, like a trike but she can't really use that in winter, except maybe in the basement.