New Year, Same Traditions

Merry Christmas Eve!

I am re-posting this post from Christmas last year, because while the boys are a year older, the tradition is still the same.

Read til the end for old and updated pics of the boys. :)

From December 2009:

I know a couple of you have posted about your family's Christmas traditions... my family doesn't really do anything special, but I have a fairly recent Christmas tradition that's pretty special to me, so I figured I'd write about it.  I'm sort of obsessed with my neighbors. S is 7 and D is going to be 4 in 2 weeks. I started babysitting S when we moved into our house across the street from them, in 2003, when he was 1. I always watch him when I'm home over breaks and summers from school, and got to be the first person besides family to meet D the day he was born (I kept S all that day while they were at the hospital). S has been my little buddy forever (we've had "sleepovers" and love to go swimming!), and D is no different! I cannot even believe he is going to be 4 in two weeks.

So anyway, about 4 years ago, the boys and I started our Christmas shopping tradition!We go to the Dollar Store on December 23rd or 24th and I help them pick out their gifts for each other, mom and dad, Nanny and G-Daddy, Uncle, and the dog and 2 cats. We have so much fun picking everything out... I absolutely adore watching them decide what to get everyone (and hear their reasons why!). Kids are SO funny. Also I think it's sweet to see young, innocent kids get excited about giving their gifts to their loved ones. I know they couldn't sleep waiting for Santa, but they were also SO excited to give their gifts. And that's half the fun!

So here are some pictures from our adventure:

Here is sweet D, in the car, ready to go!

D at the dollar store, pondering his decisions

The brothers making their decisions

After the shopping was done, D wanted McDonald's and S wanted Chick-Fil-A, so of course we had both! (Am I a good babysitter or what?!) Drove through McDonald's and took it in to Chick-Fil-A so they could play there.

Then later that night I babysat again while their parents went out to do some last minute shopping... here are the boys "helping" me wrap the presents.

So helpful, huh?

When the movie was over, D did want to help though! Here he is holding the ribbon for me. :)

And this is S's idea of help:

St has turned into such a goober.

He cracks me up. He chose a ceramic bird from the dollar store for his grandmother (lucky Nanny, huh?), and as we were wrapping it up he looked at me, dead serious, and said "I picked that for Nanny because girls like breakable stuff and birds." Haha! Kids are so funny.

The goofy boys and all their wrapped gifts, ready to go under the tree!

Here is another picture of them at church for their Christmas pageant... how cute are they?!

And then one more picture... Baby D got a Puppet Theater from Santa that I helped put together at midnight on Christmas Eve. Can't wait to see how excited he is when he gets it!

So there is my favorite Christmas tradition!

What's your tradition?!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

December 2010 Update:

And for their 2010 Christmas card (which seriously? how adorable is this?)

(how much is he going to want to KILL his Momma for making him wear a turtleneck and a corduroy blazer in the pic when he's older?! haha)

And can you believe that the older one was ever so little? He used to LOVE me (seriously we were best buddies), and now he is just too cool to even be bothered with me. :( 

this is one of my favorite pics ever.... we both fell asleep on the couch after a long afternoon swimming while I was babysitting! haha! (don't worry moms, I am a very responsible childcare provider, promise! my boyfriend at the time was also with us and he is the one who took the picture)

And us on Easter, before little brother came along!

And of course not to leave the baby out of it... HOW is this kid going to be FIVE in just a few weeks?!?!?

Melts my stone cold grinchy heart! :)