More National Lampoon than Norman Rockwell.....

As per the usual Carvalho Family Gong Show the holiday season was no different....

Christmas Tradition Event #1: I started out the Christmas Season by keeping the kids home from school one chilly Monday morning to decorate our Christmas Tree. I had visions of us carefully selecting the perfect ornament for the perfect spot on the tree while we sipped hot chocolate and listened to favourite Christmas carols playing in the background. Instead, Ian promptly dropped the first ornament he touched on the floor shattering it into pieces. Once we got over that trauma and actually got the ornaments on the tree Lexi removed them just as quickly as we could get them up. Poor Mickey, he had already been glued a couple of times from previous mishaps so he was permanently retired. (This picture is a reenactment of the actual event, I wasn't quick enough on the camera the first time around)In the end our tree looked great trimmed with all of our favourite ornaments. My favourites are the ones with a story behind them. My first Christmas ornament, our "favourite pet" ornament with the picture of Bubby, the kids' clay hand and footprint ornaments and last but not least that random stuffed santa ornament that Cam insists on hanging up every year despite my attemps to hide it at the bottom of the box.

Christmas Tradition Event #2 was a trip to see Santa at the mall with hopes of getting pictures of the kids dressed in their holiday finest sitting on Santa's lap. I know, all of you with young kids are laughing at the impossibility of this goal but a girl can dream right? So attempt number one involved keeping the kids home from school another morning, getting them all dressed up, hair done etc, etc, etc. I then schlepped them to the Eaton Centre on the TTC only to have Santa's Elf report in her syrupy sweet voice that "Santa is in his workshop today, he's only here Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays". I'm pretty sure I nearly drew blood biting my tongue from saying "are you F'ing kidding me???" For attempt number two (yep, tried again...) we travelled to the Dufferin Mall in search of the jolly old elf himself. All was good until Lexi realized that she was actually expected to sit on this guy's lap. After a couple of tearful pictures the photographer and I came up with this brilliant plan to have Ian and Alexa sit on Santa's chair then have Santa sneak up behind so that Lexi wouldn't see him but all three would be in the picture. Unfortunately we forgot to let Ian in on the plan and when Santa snuck up behind him putting his hand on Ian's shoulder Ian freaked and burst into tears which then sent Lexi off again. It was only at that point that I grabbed the sobbing duo, aborted Mission: Santa Pictures and headed home.

Soo soo was the concession, this was before the Santa "sneak up" fiasco. All things considered not a terrible picture.

Christmas Tradition Event #3 was an afternoon at the Toronto Santa Claus parade. This experience went uncharacteristically smoothly although both kids fell asleep in the Chariot before the arrival of Santa.

Christmas Tradition Event #4- decorating gingerbread cookies

Since Team Bearss spent this Holiday season on the other side of the world The Carvalho Gong Show went to Grandma & Grandpa Bearss' house for Christmas Eve and Morning.

Santa's HelpersThe annual "top of the stairs" picture

Ian and I both got new jerseys for Christmas.

The kids got so many thoughtful gifts from family and friends. Ian's favourites are anything hockey related. And Lexi's favourite?

Is it the cuddly bunny from Auntie Melanie?

No no.

Is it her first doll I got her that looks pretty similar to Lexi, crocs and all?

Nope.

Is it the ridiculous bobblehead Yoda that my mom gave her in memory of Lexi's Hallowe'en costume?

You got it. Every night for a month whenever we'd lie Lex down in bed, say our goodnights and turn out the light she would say "Yoda?"

Hugs & Snugs for Yoda.

We've had several large snowfalls this year which have turned the neighbourhood into a beautiful winter wonderland and we've tried to take advantage of all of this beauty.

Happy 2011!