Disney…and a last minute gift

i won’t bore you with too many Disney pics. truth is…i didn’t take all that many anyway. i think the thought of adding to my backlog of photos to edit deterred me just a tad. i haven’t even touched the Nutcracker ones yet, but those are sure to come…after Christmas! when i get a chance to figure out the video, i’ll share that with you too.

but for today…a little Disney…and a last minute gift idea for kiddos!!

we were graciously gifted with 4 Parkhopper tickets to the Disney Parks that had to be used by the end of the year. not ones to ever pass up an offer like that, we happily (and very very gratefully) accepted, and not even a week later were on our way!!

we woke the crazies up really early on the day of their surprise, and in their confused state of sleepy-ness, the Bug asked if it was Christmas, and the boy just somewhat angrily asked what the heck we were doing. after telling them we were waking them up to take them somewhere special, the boy was convinced it was ice skating. they were beyond thrilled to learn that the surprise was even better than ice skating!!

i {heart} that Canaan still isn’t yet too old (or too cool) to get hugs from Mickey:

Canaan was finally tall enough for Space Mountain…

and after being given two Fast Passes from a random person, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to jump on. he wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but didn’t have much time to think about it! this pic was taken just as they were exiting the ride. to quote Canaan, “i was just barely enough brave…but it was FUN!”

waiting on the parade (which was fabulous, and Christmasy, and just plain good old fashioned entertainment!!!):

we had such a great day, and trucked through those parks for as long as we could, before deciding that we were just simply too tired to keep going.

after coming home the next day, we’ve finished all our Christmas baking. we made everything from the last post, with the exception of the Peppermint Cookies. they are fabulous, but this momma’s the only one in the fam who likes peppermint, and her waistline sure doesn’t need a full batch of those for herself this year!

some of our lovely creations:
we’ve been putting all the finishing touches on our presents for each other:and speaking of presents…if you need a last minute idea, this can be made while you sit in front of the TV watching your fave Christmas movie…

Homemade Angry Birds Game:

my crazies are slightly obsessed with Angry Birds. i think they are funny little creatures, and truth be told, i can’t get the hang of the game. i’ve tried playing, but can’t seem to knock off those little green piggies for the life of me. the kids, however, have quite the knack for doing so. so…i thought they might enjoy a real life version:

i saw this idea here a few months back, and just knew i wanted to attempt it as a special Christmas present. i like making something handmade for the crazies each year, if i’ve got the time. (last year it never happened!) a few years back it was this felt playhouse. that was a labor of love, let me tell you! this project was far easier, so i’m thinking i’ll stick with things in this easy category from now on!!

Target sells a version of an Angry Birds board game. i checked it out, but at $25.00, i thought it was a little pricey for our budget. this, however, took just a few bucks and i’m hoping will be just as fun!

hoping to stop by tomorrow for a quick Merry Christmas. till then…