Little Reaper Christmas Party

So Saturday was the Christmas party for our kiddos.  These are normally not my favorite events.  Lots of toddlers, lots of sugar, and lots of chaos!  But this was hands down the best kids Christmas party we've been too.  We had so much fun and the ladies who organized it did a fantastic job!

Here are some of the highlights.  Before we went, we put up the tree.  This year the boys both wanted "Rocket" for their special ornaments.  If you don't have a preschooler in your house, you probably don't know who Rocket is... but for those of us that do, we are all about him!

N is usually not a big fan of craft time, unless it involves glue and glitter (or crumbs as he calls it!)  Lo and behold, there were ornaments to be decorated with both.  Dad and little e made a nice one, and N did his own... very neatly decorated glitter ornament.  He did a star, and each line on the star had to be decorated with a different color of glitter, no overlaps, no repeats.  That's my kid!

There was also these trees to frost.  Sugar cones to be covered in bright green frosting, and then sprinkled with all sorts of fun sugary delights.  It was a preschooler's dream come true!

Well done there boys!  (Try to say it with a British accent, it sounds much better that way.) Oh the sugar.  They're giddy with excitement and anticipation of the sugar high.  

Mmmm... more sugar.  Instant sugar high gratification.  I think they each ate like four cookies during this particular gathering.  Little e would just walk over and help himself (or con one of the daddies near by with his charming smile, and get a cookie that way... he's a clever one!)

Then stringing of beads.  Again, N isn't a huge craft fan, but this appealed to his sense of order.  Little e couldn't quite string the beads himself, so he would point at either a bead or bell, apparently at random (at least I couldn't figure out a pattern) and I would string them for him.  But not N.  He wanted one (and only one) bell, then a perfectly uniform row of red beads on his necklace.  He was so proud of it.  You'll notice he's wearing it in all the subsequent pictures

Here are all the kids getting ready for a fun game of present opening.  They sat in a circle, passing around a present, then when the music stops the kid holding it gets to open the outer layer of wrapping, revealing a small treat and another present.  This continues until you get to the big present in the middle.  I think it's a British thing.  The older kids got it, but the little ones just kept looking at all the wrapping paper!

N wasn't sure this little girl knew what she was doing and kept offering his helping hand when it was her turn to open!

Finally it was his turn.  

Then Santa arrived.  Yes, that is our second Santa of the year, and no, they look nothing alike.  I thought N might start to figure something out, but he was more than happy to go sit on this very scary looking Santa's lap for a gift!

All the boys got these cars.  It cracked us up because instantly all the boys were down on the floor making "vrooooom" noises and pushing their cars around, while the girls stood on watching!

The next day (after the first sugar high subsided!)  We let the boys eat their ice cream cone and frosting sugary Christmas trees.  They were pretty excited, but we made them stop long enough to take a picture!

N just dove right into his, but little e wasn't too sure how to begin.

He eventually figured it out, and was quite pleased with the result!  Mmmmm.   Food coloring.

Yup, the Christmas sugaring has begun!  Bring on the next party!