A letter to Santa and a week in which we are super busy, but do nothing?!

       As the winter wonderland continued at the O'Day house, each day has brought new wonders for little Brant.  While I had Christmas Story visions of killer icicles, Brant thought this one hanging over our back door was amazing.  He finally talked Daddy into knocking it down for him and immediately ran into to "CHA" me with it!  Let me tell you, that was one cold and pointy icicle!   Unfortunatly, this photo was about 1 minute before the slippery thing fell and broke into 3 pieces.  Expecting an upset, I was pleasantly surprised when Brant announced, " Look Mommy!  Now we have one for each of us!"

Fireman Brant was outside while Daddy was grilling brats for dinner.

This just sums up the Christmas season for me!  Snow!

So one thing that was on our To Do list was Brant's letter to Santa.  We've been trying to get this done for some time now, but it seems hard to get him to sit down these days, as he has been focusing in school all day.  But finally, this week, it's done!   I tell you, Santa really comes through for Brant.  Brant has asked for a rocket, and got it, a pirate ship, and got it, among other surprises.   May I now present, Brant's 2010 Santa letter (I wish I had photoed the other years!)  In Brant's own words....

 His name in his own handwriting melts my heart!  I love being a parent, especially at Christmas!

As I mentioned, the winter wonderland lasted for most of the week, until today actually, when the cold rain washed most of it away.  Here's Brant in front of Daddy's restuarant, where we ate before seeing the lights last week.

Sledding down to Grandma's

The woodpecker that flits between Mom's house and ours

Yesterday we had one of those days were we were all going in different directions.  Thankfully, on these days we have Grandma who can step in.  Daddy was working in the morning and I was heading over to Winston-Salem to a bridal shower for one of my college friends.   Right smack in the middle of when neither Daddy or Mommy could go, was the Christmas parade.   So Grandma and Brant hitched up the wagon and rolled downtown to see the fire trucks, catch some candy and eat a slice from Reno's.  Mom was assigned photographer duty, but got caught up in the parade and forgot.  So this is the only photo!  When I asked Brant what is favorite thing about the Christmas parade was, he replied, "Throwing out the candy!"  And let me say, do they throw it!  You should had seen the street when I came through 3 hours later!

To Brant, although the parade was cold, it was a success...pizza AND blue cotton candy

Grandma really pulled her double duty yesterday, for after our family gathered for dinner, Daddy and Mommy had a date to see Young Frankenstein .  We don't often go out without Little B, as we get very little time as a family in the evenings, due to Daddy's schedule.  But we had tickets, and an 8:00 show time, and a NOT child friendly play.  Alas, we greatly enjoyed our date, despite the lateness of the hour we returned, and were able to enjoy it because we knew Mom was holding down the fort.   Thanks Mom, you do so much for us!

This is the final push to Christmas break.  My students have exams (and I have 57 to grade...bleh), Christmas parties and the big event, our Holiday Program at school.   And this time next week, we'll be on break...ahhhhh.  Stay posted, we also have a very fun family event happening on Saturday.  It COULD be a multiple post week! :-)