All City Winter Band Concert

For the second year, Benji played as part of Walker's band in this concert at the MLK Performing Arts Center. This year, they played 3 songs: Mount Vernon March, Christmas in the Kitchen, and Supercalafragalisticexpialodcious:

There was also a preview concert at Walker earlier in the day -- you can just see the back of Benji's head in this picture posted by the school:

Historic Paramount Theater Holiday Candlelight Tour

This was a new event the theater offered this year and we decided to try it out. Everything was beautifully decorated and they took us all over the building to spaces we had never seen before. The tour ended in the ballroom with drinks, cookies, popcorn and music:

 
 

Apparently, they used real candles last week and it did not go so well, so we had LED lights

We got to go on the stage and back stage, which was a cool perspective

Benji, of course, was most fascinated by the controls and cameras

Every performer is asked to sign the walls backstage. There are 100s of famous signatures, but I happened to notice these (Bill Clinton, Gordon Lightfoot) as we walked by this segment

Our ticket apparently included one alcoholic beverage. We both chose hot cocoa with peppermint schnapps

Christmas Kazoos

While checking out yard sales this summer, we found an unopened Christmas trivia game for $1 and bought it on a lark. Turns out to be really fun, and contained kazoos for playing the "name that tune" portion of the game. Benji, in particular, has been very taken with the kazoo:

Paper snowflakes

It was on the bucket list, so we set to work with scissors and white paper:

A Christmas Carol 2019

Annual trip to the American Shakespeare Theater (Blackfriars) in Staunton. This year, we got to sit on the stage:

Tree Trimming 2019

We had our traditional family tree trimming party with treats from Trader Joe's and new pajamas. This year's threads were llama-themed pajamas from Target that I just couldn't resist:

We also had fun Christmas crackers this year, so everyone had crowns

Benji, trying to jump high enough to add the tree topper

With a stool, and daddy's help

The Ronald McDonald Gingerbread House

For the second time ever, Abby and I decided to enter the annual Gingerbread Christmas contest (having previous built and entered a Monticello replica when Abby was in third grade). The small entry fee ($10) goes to support the Ronald McDonald house, and the entries are auctioned off after the contest to further support the house. This year's theme was "Christmas Around the World" and you were asked to build something that represented your cultural heritage. We named our entry "Christmas in Killarney." Abby ended up having a super busy week at school, and it was just a busy week generally (and we got a late start because we had company over Thansgiving), so we woudl not call this our best effort, but at least we got it done. In stages:

Making the building look like stones turned out to be the easiest part

First stage construction

With stained glass, doors and snow

The tower collapsed, so we turned it into a cairn, with the (lame) grounds

White Christmas at Four County Players

We often go see the seasonal play at this Barboursville Theater the weekend after Thanksgiving. This year, it was White Christmas, with the added bonus that our friend Erika Pierce was in the cast. It was a great production!:

They always have a themed chalk board in the snack area

Opening the Advent Calendars 2019

In addition to our homemade activity calendar and our traditional "Muppets Gift of the Magi" storybook calendar, this year we added (in lieu of a chocolate one) a Harry Potter Yule Ball advent calendar, with Funko pops in each slot. The kids were pretty happy with this:

Christmas Town 2019

Kevin got a notion in his head about really wanted to go back to Busch Garden's Christmas event this year (we last went in 2015), so on Black Friday we loaded up and drove to Williamsburg. It was chilly and the lines were long, but the grounds were beautiful and we had a good time:

They have injured bald eagles that can't be released to the wild

Also grey wolves

We got to see "Scrooge No More" in the Globe Theatre, which was one of the shows we missed last time around

Thanksgiving 2019

Properly attired to watch the parade

Making Thankful 4s

Abby and Ruth

Benji and Kevin

Ready for dinner

post-dinner Celebrity game (charades)