Pre-Christmas December fun

The Christmas season really does take on a whole new level of fun when you have a little kid to share it with.  I haven't enjoyed December this much in a really long time!  Three and a half years old is a fun age to be when Christmas is right around the corner.

We went to the Lisle Library's really fun Holiday Open House, which included a story time with Mrs. Claus, crafts (painting homemade wrapping paper with evergreens as paint brushes, decorating pine cone ornaments), cookies, a personal visit with Mrs. Claus (more about that in a future post), and a photo booth, complete with props:

Christmas cookie baking and decorating!  We baked so many batches of Christmas cookies that I am now in need of a serious diet.

Showing off her gorgeous Christmas dress (which she wore to visit Santa at Bass Pro Shop):

Palling around with Evan at Bass Pro Shop....

More Christmas cookie decorating.... This time, we roped Ikey into our calorie fest!

Time to eat their creations....  YUM!

Watching the Naperville Parade of Lights with her playgroup buddies:

Going on a candy cane hunt (just like an Easter egg hunt) in the rain (ugh):

Watching the model trains ("Enchanted Railroad") at the Morton Arboretum (from L-R: Johanna, Sonia, Evan):

This was Sonia's third year going to the arboretum to see the model trains, and she still loves it so much!  When I looked at old blog posts so that I could link previous visits in this post, I was amused to find this oddly familiar picture from Sonia's first visit to the trains:

From L-R: Sami, Sonia, Evan, and Johanna....  Apparently, Sonia likes to stand next to Johanna and Evan when she takes in the trains!  Awesome.