The Relle Clan: Twas the Week Before Break...

And all through the week...we kept busy with Holiday festivities...

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Monday night was the ICE!

Tuesday night Nick went to the Winter Program at work and Jack and I hung out at home with Karen, Olivia, & Harper at our house for dinner, baths, and fun.

Wednesday night was Holiday Night at Watters. When we arrived apparently Jack had a tough day and was crying. We managed to get through the wreath ornament craft although he just wasn't himself.

Then it was time for the kids to sing to the parents. This is where our little "Holiday Joy" just sat there with a Scrooge look on his face, we thought maybe he was sick, but nope-just one of those days. Actually ended up being one of those weeks for Jack.

Here is our final product.

Here is a bell Jack had made at school. His favorite holiday song this year is Jingle Bells. On the list to get him....some bells to jingle.

This snowglobe ornament is cute, but from a teacher prospective-has to have been a beating.

Magnetic picture frame.

And my favorite-Rudolph!

This year I took advantage of the PTA's wrapping offer...and am so GLAD I did! All I had to do was tape a tag to the present that told the paper, who it was to, and from....drop it off....and at the end of the day...pick it up. They did great-way better than fruit cake from a random Mom.

Thursday night was our work staff party at Texas Land and Cattle in Frisco. Originally Nick was going to go since I went solo last year when he was at a conference out of town, but the Tavares Family was so awesome to keep Jack so we could go together. We paid Lisa with a jar of apple pie filling....now that is friendship and a passion for cooking-she didn't throw it at me, accepted it as our form of payment, and at least I didn't throw away the student gift-which is what would have happened had they not agreed to keep Jack-you know how I am about eating food from strangers.

Friday night Angela, Nick, Jack, and I started a new get you on the naughty list tradition Friday night....

drink and go through the buckets of gifts from students at work.

Jack loved looking through the items to see what was going to the trash, re-gift, good will, candy, and keep piles. Mysteriously some of the fun times pictures weren't on my camera (Angela Joy Vaughan) but I think for sure that she won for the most random gift. If we put together all the jars of hot chocolate mix we could fill a water tower, if we baked all the jars of cookie mix we could feed a small country, and then after all of that we could wash it down with her Welch's Sparkling Grape Juice she got wrapped up nicely in a wine gift bag.

Here are the keepers...out of a lot. Not as gift card packed as last year-but hey, It's a Recession! But every gift is appreciated and makes us feel good about all of the hard work that we put into our jobs! My gift this year is my class....I LOVE them!

A sweet girl Raegan and her Mom (one of my Room Mom's) gave me this book in a basket of goodies. They revised it and she read it to me after school Friday...one of my favorite gifts...