Christmastime Part II "At Home"

This year Bill and I decided to start Christmas traditions with our kids in our own home. Monday before Christmas we joined efforts with another family from church and became Santa's secret elves for a family with a little less to go around this year. It was really fun to be able to go shopping with my kids and watch them get excited about buying the presents for the other kids. Then when the door bell ditch went south (no one was home) the excitement really picked up when Bill was caught knocking on the door! (They pulled into the drive as he was about to run.) With all said and done it was a great experience and we are very blessed to have been able to do it. Wednesday night Bill chauffeured the kids and I around the community so that we could deliver baked goodies. And then it was on to Christmas eve.

We wanted to start a traditional dinner and I think we hit the nail on the head with our first effort. Bill originally suggested crab/lobster, I don't really care for it so we compromised with clam chowder. Bill's mom gave us a killer recipe that everyone wanted 2nd's of. (Souper easy with a great secret ingredient.) That, along with fantastic bread, a flavorful salad, and a toast with sparkling cider amidst candlelight.... what a great way to start the celebration.

Being home, I didn't want to give up on doing the nativity like we always do with my family so we decided to do our own. Livi was Mary, Aaron a shepherd, I the angel, and Dad was the narrator/ "kings"(although watching the video I think an AR slung around his shoulder would look more fitting than a gift for the baby Jesus. (He looks like the Arabian bad guys right out of the movies.) I'm sad I didn't get a picture of us all in costume, my mom would've been proud, but I am thrilled I got it on video. I laughed so hard I cried. Bill couldn't stop laughing either. The subsequent ones, in years to come, will be just as priceless I'm sure. (Bill threatened me to never post it anywhere... I think it would make a great U-Tube video!)
The kids got the plates of goodies ready for Santa and his reindeer and then sprinkled reindeer dust in the front landscape. We sat together in front of the Christmas tree and read "The Night Before Christmas" and sent the kids off to bed. Bill got to wrapping and I got to making... CINNAMON ROLLS! YUMMMM!

Christmas morning we woke to an incredible surprise. Annie had thrown up 2 of Aaron's socks! While Bill put her outside to clean up the mess (luckily it was contained to where she sleeps in the laundry room) she hacked up 4 more! She seemed to be doing fine but we called the vet a little later just be sure. When I told him that our 5 month old retriever had thrown up 3 pairs of socks that morning, in shock he said, "3 SOCKS?!" "No," I said, "3 pair, 6 socks." He was dumbfounded. He said he had heard of a lot of things but that was a first. They had been swallowed whole and we don't know how she did it, but... like I said in the Christmas letter, she's got a thing for Aaron's socks. And yes, all 6 of them were Aaron's. Needless to say, piles of laundry are no longer left on the floor while waiting for the washing machine.

The kids were thrilled to see their plump stockings waiting for them on the banister with their new Christmas tree ornaments, but more excited to see that Santa had left an engraved dog tag

for Annie. (Boy do they love her. And boy did Annie LOVE her bone.) We opened our stockings first and then watched each other as presents from Santa were revealed. Livi got a Razor Scooter and a Polly Pocket doll. Aaron got the Batman Cave. To say he was excited would be a huge understatement.

I was more than thrilled at what Santa brought for me: bike tools, a set of whicker hampers (we've been using Bill's that he had in highschool, I'm kinda sad to see it go), and a bag all to myself of Lindor Chocolates. (To me, that is happiness!!!) Along with a beautiful dress coat and Jewelry tree from Bill I was set. Santa brought Bill a game system storage ottoman that conveniently fits all the pieces to the new Rock Band game that was also delivered by the Jolly ole' Elf. Too bad I forgot the batteries to the remote control helicopter I got him, he had to settle for playing rock band. We all had a blast. Even the Batcave was fun for all.

Livi's favorite saying as of late is, "Yea baby!" (I don't know?!?!?)

It was so fun to watch the kids open their gifts. Aaron was so excited about his Batman Cave but one would think that every present he opened was "the one" that he'd been waiting for. The joy on his face was tremendous to behold. He LOVED the present that Olivia got for him, Connect 4. He also got new headphones, a handball, some books, slippers and a new coat.

Olivia's Christmas was a bit nerve wracking for mom and dad this year. We had decided to get her a violin and to start her in lessons. She had expressed some interest but we were nervous of how she would really feel about it. We got it spot on! I caught her several times throughout the day looking at her new instrument and asked her what she was doing. "I'm just dusting it, Mom." She couldn't wait for me to show her a rhythm that she could play on it. That along with the aforementioned items, some books, slippers, and a jewelry box from Aaron; we had a happy little girl.

And in case we all weren't happy enough as it was, we had homemade hot chocolate with my ooey gooey cinnamon rolls and oranges and orange juice for breakfast. YUM!(In my mind we had oranges... where are the oranges?!?)

The rest of the day was fantastic. We all stayed in our jammies all day and hung out. We cleaned up, and started to get ready for our trip to CA the next morning, but mainly we played games. Olivia completely dominated in an honest game of Monopoly. I say honest because no one told her when to do what or what to do and she kicked our booties. At the end she had "hired" Dad, who was the first to go under, and then who had lost Aaron's fortune, to be her consultant while she put me in the poor house. The trick, the same old one we all know... Park Place and the Boardwalk. She had hotels!!! Pleased as punch and rightfully so.