Stars were gleaming, Children Screaming…

Christmas came and went like a flash.  No one threw up.  No one had to go to urgent care.  I didn’t go into early labor.  Santa didn’t forget us.  Bob the elf interceded on our children’s behalf and they were able to get themselves on the nice list.  Miraculous. 

Here are the highlights:

Christmas Eve Jammies:

Stuart was having some kind of moment.  I think he gets it from me.

Incidentally, we spent a few hours Christmas Eve at the Allen’s house.  Our other friends, the Sellers, had dropped their kids off while they went to look at getting a new car (their family car got totaled about a week before Christmas and they have 5 kids under 8).  They were running late, so we ended up having 12 kids under 8 in one house with the 4 adults.  I wish I had a picture of us trying to get 12 plates of food ready and then distribute to all the wild dingoes.  The Allen’s neighbors had invited them over since Santa’s helper was coming by for a visit…so we paraded over there with 12 kids in tow.  What a scene. 

After we got home, we did the jammies gifts and sent them to bed.  We didn’t even put out snacks for Santa and the reindeer.  Both of us were exhausted and we managed to get everything ready and be in bed before midnight.  Miraculous. 

Christmas morning:

The tree—not as carefully arranged as last year, lovely just the same.

 

Waiting on the stairs.  A family tradition.

Thanks Grandma Beeks for the Princess Salon in a bag!

 

Legos… happiness in a box.

All Grace wanted for Christmas, ALL she wanted, was a barbie mermaid.  Weird, since that was all she wanted for her birthday back in June, and that’s what we gave her for her birthday.  This time, Stuart gave her the Barbie mermaid, just to mix things up.

 

My Little Pony…

 

More Barbie Mermaid.  It’d be great to have a different role model…any suggestions?  We just say no to the Bratz dolls.  And can I interject at this point to mention that I’d really like to get rid of the vertical blinds for our sliding door.

 

Uncle Adam outdoes himself again this year…Leapster 2 for Grace,

 

and a giant remote control truck for Stuart, so big it couldn’t be wrapped.  I don’t think we got a picture of Elise’s gift—Littlest Pet Shop Pet Palace.

Santa’s gift to the girls…a dollhouse. 

Santa’s gift to Stuart—a Lego table with Star Wars Legos.

We thought the Lego building experience would last us through the entire Winter Break from school, but by lunchtime on Christmas day, all sets had been assembled. 

As for mom and dad, we gifted ourselves with a new toilet, couch, and a deposit on the bathroom countertop that we are still waiting on for installation.  Isn’t Christmas fun?