Because we couldn't post this BEFORE Christmas!!!!

'Cause this apron was for Laura.
Hilary is a seamstress (did you know?) and made it.
With her own bare hands.

My, my. How that apron becomes you.

"Dear Santa,

"...under the tree is full. Move on to the next house..."

Love, Talmage

He wrote. The kids left their directional note with a plate of peppermint Joe-Joe's and a glass of milk. Then, the advent calendars. This year we had three. The bedtime routine was very ... involved.

How-o'er-some-ever: this Lego advent was a hit! The most bizarre construction was Santa's shower.

Then to bed. T and S went to sleep faster than any night on record. It was great. Talmage woke up first and had at least an hour to contemplate before we saw the whites of Sydney's eyes (around 9:30/10 a.m.). Possibly he was contemplating how Santa managed to find more room under the tree after all. Or he was thinking of Jesus' birth. One or the other.


Then the present opening which was so much fun (except for one or two lectures on gratitude and quit-being-cranky-or-I'll-break-your-neck).

Don't worry. Clara got some new clothes.

Here, Clara. The present is the puffs, not the paper.

(double click on the above pic to enlarge it. Check out Syd's expression)

Lots of loot from family and friends and elves and such. Thank you. I've said it once and I'll say it again, holidays are so much more enjoyable with kids (well, prob'ly not every holiday. Like, say, New Years Eve). And also, Briton, for all you who want to know, surprised the socks off me.

The partying was not over after opening presents. In the afternoon we gathered with friends for a Christmas Day 19th century (possibly 18th century) dinner. Catered by Karren. It was delicious and educational. They started early to accommodate my work schedule. That was really thoughtful.

I left the party at six to go to work while Briton stayed behind and changed poopy diapers right and left whilst trying to calm a waaaaaay over-tired Clara before calling it quits.

MEANWHILE, AT THE HOSPITAL.....

THE STORY OF THE SEES CHOCOLATES

I liked working Christmas night. I had scavanged three party favors from the Christmas dinner. Sees chocolates in a dainty red box. I gave one to a patient on a diabetic diet. He promised not to tell and as they say, "if it's not documented it didn't happen", and also he said he kept a bag of chocolates at his bedside at home and then, besides all that, his blood sugar after that was the lowest it'd been all day. A little Christmas miracle.

Another person I gave a chocolate to started crying and I thought, yeah, it's lame to be sick and away from family on Christmas.

The third one (these types of stories always come with THREE examples) I gave to the nurse who hesitantly lent me her stethoscope for the night (mine got keiffed a couple months ago) as a gesture of good faith that I'd return it.

The end!

Christmas-ing II

Today, a downtown visit to Santa. The real one. He told the kids in a lilting voice, "Santa loves you." It was very magical. Talmage crinkled up and was shy and Sydney buried herself under Briton's armpit. Clara was oblivious. Jude discussed Rudolph and how Donner is Rudolph's dad. Jude and Santa are old pals since Jude saw him last week. Santa told Jude, "Santa loves you." And Jude said, "Yu-Puh."

Anywaaaay: sites from today's excursion (minus Santa since photos with him cost $$$$$).







Last week Talmage's preschool class performed a Christmas pageant. It included such songs as "Happy Birthday, Jesus." The whole performance left me thinking, "Mormons are sorta boring."

(How many recording devices can you spy?)

Decorating the tree:

A little bit of nutrition to off-set the loads of sweets available at this time of year:

Christmas-ing

A Little More Effusing ...

Heather has a keen knack for knowing what needs to get done and then doing it.

One night we came home late from the Grotto. She had arrived home just before us. With a van full of sleeping children (ours, plus two) Briton and I were strategizing the transition from car to beds. We walked in to find Heather had already cleaned the kids' room and straightened the sleeping bags, fluffed the pillows, etc.
OK. Here's another one: because of her sewing efficiency (even with a Sydney-on-her-lap handicap), the it-only-took-me-two-years-to-get-them-done-dang activity books will be finished for Christmas. THIS Christmas.

The kitchen was cleaned over and over with apparent effortlessness. Like it was no big deal. I'd blink and the counters were cleared. She masterminded the gingerbread house activity, danced to The Ghost Song, held fussy children and distracted irritable ones,

all the while knitting hats. Like that one.

That was a fun, fun time while you were here.

Thanks for coming, Headuh. Come back soon so we can make another run for FroYo.

Sheer Bliss Anyone?

The gurls in my family reunion-fied a couple weekends ago. It started as a distraction for Heather because, as you remember, she got run over by a truck awhile ago and decided she may as well use her disability "vacation" to come see her newest niece for the first time. Then my mom decided she'd come for a weekend (in between translating stuff for stuff and getting ready for Bolivia, that's all she could spare; and even so her coming meant she missed dad's homecoming from the Philippines), and then Charisse was like, "count me in!" and Heidi is the same as a sister and Hilary is in transition and that's how we ended up with Instant Reunion (just add Rockaway Beach).

View from the rental.


We did some of this:
*Note how all the games are still neatly stacked. No one even considered playing Candyland. The magazines on the coffee table also remained in a tidy, overlapping row. Like, the whole weekend.
(well, until we got ahold of Vogue. More on that later).

Did I mention we went to the beach for the weekend with no children?

It was heavenly.

We did several of these:


I think Charisse looks beautiful, restful, and happy in this picture:She is modeling the predominant emotion we all felt. And also, she sports a fashionable hood. More on that later.

Heidi and I had a great run on the beach one morning. That was fun. Like old times. Except we never ran on the beach before I don't think.

One of our rules was no cooking allowed. So we ate out.

A lot.Isn't Heidi wearing pretty earrings? And how 'bout those teeth?

The last night we ate at a restaurant described as "not kid-friendly." I think they were referring to the prices not being "family friendly." At least I hope so, because we got sort of .... silly.


Mom wonders for the umpteenth time why she didn't send me to finishing school.

We spent some time perusing the latest fashion trends:
Can you see that? It says: "Swirl together antlers, feathers, and skins for a wild look." That one had us giggling for a long time.
We played some Dominion and indulged in a private spa treatment in the rental's hot tub

and we talked a lot. Uninterrupted. In fact, Charisse stopped mid-sentence at one point and said, "This is the longest conversation I've ever had with any of you!"
You can only take so many pictures.

And finally, none of this would have happened without the support of the husbands holding down the fort while we were gone

Formula

Meet Dasher and the White Bear drinking their milk.

Sydney no longer breastfeeds her dolls. She's picked up on the fact that Clara only takes a bottle now. After the marathon my milk supply petered out. It was a seamless transition and Clara doesn't seem to mind. I've had to adjust to the new requirement to be conscientious about having formula/bottles etc packed up when we're going places in case we're out longer than expected. But other than that, bottles are awesome! In fact, because Clara weaned earlier than anticipated, it made our sister's get-away feasible. Up next: The Reunion!