Christmas Morn

As a general rule, Christmas reduces me to a child-like state.  Giddy and giggly.  Anxious and excited.  Just like you girls.  But this Christmas was extra exciting.  I knew that this would be the first Christmas that you would participate.  Last year you were just a two and a half month old bundle of a baby.  All you wanted for Christmas was a nap.  But this year would be different.  You have recently understood that toys are "for you", as you now gasp in awe at the toy aisles in Target. You enjoyed unwrapping presents so much at your birthday party that I just knew you would be a pro at Christmastime.  And you've become such a little show-off when we have company that I knew you would turn on the charm once the grandparents showed up.  And most importantly, even though it's not your first Christmas, it kind of feels like it.  And it's the last time it will ever feel this way.  I just wanted to take this wondrous holiday and hold onto every last moment.  

First look at the tree, Christmas morning.

I think you approve!

Digging into your stocking.

Our traditions on this morning are simple and consistent.  There are never any presents under the tree until everyone goes to be on Christmas Eve.  Magically, once Christmas morning arrives, the tree is suddenly surrounded by gifts.  Ones we have placed, and the ones Santa leaves once everyone is in bed.  It's such a basic thing that it's hardly a "tradition," but it's one of the things I love most in our home.  That magical moment when the kids wake to see a once-bare tree, now overwhelmed with neatly wrapped packages.  This is how it was when I was a kid, and I wouldn't have it any other way.  Once awake (always waaaay too early), you girls are allowed to go through your stockings, but don't even think about touching the presents under the tree!  Once the whole family is awake and ready, only then do we pass around gifts and turn the living room into a proper disaster area.  

Opening your first gift.

Success!

It was too much to take.

Christmas morning charmer.

You were the honorary present-passer.

And the voluntary unwrapping assistant.

 

So we let you open a big present early to occupy your attention.

Your new phone, with a prerecorded clip of "Call Me Maybe" playing.

 

Lots of Happy Gift Moments, and lots of this face!

Lost in a sea of gifts.

Come "showtime", you didn't disappoint us one bit.  Not that I ever thought you would.  Your expression when you saw the tree, piled high with bags and boxes...priceless.  You dove into your stocking like you knew exactly what to do.  And you were so anxious to open all of the presents that we gave you one of your bigger gifts early as a means to occupy you.  You even said "thank you" (with a little prompting).  Brunch was a feast for you, you took the nonstop  company in stride and even fit a nap in.  Total Christmas pro!

I had a Christmas dress picked out for you.  You never made it into it.  So typical.  You'd think I'd learn.

Grandparents get the second half of the day.  Pop Pop with his gift from the grandkids.  A laser toy for his cats!

You & Pop Pop, last Christmas.

You & Pop Pop, this Christmas.  Some things never change.

Amongst the chaos and bustling activity, there were some touching and memorable moments.

Sydney gifted this stuffed duck to Kylee.  They've been fighting over ownership of it for a year.

Your sweet head, framed by Christmas tree lights.

Ashley's favorite gift: a travel coffee mug lined with a drawing by Sydney

Reliving my childhood Christmas when Sydney received a Cabbage Patch Kid.

Kylee getting her big gift.

I think it was a home run.

The most appropriate gift from mommy.

It's a long day, and by the end of it, I'm exhausted.  You were too!  

The aftermath.

Climbing over boxes to get through the room.  Unnecessary, but funny. 

After some clean up, I can spot your sister in the room again.

Holidays are a big deal around here, but we don't forget the reason for the celebration.  It may look like we go a little overboard on gifts, but we don't buy much throughout the year.  We try to be reasonable and thoughtful about our purchases.  And we do our best to keep things somewhat even between you girls.  What we actually end up with is a mix of silly things, Christmas wishlist requests, and some long thought out gifts that you girls probably never knew you wanted.  More importantly, we gain memories that are free and yet priceless.  

Fresh air!  We escaped for a few minutes to test out your new wheels.

 It's always a little sad to see the holidays in the rearview mirror.  But the New Year is a fresh beginning.  A clean slate.  With you and your sister's fall birthdays, I feel like the holiday season begins mid October and doesn't stop until January.  It feels good to wake up in the morning with nothing to do but spend time with you.  No presents to wrap.  No shopping to do.  No crafty things to make.  No blogs to scroll for ideas.  No menus to finalize.  Just me, and you, and our family, with all of the time in the world. For now.  So, goodbye Christmas.  You were a good one.  No.  A great one.  We will remember you fondly.  But it's time for me to play with my baby, because next year at this time, she won't be a baby anymore.  See you then, Christmas.

Most fitting explanation of Christmas Day: a Happy blur!

Happiest of Holidays

Well, it finally happened.  Christmas came.  And just as suddenly as it came, it was gone.  Poof!  Just like that.  You would think I would've learned by now that there is a time warp that occurs in the month of December.  What looks like a simple day on the calendar feels like a microsecond in retrospect.  It would be logical to anticipate that these days will be moving at warp speed, and to try to counteract this phenomenon with time-stretching activities and slow-moving days.  But, no, we plow through the month of December with so much gusto that come January, it all seems like a dream.  Thank goodness for photographs!

First a look back at your first Christmas.  These are all pre-dslr, and I remember being so frustrated about the lack of control I had over my camera.:

Baby's + Lights...always a favorite.

Yes, I did this to you.  You were in a stocking.

Elf.

Santa Baby.

This year, you spent a lot of the month of December dressed up as one Christmas icon or another.  Sorry about that.

Elf, slightly larger edition.

 The tree proved to be too much temptation for you.  Instead of the novelty wearing off, it became less intimidating and you couldn't keep your chubby hands off of it!

Making a mess of the pine needles and tree skirt, ripping off ornaments, and laughing the entire time.  Thanks.

This festive month brings with it so many fun traditions:

Polar Express Day at School- pj's, cocoa and a movie

Driving through Victoria Park to check out their ridiculously impressive light displays.

Cocoa & light walks in our own neighborhood...preferably on chilly nights.  We could see our breath this night!

Baking cookies (with neighbors).  The peanut butter reindeer cookies have been a part of our Christmas baking for years now.

Clora, our elf, has been busy making mischief all month.  But she outdid herself when she decorated Sydney's room in paper snowflakes and paper chains in the middle of the night.  I assume this must have been fun to wake up to:

Snowflakes everywhere!

Ignore the messy closet backdrop.  I assume Clora put a lot of work into these and would want them showcased.

 

And while there's no chance of actual snowflakes here, we did have the eventual (and very welcome) cool front.

The wind in your hair.

Confusing smelling flowers with tasting flowers.

Obsessed with your shadow!

Finally cool enough to play outside again!

And then, in a flash, it was Christmas Eve.  The best day really.  All of the pomp and circumstance of Christmas with the giddy anticipation thrown in for good measure.  I adore Christmas Eve.  I love the barely contained excitement in your sisters' faces.  I love tracking Santa on the NORAD site all day.  I love opening our home to family for a family meal...nothing fancy, but it's our tradition.  And I really love tucking my girls into bed, knowing that they will have a hard time going to sleep and will be listening close for sleighbells and reindeer hooves.  There is nothing better on earth than the magic of Christmas.

I love this scene.  Family together.  Christmas lights on.  Santa tracker up on the laptop.  And pink paper plates because I forgot to buy Christmas ones.  Oops.

It was so dark for picture-taking.  But you looked like this.  It's almost too much to take!

Spreading Reindeer food in the yard. (You're going to have to trust me on this one.  It was dark.)

Obsessed with gifts.

My girls, getting their Christmas traditional Christmas jammies from grammy.

Heart bursting inside of my chest.

Christmas babe.

Too excited to sleep.

Matching pj's.  Sleep tight my little ones.

I have decided that my New Year's resolution will be to try to get back to the original function of this blog.  I had intended for it to substitute for a baby book.  To record milestones and memories.  And while I am still doing that to some extent, the truth is that things are slipping through the cracks.  You are saying, doing and learning so many things.  I just spend too much time backtracking to remember it all.  So this week I will catch up, split Christmas into two posts, and then start fresh.  New Year, clean slate.  Last year's resolution was to start this blog, so I think we can make this one stick, too!  Next up, Christmas Day!!