Christmas

Let's just start by saying that I love Christmas. We live in a house with a 4 and a 1 1/2 year old so it's hard not to get excited. But even if we didn't have them, I still get pretty worked up around the holiday, having kids definitely legitimizes my excitement. Sam has been asking for the same gifts for a while. I thought he might keep adding to the list, but he stuck to his little trio of gifts bravely. He wanted a Saxophone, trumpet and a clarinet. He was almost as adamant as Ralphie and his gun. Luckily the instruments can't "shoot his eye out".

We decided to have our first ever Christmas at our house. We've always traveled before and it's nice to get away, but it was nice to be home too. Although there was a serious amount of cooking. Next year we'll have to borrow the elves (if they moonlight) and get some help. It was a lot of work. Since we are usually in Asheville, it always feels little like a long holiday. It was great and much easier (cooking aside) to be here, but it felt more like a day. There was a lot of ..."we can do it on Friday". It's fine but if we were in Asheville it would be more... it'll have to wait until we get home.

So, the Christmas Eve pageant. Our church has a family service at 5:00 on Christmas Eve. We've never been in town before, so we've never been. All of the kids meet up about 1/2 early and get dressed up as animals, angels, shepherd or wise men., Mary and Joseph have to rehearse. Mine were a lamb and a recorder playing donkey.
It was hysterical. I was asked to lead the animals up the side isle and they could go up to the manger and be with Mary and Joseph. Well I didn't give very much stage direction because they all went up and stood smack in front of the manger and didn't move. No one could see anything. Oliver decided to upstage everyone so whilst everyone was looking at the baby he walked towards the congregation sat down facing us and put his finger up his nose and stayed like that for the last 1/2 of the play. He wasn't really picking his nose, he sort of seemed to be letting his fingers hang out up there. After a while he changed fingers. So, as I mom I know that they are very talented actors, but a little more practice is probably what they need.

Sam was more into Christmas this year and he had more questions. He would mention that Santa probably couldn't get down our chimney and that if it didn't snow, would his sleigh still work. The best part was putting the cookies out the night before. We put out the cookies, milk and a carrot for the reindeer (only 1 carrot not 9 - hopefully some other people thought about them too). The best part was that on Christmas morning the fact tat the cookies, milk and carrot was gone was the evidence that Santa had come. The fact that the tree was no longer visible behind the presents didn't really seem to tip him off. He ran up and got me and showed me the crumbs and said he knew Santa had come because the cookies were gone.

So everyone got together Joel, Sam, Oliver, me and Joel's parents and we got started. Sam was very excited with Santa's presents and Oliver - who is a little easier to please) was happy with his Wiggles guitar.

For the rest of the day we ate, ate, ate and all was well with our world.
Merry Christmas!