We were lucky to get to open presents on Christmas Eve this year. I so prefer doing the Christmas thing with the candles lit and the tree sparkling... it just adds to the magic of the season.
On the way home from church, A~ crashed in the car. She was sound asleep as I carefully carried her inside and laid her down on our bed - coat and all. Then I tiptoed around to finish with the preparations... coookies on platters, candles, music, ... you know - the whole nine yards. I even snuck into my secret hiding place and stuffed the stockings and everything. My thought was... if we really, really, really needed help getting A~ to wake up, Santa would do the trick. I mean... what child isn't going to jump up once they hear that Santa has been there?
When Sergio got there, we added his presents to the pile and went to get Sleeping Beauty. It took a lot of effort... I didn't think we were going to manage it and almost gave up hope... but Papi worked his magic and we finally had consciousness... grumpy consciousness, but that was ok... the grumpy would fade with presents, right? I wanted a picture FIRST, and Sergio humored me on that one, ... before opening presents. Grumpy-puss was not amused. A~ had no intention of even looking at the camera, much less flashing a smile. This was not what A~ wanted to do... but see how well she fakes happy when there are presents involved? Thanks, honey... now you can go for the presents....
On the way home from church, A~ crashed in the car. She was sound asleep as I carefully carried her inside and laid her down on our bed - coat and all. Then I tiptoed around to finish with the preparations... coookies on platters, candles, music, ... you know - the whole nine yards. I even snuck into my secret hiding place and stuffed the stockings and everything. My thought was... if we really, really, really needed help getting A~ to wake up, Santa would do the trick. I mean... what child isn't going to jump up once they hear that Santa has been there?
When Sergio got there, we added his presents to the pile and went to get Sleeping Beauty. It took a lot of effort... I didn't think we were going to manage it and almost gave up hope... but Papi worked his magic and we finally had consciousness... grumpy consciousness, but that was ok... the grumpy would fade with presents, right? I wanted a picture FIRST, and Sergio humored me on that one, ... before opening presents. Grumpy-puss was not amused. A~ had no intention of even looking at the camera, much less flashing a smile. This was not what A~ wanted to do... but see how well she fakes happy when there are presents involved? Thanks, honey... now you can go for the presents....
We truly are lucky parents. A~ loves anything wrapped in paper. She squeals, says thank you so much, gives everyone a hug, and moves on to the next item. A little present-unwrapping-machine! She is still asking me who got her this and who got her that. If she can't remember, she assumes that it's from Santa. Favorites this year... anything Hannah Montana, the Crayola Explosion Glow Board thingy... it's already seen a lot of use, and the Build-A-Bear kit. Santa brought a Hello Kitty cereal dispenser... I was lucky to get one of the last two at Target. A~ was so surprised... I mean how does Santa know what to get? I wonder.... ;-) It is pretty cool... and I'm sure that I will be posting about it later! :)
Christmas Day had A~ playing with her new booty while I worked on our feast: yummy glazed ham, creamy mashed potatoes (for Sergio), stuffing (for me - I *heart* Stove Top), salad with apple, goat cheese, and caramelized red onions, crescent rolls, brussel sprouts, and broccoli. Nothing fancy, but lots of comfort food. We thought about dessert, but I'm glad we skipped it... we were way too full!
After dinner and cleanup, we went to the Festival of Lights at Bull Run Park. It's a drive through option that takes about 20 minutes or so to drive through. They have a carnival at the end. We've never stopped before, but this year decided to try it out. I, or course, forgot the camera. Oh well... the cold probably would have zapped the batteries anyways. A~ had a blast even though it was quite cold. She rode a number of the rides and I got to tag along on some of them. Sergio doesn't like anything "spinny," so there weren't a lot of options for him, and nobody wanted to brave the ferris wheel with him. Poor guy! We did get him to try a funnel cake for the first time! A~ got me on the swings. I was really nervous, but I was more nervous for her to go alone... and when it started to tip I didn't think I'd be okay. I had to "talk" my way through the remainder of the ride and make jokes with A~ to keep myself calm. Way to go mommy! I hope I never have to do it again! :)
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday too!
much love,
erin
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