Recap

Christmas Eve

I'm a little late on the Christmas posts, but I was living it instead of writing it! We had a wonderful Christmas Eve at my parent's house. Claire loved wearing her "Christmas dress" to the annual Christmas Party!

And playing with Michelle. She was showing off her walking skills!

Me with my sisters, Amy and Jennifer

The boys with one set of their God parents, Mema and Papa Tom. They are actually my sister's in-laws. Paul and I like them so much that we asked them to be God parents to the boys!

This is what it looks like when we come up with all our gifts and pile them under the tree with all the ones my parents already have there! My parents have three daughters, three son-in-laws and nine grandchildren......so it can look a little excessive under.....and around the tree! I think my mom tries to outdo herself every year!

Cousins! One of the best parts of Christmas is seeing all the children together! Parker was grabbed for this photo by Brooke and Megan has Noah in a "friendly" head lock!

Brooke acted as big sister and helped Claire open her Christmas Eve gifts from my Aunt and cousins that were at the party.

My mom is a Christmas baby, born Christmas Eve, so we always have a cake and gifts for her. Every year she throws this huge Christmas party for family and friends on her own birthday......seems a little backwards!

Isabel with baby Casey, ready for bed so Santa can come!

Merry Christmas

T'was

the day before Christmas,

when all through the house
Every creature was stirring,

even the mouse.

Okay, so she's a guinea pig!

The stockings were finally packed

in the suit cases with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas

would remember that we wouldn't be there.

The children got nestled

all snug in the van,

While visions of traffic

through my head ran.

And Daddy in his car,

packed to the top

Would follow us up to Meme's

without a stop!

Then out on the lawn

there arose such a clatter,

So I sprang from house

to see what was the matter.

Away to the driveway

I flew like a flash,

To find 3 little pooches

making a dash!

When what to my wondering ears did I hear,
But my husband saying

"let them go with us my dear."

So into the car the dogs

went without debate,

And off we drove,

headed up state.

More rapid than reindeer

on the back roads we came

And when my parents saw us,

they hollered and shouted

and called us by name:

"It's Parker! It's Claire!

And who is that there?

It's Noah! It's Isabel!

Did the journey go well?

Come here! Come here!

Come here you four!

Come up to the porch.

Come in the front door!"

We were dressed

for the party

in our very best

party clothes.

A bunch of presents

we had flung on our roof rack.

And there in the trunk

was another big stack!

My Dad's eyes-how they twinkled!
Parker's dimples, how merry!

My Mom's cheeks were like roses

and Isabel's lips red like a cherry!

We spoke not a word,

but went straight to work,

And unloaded the gifts and stockings

then turned with a jerk.

This poem has to be over

before I go berzerk!

It was fun but

now it's done!

I gotta get on the road for real, people!

Must Be Santa!

Who's got a beard that's long and white?

Santa's got a beard that's long and white.

Who comes around on a special night?

Santa comes around on a special night.

Special night, beard that's white,

Must be Santa. Must be Santa. Must be Santa, Santa Claus.

Who wears boots and a suit of red?

Santa wears boots and a suit of red.

Who wears a long cap on his head?

Santa wears a long cap on his head.

Cap on head, suit that's red, special night, beard that's white.

Must be Santa. Must be Santa. Must be Santa, Santa Claus.

Who's got a big red cherry nose?

Santa's got a big red cherry nose.

Who laughs this way: HO HO HO?

Santa laughs this way: HO HO HO!

HO HO HO, cherry nose, cap on head, suit that's red, special night, beard that's white.

Must be Santa. Must be Santa. Must be Santa, Santa Claus.

Who very soon will come our way?

Santa very soon will come our way.

Eight little reindeer pull his sleigh.

Santa's little reindeer pull his sleigh.

Reindeer sleigh, come our way, HO HO HO, cherry nose, cap on head, suit that's red, special night, beard that's white.

Must be Santa. Must be Santa. Must be Santa, Santa Claus.

This is a song on our Raffi CD that Isabel LOVES and it is STUCK IN OUR HEADS!

As I said before, I'm a little bit of a Christmas Crazy, a Noel Nutball, a Yuletide Yo-Yo...you get the picture! I eat, sleep and breath Christmas from the moment the Thanksgiving turkey leftovers are stowed in the Tupperware until January 6th each year. But hey, that apple didn't fall too far from the tree-my mother was asking for my Christmas Lists the day after Halloween this year!

To go with my Christmas OCD, I have quite a collection of Christmas paraphernalia including, but not limited to, Nativity sets, ornaments, Christmas Books, Christmas movies, Christmas music. And, I'm always looking for more of it. Although, I know some that are way worse than me..... I would draw the line at a leg lamp, but apparently Tonggu Mama would not!

Anyway, all that to say that I love me a good Santa picture! And, by good, I mean any picture with my kids in it, regardless of whether or not they WANTED to be there. I love them so much that I would stick my newborns in the arms of a perfect stranger in K-Mart, just because he was dressed as Santa! Hey, I knew perfectly well that Paul could TAKE HIM DOWN if need be!

Noah and Parker

1996

first Santa picture~my favorite Santa picture ever!

Notice two things-Santa looks very nervous and he is not in his sleigh...that's because he is very nervous! I don't think this Santa had ever held two babies this tiny before....or he was just afraid that if he made one false move Paul would TAKE HIM DOWN! Alas, this is the only Santa picture I have of Noah where he is not screaming his head off until he is 4 years old.

1998

But yes, I love Santa pictures so much that I would traumatize my 18 month old just to get the annual shot! That goes back to the whole "whether they WANTED to be there or not" thing. Send me the therapy bill now! As you can see, Santa is clearly as thrilled about this as Noah.

2001

And here we see a child after my heart. For Isabel, it was love at first sight with the big guy. And, finally Noah has come to apprieciate the gravity of the situation!

2003

One of the sweetest looking of them all!

When the boys decided they were TOO OLD FOR SANTA I still had Isabel to feed my fetish!

2005

2006

2007

She is only too happy to get all dressed up and make the pilgrimage to the mall for her photo opportunity!

This year, my boys sweetly indulged me and got into the picture so I would have one with all four of them! Merry Christmas to me!

I realize this whole Santa fixation flies in the face of all the "Reason for the Season" stuff. As I said, I think this tradition has a place too and we have a careful balance in our house. The scale tilts in the direction of honoring Christ not Claus. I just like my Santa pictures. I like the story of St. Nicholas and the spirit that encompasses the original Santa. My children know well that Christmas is not about making out long lists of stuff you want and sitting back expecting the Man in Red to drop it on your hearth!

Christmas Countdown!

72 Christmas Cards mailed.............Done! Well, except for the two that came back......yeah, forgot to address one of them! Sorry Shawn! The other one somehow missed the postage stamp assembly line we had going in the van the other day. No harm, that one got hand, or should I say bike, delivered by the boys today! Shawn, there is no way I'm letting the boys ride their bikes out to Colorado, so I'm thinking you may get yours in time for New Years....right after Paul gets me that address!

20 Christmas presents bought........all but one, darn that elusive gift! Who knew it would be so hard to find a Clemson shirt! Never fear, Paul's on that one now!

19 presents wrapped.......hmmmmm, has anyone seen the tape?

8 loaves of pumpkin bread baked....ummmm, about that......the first two got dumped in the floor-so my sisters get them...well, the parts that my kids didn't eat anyway! LOL! Let's just say I'm running behind in this department and leave it at that.

3 dogs bathed........DONE thanks to my dear hubby! Boy were they thrilled to get those Christmas baths!

Don't they look thrilled....Georgia was uncooperative for the Doggie Christmas Picture. As you can see Lola is is giving me the "evil eye" because she is too little to jump off the box and get out of the picture! Bad hair day maybe?

One minivan vacuumed, windows wiped, dashboard dusted, cup holders cleaned....DONE thanks to two sweet 12 year old boys.....who know what I'm like in a messy van on a trip and don't want to hear it! :)

5 loads of laundry washed, dried and packed! HA! HA! HA! I don't know which part is funnier, the 5 loads (more like 10) or the packed part! I'll get back to you on that one...

I'm making my list and I'm checking it twice....but it doesn't seem to be getting any shorter. Hmmmm...........We're coming Mom, I promise! Eventually!