It was a Cheer-splosion! There were great gobs of paper and sticky food and amazing friends and family. Man alive, what a mess.
I blather on about the noise and mess like some old Grinch, but Christmas was a fine time this year. The day started off pretty slow just a baby girl and one brother-in-law for coffee and casseroles, and as the house slowly woke up and drifted in, things picked up speed.
As far as presents went, less really was more. My parents didn’t bring any at all (as we are going up to their house today) and we did fewer things for the girls and each other. In fact, we only had ONE gift from Santa (thanks Bambi!) for the girls – but it was a doozie: a 7 pack of Barbie sized Disney Princesses in a BIG long box. The girls played with those princesses for HOURS in front of the tree. (I will say this collection of heirs to the thrones have USELESS shoes that fly off at the drop of a crown, and let me tell you those crowns do fall, too. Princess shrapnel I tell you! Everywhere. )
The girls got some clothes and socks, some nice book / toy combos, workbooks for spelling and counting, and a set of bath accessories – you guessed it – all covered with princesses. When Auntie Sam brought out the magic tea set (cold water makes the cup turn colors), two little girls, 7 princesses, a granny and Sam hunkered down in the glow of the Christmas tree and had a ruckus. It was just about perfect. Of course – after tea – the girls wanted to try out their new bath toys freshen up, so they piled into the tub (and called for me to fill it! Which I did). The best part of the bath lately is Elly and Sara singing Jingle Bells together. CHARMING.
Eleanor was an angel all day – perfect behavior or as close to it as anyone can get when one is 4 and it’s as wild a day as Christmas. (Her only major fail was her daddy got her a little portable CD player that she broke the first time she touched it. Broke clean off the little door where the disc goes. We tried to fix it – Eleanor offered to get the channel locks to help – but the tiny plastic hinge was done for. Tony and I agreed that perhaps she is too young yet. We’ll just enjoy the Disney CD’s in the car.) Saralyn melted down twice and had to go to bed to collect herself. She took a three-hour nap in the middle of the day – and that just about fixed her. Poor thing was stressed to the max with all this excitement.
NOW! About the food. I loved cooking all day, and there were a number of kitchen fairies who came along behind me and made the sink sparkle – which is a Christmas Miracle! We had vegetarian sausage strata, vegan white chocolate cranberry nut strata, sweet rolls, fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juices (Lynn’s juicer was our X-mas Eve entertainment), fruit salad, ham, biscuits and this Nordic delicacy called potato sausage (my sister’s boyfriend Matt brought it – along with special mustard that will part your hair – from the inside). After a time I made linguine pesto. YUM. We ate ALL DAY.
Today – what I want out of life is a Green Salad. With some apples and cranberries…
What did I get for Christmas? Well thanks for asking. Tony got me a James Avery Swivel Heart Locket, which I love, and a new CD. I got a Mexican Train Dominoe set and a Kindle! MY VERY OWN KINDLE!!! (It was hard for me to not run into the bedroom right then and lock the door. I was a good girl and waited HOURS before I locked myself into the bedroom and started fiddling and downloading!) I love my cow calendar.
Today will be Christmas Part Two up at the lake with my parents. I hear that Eleanor will be getting to put together her new BIKE with her grandpa. Perhaps I will need to pack the channel locks after all.
I love you all – friends and family far away and near – and wish you joyous good times this holiday and in the coming year.