gingerbread man

We've been housebound and sick ever since Christmas...or rather, we've all been housebound but only Braden and I have been sick. The kids have been bustling with energy, while Braden and I have been laid out, me especially. Today we finally got around to decorating the gingerbread man that our friends Mark & Hannah gave to the kids. They can't wait to eat it for dessert tonight. We're having a really low-key NYE here at home. I'm not sure if I'll even make it to midnight!

christmas | the rest of the day

After our morning at my parents', we headed over to Bray's parents' to celebrate Christmas with them. We were so very glad to see Granny! She had been quite sick for several weeks. It was a wonderful thing to have her downstairs with us again and able to join in the celebrating and gift giving. This was her 99th Christmas after all!!!There was more yummy food to be had...and of course more presents. :) Walkie talkies from Gair. They are having loads of fun with them, but they still haven't mastered the art of pushing the button while talking and NOT pushing the button so you can hear the other person (not to mention that you don't need to yell). Oh my, one of these days I'm sure they'll get it.

PopPop being a kind PopPop--stopping to remove each of the instruments for Maddie and Caleb so they can try them all out.

Everyone was so generous to us!

It was a lovely Christmas!

We were so grateful to be able to spend all day with so many members of our family! We thank God frequently for the wonderful, loving family He has blessed us with.

christmas | two special gifts for two special kids

We had two special gifts for Maddie and Caleb that we hid in the living room and saved for last. Ironically, neither gift cost much money. Braden found this remote controlled hummer in perfect condition at a thrift store for $6.50. Caleb was thrilled! It was one of the things he's been asking for (a mote 'ntrol monstow twuck!) since last year when he sent his small remote controlled monster truck down the basement stairs shortly after Christmas. Maddie has been asking for a doll house. We were so excited to find this beauty on Craigslist for $40. We plan on finishing and decorating it with her over the next year or so, since Maddie loves to paint and craft. She was just thrilled!

Did you notice the couch cushions on the floor? Well, remember the pantry crash from yesterday? My parents seem to be in a season of collapses and crashes, from pantries to dryers to kitchen sink pipes to couches. Yes, my parents had their small group over, everyone was having fun and 4 people went to sit down in their (old) wooden framed couch all at the same time...and well, the couch collapsed and created quite a funny memory for them all.

christmas | a little excitement

What would Christmas morning be without a little excitement? Ours came not in the usual ways of surprise gifts, though, but through this: Braden pulled out my parents' brand new pantry drawer to get some oil, and the whole thing collapsed and broke and fell onto his foot! He had an instant cut, bruise and swelling, but we are relieved that it seems to be healing quickly (ie: no apparent fracture). How's that for some Christmas morning fun?!

christmas | the morning

Working a Christmas puzzle while waiting for breakfast. We had our standard breakfast of apple-bacon strata, baked brie, ambrosia, eggnog, coffee and a few extras. While we ate and opened gifts, we watched the snow gently falling outside. Just lovely!
Caleb helped FaFa build the fire.
One of Caleb's famous cheek smushes. Look at that mouth!
Maddie and Caleb each painted Nonna & FaFa a Christmas star to hang on their tree.
Thanks, Auntie Jess + Uncle Dave for the automoblox!
What's Daddy getting?

Classic Braden: I opened a huge gift bag full of 6 pairs of slippers. He'd ordered all 6 pairs because he wasn't sure which ones to get! Instead of me going to the store, he brought the store to me.

(I chose these.)

Thanks, Auntie Jess & Uncle Dave!!

christmas eve

We spent Christmas Eve over at my parents'. It proved to be a rather lowkey evening, as Maddie was running a low fever, had an irritated bloodshot eye, a sore throat, and started to complain of an earache. By the evening Caleb was deteriorating and started running that same low fever. I made tea to soothe sore throats, prepared cool cloths for hot heads, garlic oil for ear drops, gave doses of honey syrup, and bathed a bloodshot eye with sterile water.

One little sickie drinking tea. We let the kids open one gift that evening, their gift from Aunt Xenia & Uncle Ali. Caleb got some lace-up cards, which he immediately completed. A little later I was able to coax the little sickies into taking a Christmas Eve picture. Not too sick to be a little goofy!

After the kiddos went to bed early, we four adults played a game of Scrabble, which quickly became a battle between Braden and my dad...until the very end of the game. I was half-heartedly fiddling with my letters and realized I could use them all, and stole the game at the very end.

We stayed the night at my parents, so we would already be there Christmas morning. Gratefully, Christmas morning was not as I feared. Maddie woke up feeling almost normal and Caleb, though still a little grumpy and out of sorts, no longer had the fever.

* merry christmas *

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah...from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from old, from ancient days...And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace. Micah 5:2-5

the last of the wrapping

Today, Braden and I finished the last of the wrapping, and I finished the last of the decorating of the packages. It was really fun!

the first christmas exchange

There was...

...the opening of presents......the telling of secrets......smiles on faces.....the enjoyment of new presents......and lots of hugging!

early christmas

I really feel like we're celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas. Braden hasn't been able to hold out until Christmas and has already given the kids 2 of their Christmas gifts and me one of mine. It has consistently been so cold here that I broke down and gave the kids one of their Christmas gifts early--new slippers--just so their little toes wouldn't be so cold all the time. And then this past weekend we had an early Christmas celebration with Shawn and the cousins. Still to come, we'll be celebrating Christmas on Christmas Day with Braden's family and with my parents, and then after Christmas we'll celebrate again with Larissa and my parents when she returns from CA. It's just all spread out this year.

Maddie and Caleb were so excited to see their cousins again! We read the Christmas story from Luke before opening presents. PopPop tried to get Maddie to help out, but she said she couldn't remember it.The weekend was lots of fun, and we were all so glad to be able to celebrate Christmas with Shawny, Greer, McLaren and Jezzy!

caleb's got some good handwriting skills for a little 4 year old boy!

when it snows, ain't it thrillin'? though your nose gets a chillin'

memorizing great works of art

At the beginning of the school year we set out to memorize some famous paintings. We having been learning about one painting each week, reviewing it at the beginning of lunch each day for just a minute or two. We were shooting for the artist and his country, name of painting and year, and the only thing we have changed is instead of the exact year, we just switched to the century--much simpler. We are learning the paintings in chronological order to help create a frame of reference. Maddie has been doing a fabulous job! Caleb hasn't mastered all the info for each painting, but he typically knows 2 or 3 pieces of information for each painting. It really is amazing what young children can learn!

robin hood

Complete with a pouch of arrows on his back and a feather in his hat.

a new ornament

Each year we buy (or sometimes Braden buys me) one ornament for the tree. Last year I found the CUTEST little old Mr. English Mouse ornament at Anthropologie. The store line was long and Braden said, "Just buy it online when we get home." Well, they were sold out online, and they were also sold out of old Mrs. Mouse, and the little baby Mouse. Alas, there was no ornament for 2009...until last month. I was in Michael's getting a few things and spotted this little guy. He reminded me of old Mr. English Mouse (though not nearly as cute), so I bought him in honor of old Mr. E. M. whom I wasn't able to get last year. So this little fellow is our 2009 ornament, and we still have to find 2010!

A quick run-down on previous years (L to R, top to bottom)...
2001-Dating, Braden happened to choose my ornament at a Cmas party during an exchange.
2002-A wedding gift, newly married.
2003-Bought in Ireland.
2004-A gift, the new addition of Maddie (in my snowlady arms).
2005-B bought it for me.
2006-A gift, we stuck a family photo from the year in it, celebrating Caleb.
2007-B bought a pair for me, M broke one last year, good thing there were two!
2008-B surprised me with the Anthro mushroom, one of our favorites for sure.
2009-Mr. Mouse.

wrapping presents

Every year Christmas gifts have to be wrapped, so I take advantage of the need and have fun with it. Every year is a theme, and this year is winter white. As I have bought gifts, I've wrapped them in plain paper. Once I had a nice pile collected, I pulled out my glue gun and scissors one afternoon and went to town decorating.

Yes, my sister and I wrap each other's Christmas presents--that way we order online and have the gifts sent to the other's house and save on shipping. Works great! (Except for when a certain sister forgets that the toys that just arrived for her son are from her two sisters for his first birthday, and instead of wrapping them thinks she must have bought them and lets her son play with them for weeks leading up to his birthday.)

I have another stack of wrapped presents awaiting decorating. I'm thinking about adding some small white branches and white-painted evergreen. I just saw that idea recently and thought it looked really neat!

christmas puzzle

I was so excited to get this old puzzle in the mail! Really, I was! My parents have had this puzzle for years, and every Christmas my mom would pull it out and we'd all put it together. As a really little kid I fiddled with some colorful pieces and watched my parents put it together. Then came the Christmases where I could actually help by putting together the peacock or finding the pieces that make up Baby Jesus.

And later on came the years where we girls would work it in 30 minutes or less. But for years, until I got married, working this Christmas puzzle had been a part of Christmas for me. I was so used to it that Braden and I went searching for a Christmas puzzle one year at my insistence, but all we could find was Charlie Brown, which (though fun) didn't quite cut it for me. A year or two ago Jess got the bright idea to look on ebay for the puzzle, which she found and bought. I had forgotten to look for it again this year, but Jess did, found the puzzle, and sent me the link. I bought it, and I am so glad it's here!

* The painting is by Fra Filippo Lippi and Fra Angelico and the original is the Nat'l Gallery of Art in DC.