I really did have plans of posting something special for Christmas. But let's face it, you didn't have time to get on here and read it anyway, right? You can think of it as my special present to you, not posting that Christmas post, who can put a value on time? And that's what I gave you my friends, a little extra time during Christmas.
You're welcome.
But now that the joyful day is over I know you just have oodles of time, it's streaming out your ears! Hurry, put a cap on and save it! (sorry, I don't know where that came from) And I can go ahead and give you a recap.
You're welcome.
So...Christmas...odd we didn't have any Christmas concerts this year. That was weird. Brooke's choir is working on their big musical for next month, and Grant isn't playing cello this year and I guess Jon hasn't progressed enough on violin to warrant a concert. And not having any Christmas concerts is good and bad, you know?
We have no snow. No white Christmas just like the ones we used to know. Only dreaming. It's been so crazy weather-ish-ness here. In the span of a little more than a week we've had cold snowy days-warm up to 50 and melt all the snow-drop down to negative temps-and warm back up to the 50s. Today they say 44 and tomorrow 69. That's right. Sixty-Nine Degrees Fahrenheit. In Pittsburgh. In December! Why didn't all you Washington people come out here this year?
Oh that's right...no airports are flying there.
Sorry about that.
Enjoy your snow though. I'm sure it's very pretty.
And now on to the main events.
We Christmas-eved it this year at my Aunt and Uncles. Yummy food! Fun company! And we watched the musical version of a Christmas Carol. Is it bad that I can't help but think of Goofy as Jacob Marley? I like when he falls down the stairs. Sadistic I know, but it makes me laugh.
The kids were spoiled with treats and toys.
As it should be.
But it made it a little tough to settle them down.
But we managed. It only took me 12-15 attempts to get this shot:
Brooke is a little grumpy because she is not posing with her stocking. Which I think is odd, because basically, her stocking is falling apart, it's terrible. It's the only one I actually made myself. And it shows. But she was upset by not having it. We found it a little bit later in a box we hadn't opened this year because I ran out of the little decorating mojo I had to begin with. And she was happy again. I'd really like to make her a new one, out of non-terrible fabric and make it all cute like the boys stockings. But she wants her craptacular one. ~ "It's special." ~ It's awfully sweet, but one of these Christmas mornings we're going to find her loot on the floor from the ripped out bottom of her stocking.
Sometimes I think she was blessed with the extra dose of sentiment that wasn't given to me. Like it was laying there on the floor after I was born and the angels said, "Oh well, just stuff it in her daughter."
And then Christmas morning!
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing
hey Seth, does that present envy remind you of anyone?
hey Seth, does that present envy remind you of anyone? Santa did pretty well by our kids this year, Alex as you may have noticed, got a space station Mars set up, complete with Aliens. So not technically accurate, as of yet anyway, but fun. I was a little concerned actually about this one, but apparently Santa knows best, and he was excited about it from our trip to Kennedy Space Center.
Jon as you may have been tipped off by the whining in the video got a Gameboy.
And he was exceptionally thrilled to have the power to either allow or deny his siblings the right to play on said Gameboy. You know what they say about absolute power though.
His Gameboy is now on a one-day timeout. Some one, and it wasn't me, needed a little reminder that while it is indeed his Gameboy. It and he reside in his parent's house.
Brooke got a new MP3 player. This one with video capabilities.
Apparently we, I mean Santa, didn't get that quite right last year.
I wonder if we, I mean Santa, can just keep buying her off with a slightly upgraded version of technology of the same gift idea every year. That will keep things simple. Especially since we, I mean Santa, are about a year or more behind in current technology upgrades anyway.
I saved Grant for last because it is totally my favorite. See, as you might have noticed in the video above, we have made a deal with our kids regarding the coveted Nintendo DS. If they want one, they have to save up for one. We, the parents, will meet them half-way, which means they have to save up about $70 for one...figuring tax and such. Brooke scrimped and saved almost her entire 4th grade year. Grant decided the time was ripe for him to attempt the struggle about a year later.
He saved.
And he saved.
And he saved. (and he spent a little here and there, but mostly he saved.)
Until finally he had enough money if he sold us his Gameboy (we gave him $15 for it, what he would have gotten from a trade-in at Gamespot...see Jon above) around last May or June. And there was much rejoicing.
Until about 3 weeks when he lost it.
We looked high and low. We cleaned out closets and behind chairs and bookshelves. We could not find it anywhere. I thought it must have been stolen.
But Santa found it! And brought a long a couple new games and a case. What a guy!
And now we will fast forward over many joyfully received gifts, for which those of you who are responsible for such gifts we are really thankful and appreciative, but seriously going through all of them would make this already long post exceptionally long.
Except for Thanks Dad and Kate for the picture. I cried. I love it. Thank you.
And for all the rest of you, whether you gave us a tangible gift or just the gift of being in our lives, please know that we love you! We hope you had a really wonderful Christmas and we wish we could give you this in person!
I'm glad you had such a great Christmas. (Warning, whining ahead)... I wish I could have enjoyed temperatures in the 50's. My car hasn't moved in 10 days - buried to the axles. Luckily, we have BART (Big-Ass Red Truck) to get around in. Allowed us to get my Mommy and bring her home with us on Christmas. In spite of all the dang snow, we had a good Christmas. Hopefully, the 20 inches of snow will melt soon. I won't be dreaming for a white Christmas anytime soon...
Yay for finding the Nintendo DS... I love mine. I play it for hours and hours and hours and then even MORE hours...
Posted by: Kat | December 27, 2008 at 03:33 AM
I'm glad your Christmas was so much fun! Loved the video and your recap! We had about 2 feet of snow for Christmas and it was cold! Brrrrrr! The last two days have been warm (in the 40's) so the snow is melting and now we've got snow. That could mean flooding. Yikes! Such is the season, I guess.
Happy, Healthy 2009!
Sue
Posted by: sue | December 27, 2008 at 10:02 AM
Heck, we even had snow here in San Jose! Granted, it was in the hills & melted almost right away, but still, it was snow!
Glad you guys had a great Christmas! Here's to a wonderful & prosperous 2009. :)
Posted by: Ann | December 29, 2008 at 12:21 AM
yes, you are right.... I had no time during the holidays to read this wonderful post. It was also thrilling to see your kids on Christmas morning although your Christmas was very different from ours. We attended four (yes I said FOUR) holiday concerts this year -- one for each child in school. The elementary school cannot combine the grades into one, but seperates them having each grade at a different time. Which works if you only have one or two children, but when you have SIX, you are forever attending concerts in December.
And don't ask me about the snow. I'm sick of it and it is only January 2nd. When oh when will it be spring??????
Posted by: Stephanie | January 03, 2009 at 01:07 AM
You had an awesome Christmas! Yay! :) We were supposed to have one Christmas concert, but then Mr. Snow decided to show up and make everyone cancel everything. Love those snow days!
I'm ready for spring too, but I still have to put away Christmas.
(I'm sorry I haven't commented on this post before now - I thought I had, seriously. Bad friend.)
Posted by: Millie | January 09, 2009 at 10:13 AM