Chri'mas

The Christmas season was certainly different this year what with having a new baby and all. We avoided traveling and such the first half of the month due to the discomfort of late pregnancy and the unpredictability of natural childbirth and then avoided the cold and crowds the second half of the month due to the newness of our baby and the difficulty of getting a recent family of five dressed and out the door. Needless to say, we put off a few traditions and cancelled a couple plans, but the season was undeniably magic!

Avoiding the hustle and bustle left us ample time together as a family. Tomy and Hazel spent endless hours (while mom tried to catch some z's) coloring their Christmas coloring books (received a few weeks earlier than planned) and taking thousands (literally) of pictures on our now deceased camera. Levi and I spent much of our time sitting together by the fireside, reading and cross-stitching keepsake stockings.

There is just one tradition that I'm bummed to have missed - I didn't ever get a picture of Rowan sitting on Santa's lap for his first Christmas. I'm still determined to remedy that, even if I have to get the big man to make an emergency visit to our house this month.

Christmas morning itself was thrilling! Rowan took a sneak peek at Santa's generosity at 3 AM, so he managed to be unimpressed by the wonder that met his siblings' eyes at 6.

Hazel woke up crying that someone had stolen all our "Chri'mas" presents, so we went into the livingroom to reassure her that all was well with Christmas. This poor girl has a history of Christmas dream trauma. Luckily all that changed Christmas night when she dreamed that Santa brought her a whole pile of fruit snacks. Happy dream indeed!

Her early morning Christmas magic was dimmed a bit because Santa's elves forgot the bolt that tightens her new bike's seat in place. A trip to Grandpa's scored her a replacement part, resparked the magic and found her zooming sparkly-eyed in all her big girl pink bike splendor.

Tomy's reaction was priceless. He beat us on our way to the livingroom and immediately started running back and forth like he didn't know which way to go - torn between getting us and going to his gift - shouting excitedly "Santa brought me what I wanted the WHOLE YEAR!"


I got my camera(!) and Levi got some super sweet new cufflinks - a pair of Aes Sedai symbols and a pair of functional thermometers. Rowan also got a thermometer - of the swipe across the forehead variety. Our family must have been better this year than I thought. ;)