Christmas 2011

This December was one of the least hectic schedule-wise that I can ever remember.  Though David worked a good bit extra toward the beginning of the month, things had calmed down by the time the peak of the season hit.  Also, for the first time in years, I didn't host a party or a family gathering.  Just a few small play dates, which were low-key.  I missed having a full house, but not necessarily the work that it entails before and afterward!  


Earlier in the month, I'd created a "To-Do in December" list that contained fun-only activities in three categories:  Make, Do, and Give.  Writing it out helped me prioritize some of the things that truly encompass the season for me.  It required me to block out time, gather materials, and plan ahead to make certain we "fit in" the fun stuff.  As a result, we were able to do some really cool things and make some wonderful memories.  To name a few, we built our first gingerbread house, baked and delivered cookies to our local fire station, watched several Christmas movies as a family, made ornaments, donated to our church and Toys for Tots, and drove around looking at lights one night with cookies in hand.  We even had carolers visit us one night.  That was not on our list nor our doing, obviously, but an exciting first experience for all of us!


After all the cheesy family fun times with the three of us, we began the celebrations with our extended families, which also felt less crazy than usual.  


The Saturday before Christmas we traveled to Alabama to celebrate with David's mom's side of the family.  After eating our huge feast, we cleared the table and let the "younger kids" take turns opening gifts.  Audrey had a mound of presents taller than she was.  She was so cute as she peeled the paper off each one, saying "OH!  What is it?  Thank you!"  She immediately wanted to open every package.  We tried to open a few that didn't have too many parts and pieces to let her play with.  I was also determined to let her soak up each gift a little before shoving another one in her face to unwrap, but we did want to be home before bedtime!  She got some really fun things and, when she went down for her nap, so did we!  


We took the opportunity that day to tell everyone on that side what Baby Boy's name is.  We tried to get Audrey to announce it at lunch, but she didn't like the big audience.  Later, as she was playing in another room with two of David's cousins, they asked her and she filled them in.  Suddenly family members were running in and someone finally clued David and I in as to what she was up to.  She does things in her own time, that's for sure.  (So do I, so look for another post with the scoop! ;) )  


The next celebration was the following Friday the 23rd.  We met David's parents at our church for the Christmas service and then had dinner afterwards before heading back to spend the night with them.  That evening after Audrey was in bed, we exchanged presents and racked up at usual.  We stayed up past all of our bedtimes talking and catching up while the opportunity to do so without toddler interruption presented itself.  We went to sleep and woke up to enjoy a delicious breakfast before letting Audrey dive into another huge pile of presents.  I don't know who was more excited about the new things, though - her or us!  After lunch, we drove home and got there just in time for Audrey's nap.  


Christmas Eve night we cooked our traditional taco dinner, hung the stockings up (including one for Baby Brother of course), set out cookies and milk for Santa, and let Audrey open up her annual ornament present.  We read "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" and the Bible Christmas story and tucked her into bed before rushing downstairs to set out all the loot.  Next to believing in Santa yourself, getting to play him is by far the best.  We snuggled up and turned on a Christmas movie before deciding we were too old and tired to stay up really late, fast forwarded through the boring parts, and were asleep by 11:30.    


The next morning I got up super early to get ready and fix breakfast.  Unfortunately, though not surprising lately, Audrey also woke up pretty early.  She's still too young to want to rush downstairs, though, so we were able to hold her off while we finished getting it together.  Finally, when breakfast was in the oven, the fire was lit, and the video camera was ready, I led her into the family room to show her what Santa had brought.  She was excited and immediately began playing with her new R/C firetruck.  We looked through her new backpack and games and opened up her boy cabbage patch doll.  The second I lifted the lid on its box, the smell of my childhood nearly knocked me off my feet.  I kept that doll closer to me than Audrey did most of the morning because of its sweet nostalgic scent!  The monkey bread and sausage balls smelled pretty good, too, and we scarfed down more than a few of each.  


After breakfast, Audrey wanted to paint in her little book that Santa had brought.  We did that and played a little Chutes and Ladders (she won!) and Candyland (she just wanted to follow the path with the pawns).  We opened up all of our stockings and played some more before lunch.  After eating, we let her open up a gift from us:  Alphie.  She loves the thing and we spent a long time playing with it.  When she went down for nap, David and I took a short one ourselves and then attempted to open our gifts, but she woke up crying before we got the chance.  We got her up, had snack, and let her open another gift from us of books and fleece blanket I'd made her.  We read the books, played some more, and then I started cooking dinner.  We feasted on a Honeybaked ham, corn pudding, deviled eggs, mashed potatoes, green beans, and macaroni and cheese.  After dinner, she opened her third and final gift from us - a new camera.  She wasn't as into it as we thought she'd be, but she still loved putting the little clipart designs on the screen before taking a picture.  We played, changed out of our pajamas into fresh ones (awesome), and put her to bed.  Finally, we opened up our gifts for each other.  Because we're taking a Babymoon in a few weeks, we decided to keep it simple and just exchange the gift of a date for each other.  David got me a night at Stone Mountain Christmas for later that week and I got him lunch or dinner at a local BBQ place he's been wanting to try and an hour for us at the indoor shooting range.  However ridiculous I may look 8 months pregnant shooting a gun, it's important for a girl to stay on top of weapon training.  Heck, it may come in handy in the delivery room.  :) We loaded the car in preparation for the trip to my brother's the next day and went to bed.  


That night was a rough one for sleep and we had a tough morning battle that resulted in Audrey getting a spanking before we even ate breakfast.  Lawd, part of me was ready for Christmas and all it's excitement to be over!  But not before our final celebration with my family, of course.  We drove to my brother and sister-in-law's, got there around 9:30 and played with some of Carson's new toys before I couldn't stand it any longer and begged for the gift opening to begin.  My other brother, sister-in-law, and niece came in from Savannah around 11:30 and we began the real gift-giving frenzy, pausing briefly to feed the kids, and continuing until all of them went down for nap around 2.  We also shared the name news with them by writing it on the "From" portion of the gift tags on a certain gift they each got.  They were excited to finally end the suspense!  When the kids went down, we sat around and talked, wondering aloud how long it had been since the six of us had a conversation without at least one kid present.  Carson will be four in April, so I'm going to say about 3 1/2 years.  The kids woke up and we opened more presents and ate what may become our traditional pigs-in-a-blanket supper.   All too soon,  it was time to load up the sleigh and head back to our side of town.  Knowing that was our last celebration made it even more depressing, but it was time.


David took the next day off, so that helped ease the post-Christmas blues.  He worked on Wednesday, but then was off until he started back today.  We filled the remainder of break with a date night at Stone Mountain, a little shopping and birthday celebrating, undecorating, cleaning, and hanging out with friends.  Of course, as is always the case during our breaks, there was plenty of playing, napping, and eating.  It was a wonderful December and a great Christmas.  But, as I mentioned in an earlier post, part of me just couldn't quite fully engage this year.  Seems like there's something right around the corner that keeps distracting me...  ;)  Still, we had a fantastic season and appreciate everyone's generosity and hospitality.


Pics are up in the gallery of both Christmas and Audrey's 28th - 30th months.  Enjoy!