Hopes of St Nicholas

Practicing a little "ho, ho, ho-ing" before bed.

     I never thought I'd be blogging on Christmas Eve, but I'm full of emotions this year and I wanted to make sure and document before I forget.  Things came together a little easier than other years.  Oh sure, we've had our moments of crazy this holiday season and Dean swears Christmas snuck up on him this year, but for me, it was a good, even slowish December filled with lots of longing and reading and being in the moment.  I don't know if I'll get many more of those years.  I know most of it had to do with being in a new place where you don't know anyone.  Everyone kept referring to how busy everyone is this time of year, but our calendar was wide open which made room for lots of family time and chapter books and Merlin episodes.

     Handmade jammies were on our list of homemade Christmas gifts this year.  Also on the list...a pirate ship play space, an updated Power Wheel, Lego trays, Merlin and Superhero peg dolls and a monogrammed tea table.  Like I said, there was time this year.

     I know this Christmas will be remembered.  Years from now one of them will say, "remember that year when Dad made us the pirate ship?" and then someone will add that it was the same year Mom forgot to buy the special cheese for the Pupusas for Christmas Dinner,  It will go down in history as our first in Alabama, and the year Sadie poked holes in all the presents under the tree.

Some other blooper reel moments I don't want to forget....

     Ben amending his Christmas list to include a "baby upgrade" in fear that the Sadie version we    

     now own will just "mess up" all the new Legos he's anticipating.  

     Alan vacillating between sheer joy and bitter tears all day due to Christmas anxiety.  He must have 

     asked me 200 times if "today was Christmas".  

     Sadie getting a hold of the sugar sprinkles 

     Stuffing a half finished stocking...I guess I didn't have as much time as I thought.

     and yes, forgetting the aforementioned special cheese for Christmas Dinner.  

     

Spreading reindeer food.

     I don't know how many years we have left where Christmas is so Real for all of them.  It's so fleeting.  Ben made us all solemnly promise to go straight to bed after family prayer.  His prayer?.. "that we can remember the true meaning of Christmas, and the Heardmans (we just finished reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever), and that our family and friends in Utah will have fun in the snow and we can visit them soon,  and that we can have fun opening all our presents tomorrow."   Amen