I keep wishing that my thoughts could somehow be automatically transcribed here so that I could record all the good and delicious moments that have happened over the past couple of days. I am hoping a handful of photos will serve for the thousands of words that I could write, were I to be inclined (but am not.)
Firstly, here is the Advent Box I made for Bean this year. Remember the one I made last year? This one was significantly smaller and at his height–so that he developed the ridiculously adorable routine of waking up and running downstairs first thing (dragging his blanket no less) to find out what the Advent Fairy brought. I made a note with a tiny little envelope and a vintage stamp for every day that came along with a small gift or treasure. Some major hits were: a Chinese Yo Yo, a small wind-up bulldozer, heart shaped post-it notes, a single large sugar-coated gummy candy, a music box that played The Pink Panther theme song, and a sparkly yellow pen with a little fluffy duck at the top.
Next, I achieved the unimaginable this year–and baked, from scratch, an entire gingerbread train–something Bean saw in a magazine and swooned over. All three of us decorated it together in the kitchen, getting frosting on our fingers. DH and I kept harping on Bean about eating the icing–but then we looked at each other and realized, who are we kidding? It’s Christmas and the kid is decorating a freaking gingerbread train. He’s going to eat the icing. DH made the heart out of candy canes on the caboose.
Bean got sick a few days before Christmas. Woke up with a blazing fever, and spent the day on the couch feeling rather miserable. Still, we did end up going out and cutting down a tree, and decorating it made his entire day. The way he oohed and squealed as he unwrapped each ornament made it almost as fun as Christmas morning. Then he quite artistically clumped all the ornaments together in arrangements of twos and threes on the lower portions of the tree.
Christmas morning Bean woke up later than usual. We were expecting not-even-light-out early, but he slept until about 7:30 and then came into our room (dragging his blanket again) for a snuggle before sitting straight up and asking, “Did Santa come?” We made him sit at the top of the stairs while we went down & turned on the tree lights. When he came downstairs, the look on his face was wide-eyed. I think it’s the first year he’s actually really gotten the idea of Christmas. We let him open his stocking while we went about preparing coffee and fruit salad and dried cherry scones to tide us over during the real business of unwrapping once the grandparents arrived. (Note his awesome pink bunny slippers–as per his specific request.)
By afternoon, we snacked on imported dried salami, fresh mozzarella, and aged vinegar and lounged. Bean was more than content to spend hours with his new remote control fire truck, which was his number one request from Santa.
I was also more than content to play with my goodies. DH was beyond generous and lovely this year, and spoiled me rotten. Soo many fun goodies, including a little Olympus Stylus 1030SW so that I can have a camera with me at all times. Not even close to replacing my beloved Cannon EOS20D, but fantastic to slip into my pocket and take along on trips downtown, or to document impromptu sledding adventure.
All in all, it’s been such a good couple of days–and I’m off for several more, which thrills me to no end. I am nesting. Washing baby clothes and setting up the crib.
How was your holiday? What are five things that you loved?
Bean is so cute! And what great photos. Glad your holiday was so relaxing. That is great. Take care!
Oh, 5 things I loved: 1) Christmas Eve with just my parents and brother 2) Playing Yahtzee with my grandma on Christmas 3) New bakeware 4) Flying to Illinois to meet my boyfriends family for the first time on 12/26 5) Said meeting going well and loving my time here.
OMG the bunny slippers just about killed me dead!
Our holidays have been lovely: quiet and full of downtime, which was just what we all needed. The kids declared it the Best Christmas Ever — mostly thanks to the Heelies from Uncle John and the Playstation 2 from Santa (proof he exists as they all know MOM would NEVER NEVER NEVER buy such a thing).
5 things:
the way the lights illuminate the ornaments on the tree, making wreaths and centerpieces with the kids, time to both sleep in and stay up late, the fort Karin & Martin have constructed from the giant box that my treadmill came in, COOOOOOOOOOOKIES
Liz, I love that Santa brought the kids something you would never get them
You continue to be my gold standard for what I want to be like as a parent as my kids get older. Also love that K & M made a fort in a big box–we used to do that as kids, and my memory of those forts feels expansive–like the interior space of the box was somehow magically larger than life.
Amy–so glad you had fun at the boyfriend’s parents. Always a good thing!
1. My dad came in town the weekend before and bought me a nice HP laptop!
2. Which I used to video conference on instant messenger with my family back in Texas so I could see my niece open up her first Christmas presents.
3. Taking naps.
4. Giving my cats good treats.
5. Enjoying the quietness. But wishing for lots of people, too.
So good to have you back among us! This post is classic Christina goodness. And I have been missing all the Bean news.
I also totally want to know how you made the Advent boxes! I loved the bags last year, too -
1)Thomas’s reaction to his gifts & how he played with all his new stuff from inside his new wagon 2)all family visits going well and being less stressful than I expected 3)playing cards with my parents and brother Christmas Eve Night 4) Thai food day after Christmas! 5)yummy new books to read and cozy pajamas and robe – I am blissed out.
The five things I loved: time with my husband in the car and at home, heart-shaped keychain, getting to see my niece in her first holiday pageant, getting to watch my other niece design dresses with the kit we got her, and my nephew giving me a box of biscotti as we left Texas for home.
five things i loved:
1. the girls slept in until 8:30 this year.
2. even though they knew they weren’t getting a whole lot because this is the first year they don’t believe in Santa, they were just as excited and that was awesome!
3. going to a movie as a family on christmas eve.
4. getting a painted piece of artwork by each daughter *ages 7 and just turned 9*
5. getting those ornaments they made at school with their picture on them! so fuN!
tara
My 5:
1 – Seeing my children’s joy at staying overnight at my parents for the firt time.
2 – FOOD. Traditional Christmas meal with DH’s family and soups, salad and bread with my family.
3 – Sledding with my 3 kiddos.
4 – My present: Remote start for my minivan!
5 – sleeping in this morning knowing I have a whole week off before it is time to return to my students. Whoo hoo!
I’ve been away from visiting your blog, but I’m back, and I want to say I’m happy to see things are getting better for you… I know how that kind of low gloom can weigh a person down, tint days in a duskier color, but it’s good to also cocoon and re-emerge, a little better after the hibernation.
Five good things recently:
1. Homemade soup.
2. Dogs playing in the snow.
3. Composting worms.
4. Little poems in the margins of a notebook.
5. Winter break.
Sounds like you had a wonderful holiday! Love the photo recap!
5 things I loved, in no particular order:
1 – cookies, fudge, all things sugary
2 – being in Maine with snow and my family (including my nephew who was sooooo into Christmas this year)
3 – playing the new Wii (felt just like a kid again, especially playing against my brother and the neighborhood pals)
4 – how amazing Alex was, once again, doing all of my family’s traditions and social gatherings
5 – the prospect of successfully growing an amaryllis