Christmas Eve was rather a quiet affair this year. Mid
afternoon, while Lisa was at work, I took the kids to my parent’s to exchange
gifts and holiday greetings. We got my Dad a fresh pumpkin pie and a pumpkin
scented candle, and my Mom a “as seen on TV” pillow for her derriere.
As usual, they (well, they and my sisters combined) went
overboard on gifts for the kids; in prior years they've even overshadowed what I give them under the tree.
YaYa got a zebra throw blanket, a Taylor Swift DVD (“Just
for You”), a red Taylor Swift t-shirt she wore non-stop for days
Some owl merchandise, Taylor Swift perfume and a DVD of Psych’s Halloween episodes
LuLu got a pair of panda hats, a Snuggie, and a stuffed
panda, a peace sign robe, along with some clothes.
Smiley got a Knex building kit, a Star Wars ‘fighter pods’
pack (Darth Vader is red. Smiley was confused, and so was I), and a set of
Pokemon cards.
Ginger got a Cocker Spaniel toy, a Cinderella, Fairy
Godmother, and Prince Charming doll, and a LaLaLoopsy doll!
Afterwards we picked up Lisa from work and hurried home to
prepare a small spread for my in-laws and some friends. While Lisa’s Entourage
showed up, not a one of my friends so much as returned an RSVP. Duly noted
gentlemen, duly noted.
That was at 7, and by 8 it was winding down. We decided to
present the kids with one gift from us, as we do every Christmas Eve. And as on
every Christmas Eve, the gift was the same – pajamas. The idea being if you
want to open any gifts the next morning, you had best be camera ready in your
new duds the minute you wake up.
Apparently Ginger had forgotten this ritual and was
expecting far more than pajamas, and had a holy fit. You can see a small bit of
that in these photos!
At 10:30 Lisa and I, along with the Entourage and a total of
seven children, went to Mass. The kids were great there, and upon our return
they headed right for bed.
Before I conclude this Christmas Eve post, I want to mention
our ‘Santa Key”, which we (read: Lisa) crafted years ago to explain to YaYa how
Santa entered our (then) apartment, seeing as we didn’t have a fireplace. While
Lisa was oddly adamant Ginger no longer believed in Santa, she was dead wrong.
She believed, and was thrilled when I had her place the key in our mailbox “so
Santa can unlock the door” on Christmas. J
Thanks Dan. It is so lovely to be able to see the kids grow up and each ones individuality come through...The photo's are great. what lucky girls and boy they are and you and Lisa to have them !!
ReplyDeleteHere's wishing you a super 2013 with much to laugh about and enjoy.
Bless you all
Dan, love the pictures, and glad the kids had a great Christmas, and I like the idea of going to Christmas Mass.
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