Christmas morning in our home. My parents stayed over for a couple of nights. Like they have for the past three years. I love this. I hope they keep staying over so we can keep having a quiet family Christmas at our house. Hint, hint...

Seven people's gifts under the tree, after Santa came and before the kids got up. Umm... "Merry Excess?"

Seven people's stockings. We like 'em stretchy!


Pointing out that, yes indeed, Santa had struck in the night!

Christmas morning dawned beautiful! Couldn't have asked for a nicer day.

Mom intervening in what was proving to be a very nasty scrap between two children who both like the same books and don't know how to share very well. Don't they look sweet and innocent? That's because you can't see the bloody gash on Connor's face that Kirstin just finished giving him for trying to take this book away from her...

A mouth full of gummy bears, playdough, and something long and cylindrical... a recipe for a creative mess, for sure, in the hands of my crazy boy! :)

Alex showing off his new Lightning McQueen Blanket. Thanks, Nathan!

Talking on the phone... all day. It's the only day of the year that a phone ringing off the hook doesn't annoy me! Thanks for calling, everyone!

Showing off her new Christmas dress from my parents. Her hair is still lying flat, that's how you know this photos is taken first thing in the morning!

Absolutely thrilled with their interactive Buzz Lightyear and Woody dolls. Alex wrote a letter and asked Santa for them. He was so happy to get them. And I quote: "Hey! I ordered these!"

My goofy girl, taking a break from the festivities to read her book... upside down! :)

Now they're all enjoying their books, peacefully. Whew! Thanks Mom!

... and, the afternoon aftermath. Not bad, actually, it looks worse today than it did that afternoon.

So pleased with her hat, she ripped three of them before my Dad finally stopped giving them to her.

"Don we now our gay... paper hats, Fa la la la la la la la la"

What to do with your stocking once you've emptied it! :)

And now, onwards to New Year's. Happy Birthday Connor, Happy New Year, everyone else! I hope your 2010 is better than, or at least as good as 2009 was for you!

Christmas Eve

I had to work Christmas Eve, but pretty much every year we get an email from the powers that be, saying that non-essential staff (myself --- comes in handy sometimes) are allowed to leave at 2:30. As long as we leave one admin and one protection worker in the office, basically we're off two hours early. Woohoo! So we waited. All day. And that annual email kept eluding us. Finally I phoned home and said, "I'll be working until 4:30, you're going to have to start cutting up the veggies". I had visions of my company all arriving before me and dinner being ready, oh, somewhere in the vicinity of 8:00. Then at 2:23, that familiar ding singling the proverbial "You have mail" sounded and that was it... Christmas Holidays started early. Yay!

My parents, Cory's parents, his sister, and one of his Grandmothers, joined us at our place for Christmas Eve dinner. We served appies again this year. Along with mulled apple cider (I found a yummy recipe online) and punch. The eggnog never made it out of the fridge. We buy it every year, and every year pour it down the sink. Does no one like eggnog? Mom donated baking for dessert. I threw in Girl Guide Cookies and some macaroons I had 'ahem' baked on my coffee break (I had to pick up milk from the grocery store) so there was lots to eat.

A portion of the spread. Best thing about finger foods on Christmas Eve? Lots of leftovers for lunch Christmas Day! The kids opened a few presents from the Freeman side of the family, as we weren't seeing them the next day. Connor quite enjoyed these pens from Aunty Lindsay. I didn't enjoy washing them off of his floor and blanket after he'd left them out for Kirstin to find! :PAlex, concentrating intently on his gift.We don't have a fireplace, but the kids made do by hanging their stockings off of the piano.Now I miss our fireplace (we had two in our old house) because this photo would have been priceless with a fireplace :(

Dinah, doing her annual Christmas ribbon hunt. She is obsessed with it. If I leave a present out that has curling ribbon on it, the ribbon will be gone by the morning. Can't convince her not to chew the darn stuff up. Now I'll be doing my annual Christmas ribbon cat vomit hunt around the house.

Grandpa Freeman reading them a bedtime story in their new Christmas pj's!

Men doing manly things...

Here are my three guys, doing a little pre-Christmas bonding last week. My job was to keep Kirstin distracted so they could work their gingerbread magic.

Turned out pretty well, don't you think?

Check out the oh-so-serious look of concentration on my boys' faces.

"Hey Mama, guess how many candies I've eaten already?"

"What are you looking at, I'm trying to sneak another!"

The final, ahem, masterpiece? Why, it looks like it was assembled by children...

I told my kids that they weren't allowed to touch the gingerbread until after Christmas. So, bright and early Boxing Day morning, they destroyed it! Eggs, sausage, toast, OJ, and gingerbread. :)

These are the traditions that memories are made of!

Christmas Concert!

Kindergarteners sure are cute when they get up on stage and belt out Christmas Carols. Last week we had the privilege of enjoying a very ecclectic, highly unpolished Christmas Concert. It was only 75 minutes long, but because we'd been warned to get there early if we wanted seats, we had to wait for 45 minutes before it started.

As a result, my 1 year old was in tears by the time it started and my 2 year old was in tears by the time it ended.

Next year can you say "baby-sitter?" :)

Assembling for their concert debut. Soooo cute! :) Here's Kirstin before the concert, waiting for it to start. She would not sit still so I let her bop around in the aisle (I smartly snagged an aisle seat for photo opportunities, but it turned out better for the littles, too). She decided to leave us and find herself a new family two rows up. Hmm... maybe we embarassed her?

Connor dancing in the aisle during Alex's performance, giving me the evil eye because I dared take a photo of him.

My budding musician, standing next to his "best buddy". A special treat because they are not allowed to sit beside each other during class. Apparently (according to his report card, anyway) Alex and Vance often "get caught up in silliness".

Kindergarteners, gotta love 'em!

Signs of the Season...

Hmmm... guess he got tired of saying "Mama, Kirstin's touching the tree again!" :)