Christmas Bizarre

This is going to be a bizarre post...about Christmas...the one that I'm pretending wasn't 9 months ago as I type.  We made a family decision to start staying home Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Christmas Eve was full of prep, the Christmas Advent at Church (we provided a sheep and an angel!), a lovely neighborhood party at the Alston's, and taming the excitement of two precious children.

Christmas Day, we actually slept in!  We did stockings with the kids (a few understated items actually in their stockings), had breakfast, and continued with presents.  That didn't take very long, of course, so we dressed to go visit Miss Helen.  Miss Helen is our dear, dear friend at church who loves our children as much as we do.  She keeps the nursery every other week and has had them over a few times when I needed help, so they know her well.  Dear, sweet Helen lost her husband several years ago and keeps 3-yr-old Charlotte all week for her neighbors.  My children being with Miss Helen is a win-win for all, so we visit when we can. 

Far too much time has passed for me to do anything organized with Christmas pics, so here on the ones from my phone that I am just now downloading.

Her favorite way to sleep, with her favorite Bible.

She looks happy to be riding the Short Pump train in Richmond, doesn't she??

Now THAT'S a kid happy to be riding the train with Emily!

Loving the chairs from Dody and Granddaddy.

Since the basement was finally finished, we put together Daddy's trains from when he was little.

Christmas Snow:)

Flashlight

Whoa, Hotwheels

Stroller

Dad's New Plane

"Mahgrit!" & Adventures in Advent

Like clockwork, Margaret starting talking all the time around her 2nd birthday.  But of all the babble we would receive all day, she absolutely refused to say her name!  When prompted, "Can you say, 'Margaret'?", she would blatantly giggle in our faces and pronounce, "Nope!" and gallop away.  But finally, on this December day, she decided to declare, "Mahgrit!".  And boy, did she enjoy her reaction:) 

Andrew continues to insist on 7-8 verses of Sunshine every night.   “God and Jesus” have to be the last one...he came up with that verse, and he insists on it.  How to turn that down? 

We've been reading our Advent book nightly, which Andrew remembers quite well.  He has been teaching Margaret about how we take turns opening each door every night and reading the parts of the Christmas story that we find there.  Margaret has taken to knocking on the doors each day before she opens them.  What a hoot!  I am not surprised.  That is so her. 

 

We were asked to light the Advent Candle this week at church.  What an honor.  And what a joy that the kids sincerely enjoyed preparing for our reading, followed their instructions for helping with the candle and hanging our chrismon on the tree, and were on their best behavior. 

 

Listening dutifully as we prepare (i.e. Ben Thompson was practicing with my camera).

Yes, I am very, VERY pregnant.

 

I.

Love.

These.

Kids. 

Wonder who will be next?  Won't be long now!

Breakfast with Santa at Boar's Head Inn

Last year I had wanted to check out Breakfast with Santa at the Boars Head Inn.  Something happened and that didn't happen so this year I was determined.  I had us all signed up on the same day with friends, then had to reschedule on account of the Sip N See hosted here for Kendall and Sam (DEFINITELY worth the reschedule!).  Only trouble was, Daddy ended up being "indisposed" for the weekend.  I'll spare the details here of why, but the three (and a half) of us still went.  No pictures of the fancy breakfast as 9-month pregnant Momma was working HARD to keep pancakes, bacon and juice in abundance on the table!  I'm glad we did it, but I think we'll try something else next year.  At least they got on the carriage ride - some kids did not, after spending 30 minutes in line!