What a wonderful Christmas day! David and Mary were delightful: No bickering, whining, fighting. (A Christmas miracle!) They loved all of their gifts. (Everyone was so thoughtful in their gift-giving! Thank you, thank you, thank you.) It's fun to help David and Mary get started with their new toys, but it's nice that they are old enough to be more independent. David and Mary and their fun, good, positive attitudes really made Christmas special this year.
As expected, Sara captured our hearts and our attention. She's just so cute! She loved being part of the action. She definitely sees herself as part of the kid crew in this family. And she loved all of the new things she could explore. Sara goes on little "adventures" around the house, and the Christmas chaos provided ample opportunity for adventures. (She also got a new nickname for Christmas: Scout. We'll see if it sticks. Greg is the one who makes nicknames stick, and he only has a few more days to do it.)
We did have one big meltdown. It was mine. (David and Mary can't have the monopoly on meltdowns. That wouldn't be fair.) I have been able to focus on Christmas the past month. It provides so much meaningful busyness and happy distractions. So once all of the presents were opened .... I had to face the reality that Greg will be leaving. Let's just say it soured my mood. Fortunately, I have a patient husband and wonderful children whose happiness and contentment saved Christmas from Mom's moments of panic and grouchiness.
Pictures from Christmas morning ...
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| The exciting big reveal! |
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| Checking out what Santa brought! (Even Sara.) |
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| Santa certainly didn't forget sweet Sara. |
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| Baby's first Christmas! |
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| Sara went right to work playing with her new toy. |
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| It was a big hit. (You just never know with an 11-month old. They usually prefer dirt, lint, or paper.) |
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| The princess castle was a big hit with everyone. |
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| David and Mary spent a good amount of time checking out its features. |
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| But Sara came back to claim it as her own. |
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And she successfully bullied her brother and sister away for some play time by herself.
(She's getting pretty feisty with those two!) |
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| Not very long ago Mary declared that all she wanted from Santa was a nutcracker. It was the kind of sincere and hopeful desire that would result in a broken heart if her wish went unfulfilled. (So much for finishing the Christmas shopping early.) Santa knew just what kind of nutcracker Mary was imagining. And he miraculously (and very last minute) managed to find her just the right one. It was definitely a "tender mercy" if not a full-fledged miracle. (David's Skylanders gift was kind of a miracle too, but that story probably only seems miraculous to Mom and Dad, so I'll keep that one between me and Santa.) |
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| Santa also brought Mary an outfit that matches Stacy's. |
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| She wears it every day. |
Opening gifts lasted throughout the day, and it was joyous. This year we may not manage thank you cards, or even thank you emails ... or even thank you texts. But I want to say that each gift was loved and appreciated. We could recognize the thoughtfulness and generosity behind each one. Thank you to everyone who helped us feel loved and brought many smiles into our home that morning!
More pictures--lots more pictures--of Christmas chaos. (Keep scrolling. There are some tender ones of David and Mary helping Sara with her gifts.)
And the baby says, "Good grief, Mom! Enough pictures already!" The baby is right. Enough pictures.
Happy holidays. May your week be filled with joy ... and not too many meltdowns!
