Merry Christmas!

We put posts of the happenings on E's blog for Christmas day and did Christmas eve here on JT's. However, here are a few embarrassing pics of Jason to show him when he is 16 or to his future wife later on. You have to have the obligatory 1st Christmas outfit and many thanks to Aunt Jean for the long johns!

Santa Claus found our house!

Merry Christmas to all our family and friends. We have had a busy and exciting day so this will be brief (ha!). The boys woke at the crack of dawn as usual and got to play with their Santa presents and open their stockings. They were dressed alike in their reindeer jammies and Ethan just adored showing Jason all his presents. Jason just liked the chew toys best.

Waiting on breakfast....with JT eating his new cell phone/chew toy:





Our beautiful tree:


The haul:



Jason wearing Ethan's stocking stuffer.....E loves sunglasses and sports them in the next picture surveying his Santa presents (the unwrapped ones).





Daddy is dressed for the minute in green....but Jason got him before long.


And E gets dressed and insists on wearing his new belt even without belt loops...


And notice how he will not put down the drill. I wish there was an off switch on this and the guitar...mental note...do not buy toys without volume switches and adult friendly on/off switches.



Notice Jeff is now in blue. Thanks, Jason!

After stockings, the 4 of us had a fabulous pancake, eggs and sausage breakfast and then got dressed and waited for the grandparents before opening all the rest. Aunt Susan arrived bearing gifts and food. We had a wonderful present for all when Granddaddy Ed came for the dinner party and we were thankful he had good flying weather and made it.

Menu:
We had quite the dinner choices thanks to help from Mom B, Susan, and Aunt Marie:



Main course:
Turkey, stuffing and gravy (Mom B)
Ham with cranberry chutney (Jenn - like how hard was this one?)
Corn casserole (Aunt Marie)
Broccoli casserole (Susan)
Spinach stuffed tomatoes (Aunt Marie)
Autumn salad (recipe from Grandmother Whitfield and made by Susan)
Cranberry walnut mold (Mom B)
Deviled eggs (I actually made this one)

For appetizers (I did all of these):
Brie with a fig pear jam
Blue cheese and walnut dip with crostini and tapenade
Pears and grapes
Smoked salmon with horseradish and capers

Desserts:
I can't type this much but my mother bought pies...apple, harvest berry, pecan.
I made cupcakes, lemon bars, 7 layer bars, almond toffee bars, peanut butter grahams, Jeff's bourbon balls (Mom's recipe and hard work too), choc magic cookies, Christmas cookies etc etc etc.


Family pics:

A few of us ripping the presents open....





The train table from Aunt Jean and trains from Jeff and I (with a cool tunnel from Grandmother and Granddaddy Ed)






And a few of us playing with E's tractor from Grandma and Grandpa (being opened above):








JT looks so grown up there....sigh....

And a peek at the sand and water table for JT from Grandma and Grandpa:



And some of the rest of the family and the kids:
















Christmas reflections:

We need to do even less next year!

Remind me that I need to hide the Chipmunks CD from Ethan. He loves it and rocks out in his carseat but trust me when I tell you, there is only so much an adult can take. Thanks for this one Jeff. :-)

Sharing is a two way street....Jason doesn't just have to share with Ethan.

Buy 2 Christmas trees next year since Ethan continually asked if we could decorate again and I so wanted to say "okay".

I love the Heat Meiser and Rudolph needs to get a voice coach or sinus medication.

Christmas eve

Uncle Mikey hosted us for Christmas eve and we had an antipasto tray and many different types of fish for dinner. We had a nice time and were going to go to mass at 8 but JT got very ill and we went right home. He is off his food and getting a bit dehydrated so we are giving him pediatric electrolytes and wanted to get him home. Here are some pics from our dinner:





Snuggling by the fire:



Notice my happening reindeer bib.


Wrapped up in 2 pairs of jammies and ready for Santa:

Baking cookies

I am so not domestic normally. Anyone who knows me would tell you that as well. But now I have kids and desire to be super mom. Yes, desire, not succeed. But today we baked. And baked and baked. And we are doing more tomorrow. I couldn't decide which cookies and baked goods to make for the holidays so am making 12. Nothing like jumping in. But they have come out pretty good so far and I am so proud of myself. And I know Mi-ma would be incredulous. Mom and I even made her butter horns. Here is a pic of Ethan helping us to bake the Christmas eve cupcakes and then one of him decorating cookies. He loved it and made stockings, sleds, gingerbread men, angels, stars, Santas and trees. Yes...I told you...all out! They turned out to be my favorites. Mom B oversaw all activities to ensure sanitation grades were met.



So tomorrow should be interesting. Jeff is taking both boys down to Columbia to visit his Grandmother. Yep...both. I am staying home since I have to do the Whole Foods run, get the house cleaned and prepare dinner for 12 for Xmas. Stress is my middle name and it would be my first if I didn't have the weekend to prepare. Luckily, Mom Andrews and Susan and are going with. I think it will be such a great opportunity for Ethan to bond with them and to establish some independence. And all I can think of is sleep...and sympathy. And worry. I bet I call 15 times. Poor Jeff.

Maw-maw and Paw-paw visit

Jason is getting so big...sitting up so long by himself now, eating cereal and fruit and veggies. Can we please please go back to sleeping through the night though? This teething thing is slaying us. That and being sick and not wanting to suck has kept him to around 3 ounces a feeding and wanting a feeding every 3 hours. Around the clock. UGH! But this weekend we had help and we spent some quality time totally bonding with the grandparents. We had a lovely visit and I managed to get the camera out and take some cute ones.







Sitting up with a "spotter"




Climbing up Aunt Susan in our pjs:




Resting after a long day:



This is one of my favorite shirts for JT. "I ate Santa's cookies". I mean really...he is over 20 pounds at 6.5 months. He ate more than that!!!

Thank-mas

...is what Jeff's Dad calls our gathering during the holidays. Since we were in Seattle for Thanksgiving and they visit Joyce's Mom on Christmas, we do a combined celebration in between so there is no traffic, stress etc. It is a fabulous idea and we had an awesome weekend. Susan and I attempted to make Grandmother Whitfield's 12 layer cake. What a mess...but it tasted okay. Remind me a level oven helps with layers, don't take them out of the pan until cooled and frosting shouldn't run. Susan, you are a saint as always and I really had a blast!

We had a nice dinner and the boys opened their presents and totally got spoiled by Maw-maw and Paw-paw. Ethan just adores them and always asks if "Maw-maw and paw-paw come and see Ethan". He made everyone pictures since we are trying to teach him that Christmas is about giving and sharing. Some days go better on that front than others. We are also trying to teach him not to say "i want" or order us to do stuff and he has become quite creative in his approach. "You want to pick me up?" "You want to come sleep with Ethan" "How about 5 more minutes til night time?" My little negotiator. Here are a few of my favorite pics from the day.

The finished product (sorry Grandmother W):



Maw Maw and Ethan making a stocking. It was so cool...she brought a craft to do with Ethan and he was so excited. They made a Christmas stocking. It is still hanging on our door knob and he was so proud to lace it and put on the cotton. Thanks, Maw Maw.





Paw Paw and the boys:



Reading the Gingerbread Man while Ethan holds his latest baby to add to his night time collection:

My first visit with Santa

We had the most incredibly perfect Saturday. We woke to Ethan's usual clamoring for us to come get him and then his "Good morning Christmas tree" as we brought him down. We then all climbed into our bed for some snuggling and tickling. Then, Jeff made us French toast and Ethan ate 3 pieces. Jason ate an entire bowl of oatmeal cereal and didn't end up wearing much. We then headed out to take the boys to see Santa.

We got out pretty early this morning (or as early as you can with 2 kids) and the line wasn't too bad. Ethan got to also ride the Carousel and was thrilled. We waited in line with Kevin, Kalani and Josh and the kids were all very patient. Ethan never blinked and kept asking if it was his turn. He also kept yelling "hi Santa" across the area as we waited. Jason and him both sat together on his lap and Ethan told Santa he wanted "presents" and especially a black tape measure like Grandpa's. He also asked for cereal for Jason since "that's all he eats".



We also went perusing through the Xmas decorations at Sears and the boys loved the dancing penguins and the Santa train. We had lunch at the mall and then headed home where we played on our new swings (it was 65 today!!), visited with Grandpa and Grandma and watched Daddy hang more Christmas lights. The house looks incredible and the kids just can't get enough of watching the tree, the lights, the skating pond, the train etc. Ethan has to turn everything on at least once a day and I have visions of dancing penguins, dogs singing jingle bells, and bears....lot of snowman and polar bears.

Tonight we all ate pizza and watched the Grinch and when I put the boys to bed, we read Twas the Night before Christmas for the 15th time so far this year. When we get to the reindeer part, Ethan always asks "What that name" and points to each one. Jason is just enthralled with every picture and talks and talks to the pages.