Christmas was lovely. We’re very lucky to have so many people–family and friends–to celebrate with (although we also wish Dave’s parents and sister/family were closer, because we’re greedy and we need MORE people to hang out with).

I just went back and looked at last year’s day after Christmas post, and it was about making curtains for the nursery. Wow. I feel a little lazy now. But, in the absence of any baby being due in 3 weeks, I’m going to just take another day (or three or four) off from house stuff and share a few Christmas pictures.

Instead of our usual Christmas pajamas, the kids opened up matching Doctor Who Christmas t-shirts (from Shirt Woot) on Christmas Eve:

Kids, including the baby, who really should have had no clue it was Christmas, were all awake before six, but we held them off from going downstairs until around seven. My New Year’s resolution is to put the tree in the sun room instead of the den next year so that 1. we can have a taller tree and 2. my early morning Christmas pictures will be better (the den is dark to start with (as is seven in the morning in December) AND we block off the only natural source of light, aka the bay window, with a big old TREE every year).

Santa brought the older kids a Wii U. He brought Abe a little push wagon from Ikea, a badger wearing a jacket (also from Ikea. Because how could he not, right?), and a giant bag of Legos that turned up at the thrift store for $5 a couple of weeks ago.

 

The kids looked in their stockings:

Rory is in the vast majority of my photos. He loves Christmas, apparently. Fiesta was sleeping in the other room most of the time. Gable was locked in the sun room, because he loves Christmas just a little TOO much.

 

 

Then lots of present opening:

 

Maybe my favorite picture of the morning:

 

Then I made the kids sit in front of the tree for pictures:

 

My mom and stepfather, brother and sister-in-law all came over for breakfast and more present opening:

 

We didn’t do so hot with making a ton of handmade gifts this year, but Dave did whip out this beer holder for my brother and SIL (from these plans at The New Hobbyist):

 

My mom got Abe a Let’s Rock Elmo, because that’s what grandparents are for: giving your baby really loud toys and then going back to their own quiet houses ;). Really, Let’s Rock Elmo is surprisingly impressive for something so loud: he knows which instrument he’s holding! We didn’t have that kind of technology when Ari was a baby. Well, maybe we did. I don’t remember.

Brother and SIL gave me this awesome book:

 

….I plan to do the activities, such as the “Help Willie Nelson avoid the tax man” maze, during Nashville commercial breaks.

Later on, we went over to our friends’ house for turkey and general merriment. Their son had gotten an airbrush set for Christmas, and Gus was more than willing to help him test it out:

 

 

Pretty impressive/terrifying for his first go at the airbrush, don’t you think?

And! My friend Kristi painted an octopus for me! (Tracy got one, too. Hers is different, though. PERSONALIZED octopuses).

 

Isn’t it amazing?! I think it’s going up in our bedroom, in the nursery half of it, after Abe moves to his own room. Then it will be our special kid free refuge. When the kids are fighting/yelling/jumping off the furniture, we’ll just go sit in our room and stare blissfully into the hypnotic eye of the octopus.

And, finally: sometimes I get worried that there’s something wrong with my camera because I have a hard time getting sharp pictures. When this happens, I take a picture of Gavroche, the very still cat, to reassure myself that it’s just that my kids never stop moving. Anyway, he made you a card. (“Garage Kitty” is our now four year old friend, Cormac’s, early attempt at pronouncing “Gavroche.” It stuck, of course):

 

Hope a wonderful day was had by all yesterday!