With January into full swing, I feel like it is finally time to catch up on a few things. Photos and blogs for one. Since I am currently working on Christmas 2010 for our photo albums, a full TWO YEARS behind, I shall attempt to try against the odds of no MDO for three weeks, computer crashes, no naps illness, and snow to vaguely document Christmas 2012.
Our first Christmas was a success. Harrison was showered with gifts and activities almost every single day. He was also showered with his entire family home 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Now, I won't name names, but there are are couple of people in said family that are very loud. Harrison got to where he would not eat and would not sleep. He would fuss and fuss and was up all night. I took him to the doctor twice thinking it was his ears because he kept grabbing them. Then, I thought it was the ole' first tooth. Low and behold they were finally able to diagnose him: stress. The nurse finally said that when the big boys went back to school, he would start sleeping and eating again. Guess what? He did.
Grumps, Toni, and John visited the weekend before Christmas. We had dinner and visited and, of course, the kids loaded up on loot.
Spencer received four train shirts and a train jacket and wanted to wear every single one of them all day long for the rest of the day. One on top of the other. He got so over-excited that I actually put him in the car and drove him around the block a few times like a baby to get him to take a nap!
Alden finally go the Transformer Rescuebot of his dreams.
Sam made his final appearances the week of Christmas. It was so nice of him to stay up and bake a pie for our family lunch.
He photocopied himself and hung pictures all over the house.
He took a shower in the boys' bathroom and wrote on my walls with shaving cream. It is kind of creepy when you see the photos.
On Christmas Eve, Sam wrote us a letter to say good-bye and left us a new Bible story book so that we would remember what Christmas was all about.
There were some treacherous bonding moments. I left Alden and Spencer on the sofa in the playroom watching cartoons and looking pretty tired and, surprisingly, cuddling together. I felt safe funning upstairs to get Harrison fed and in bed. Now, Joey's uncle sends us a ton of Christmas gifts for the boys via Amazon every single day. I admit, that I was going to hide a few of them and not let the boys know they existed. The late night gift wrapping and exhaustion got to me and I forgot to take my hidden treasure to the garage the night before. It uncharacteristically took them almost a whole day to realize that it was in the living room floor, but when they did, they ran up the stairs saying,"Look what Sam brought us!" I just let them believe it was their elf and told him I would help them open it when I finished with the baby (what choice do I have at this point). I next hear Spencer crying, "No, Aldy, you aren't supposed to use scissors!" I scream down and am assured that no scissors are being used. Next, I hear, "Spencer has a fork!" I come down to find them hacking away at this box with a fork prying small piece by small piece of cardboard off at a time. Needless to say, I ended up in the middle of the kitchen floor putting Chuck the Dump Truck together whether I wanted to or not. The next time a package came in the mail, I told Spencer I needed to go and get something to open it. He quickly ran and brought me a fork.
Christmas Eve exhaustion.
Cookies for Santa. I have tried every single year to make really great cookies that actually look like stars and santas and Christmas trees but mine always end up looking like giant blobs. Even Alden will tell you I can't make Christmas cookies. This year, I downloaded the Pinterest recipe for no-fail cookies that keep their shape. Guaranteed. I failed.
Christmas day was here! It will surprise you to learn that my children slept so late that Joey and I had time to get up, shower, get dressed, and make coffee before they woke up! Spencer woke up and told us that Santa had left him a bike and that he had heard a train. I am still not sure how he knew this, but he said he heard the train in his sleep...hummm... We are now owners of "the train that goes around the Christmas tree" and about 10,000 tiny lego pieces that I spent the rest of the day putting together. Do you know what happens once you spend an hour or two putting together a 600 piece police station or a 200 piece shuttle? A two year old comes by and throws it on the floor and you have to start all over. I think I will cry if I have to put together a Lego Space Shuttle one more time!
There was no shortage of wonder from this little guy on his first Christmas. He didn't miss a single moment and stayed awake all day to take it all in. He even stayed up when all the other boys napped so he could cuddle and watch a Christmas movie with Mommy and Gee-wah.
And then he was all tuckered out.
We all survived the threat of tornadoes and a few thunderstorms. They boys were amazing and so appreciative and excited about everything that happened. Spencer's favorite part was unwrapping presents. He waned to open everyone's presents and would grab it and say, "Is this for me?" Alden has already been making his list for next Christmas. Unfortunately for me, it includes a lot of Legos. Or as we call them, choke hazards.
The Band of Brothers. My Christmas present.
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