Thursday, December 29, 2011

Christmas 2011: part one

I was going to put off doing this post yet again, when I noticed that I only have three more nights before the year is out, so without further ado...

 Christmas 2011
  a photographic essay in two posts

This year we brought back the tradition of acting out the nativity story. (After the borderline sacrilegious rendition of Baby in da Hood in '05, the grown-ups said no more.)


Jake was the narrator.


Patrick as Joseph, Evie as Mary, and baby Clark (Cecily and Justin's four month old) as baby Jesus. 
There weren't enough children for all the parts so some of the grown nieces and nephews were very kind to step in and fill the rolls. 


Lila was the Angel of the Lord.


Nativity Cast 2011

After the nativity we put on a video from Christmas 2005. We just watched the first one that worked in the player, and so I was completely unprepared for the first thing on the screen to be my mom talking. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house. (Poor Jake just fell apart and spent most of the movie sobbing into my armpit.) To me it made it feel like she was there and taking part in our Christmas celebrations again. 

Just as the movie ended the door opened and there was jingle bells shaking and a loud, "HO HO HO!"


SANTA!
Lila ran right up and hugged his leg and said, "Santa! I missed you!"


No shyness here, she walked him to his seat and then came to sit on my lap and wait eagerly for her turn.


Fortunately she didn't have to wait long. When asked what she wanted for Christmas she replied, "A new doll for my mom. Oh! And one for me too."


Evie was barely audible, but asked for the same thing as the other two times we'd seen Santa this year. 
"An American Girl doll that looks like me."


Jake was playing it cool and very specific.
"A Nintendo3DS, black, not XL."
Because to him the XL (the bigger size) defeats the purpose of having a handheld gaming system. Santa didn't mind, the smaller version is a little less expensive...


Lila got a Minnie Mouse chap-stick in her stocking and was determined to use the entire tube in one sitting.


Evie got a Hello Kitty watch and felt so grown-up.

After the party wound down and people left we stayed and skyped with Josh, Elena and Huck and watched them open their Christmas Eve jammies. 


Then it was home to open our own jammies.


I particularly like the tee shirts I found for Brian and I this year. 
tee hee hee


We did our Christmas Eve toasts.


Lila kept rolling her eyes back in her head (that's how she closes her eyes when she prays too, cracks me up) and putting her hand over her heart to make a wish when it was her turn.


I caught her emptying the minuscule amount of bubbles left in my glass into hers. She reminds me of Tiff, not a single drop of sparkling cider can be left behind!


Last tradition, sprinkling magic reindeer food on the front lawn to feed Santa's reindeer. Then it was quickly off to bed to dream of sugar plums and presents!

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