Happy New Year!

Christmas morning and the days following

Christmas Eve

We ate lunch with Gran and Poppa on Christmas Eve. Here are the girls enjoying a cup of tea (thanks for the tea set, Lindsey, Riley & Will!):



Santa's little helpers:



Our Christmas Eve plans were scaled back due to illness. We did not make the church service we had planned to attend. However, we made cookies for Santa, and left a plate of cookies and Pringles (Lauren does not like cookies and assumes Santa would also prefer salty over sweet). Of course, we also left reindeer food that the girls had assembled at school:

Traditions

For the past couple of years, we have made a last-minute, pre-Christmas dash to the pediatrician's office due to illness during the holidays. We have finally (we're slow learners) identified the source of this annual illness and will be making adjustments in the coming years to avoid the science project that is the children's nursery the Sunday before Christmas. This year's illness was a doozy. On the 23rd, we took Gracie, as she was the first person infected, to our doctor. Last year, we took one child on the 23rd, and then went back on the 26th with the second child. We schlepped them both there this year in the hopes of obtaining two prescriptions. Miraculously, we were able to have them both examined, procured treatment for both, and are on the comeback trail now.

Of course, Lauren spent much of the holidays asking for her pediatrician.

Christmas

We're very under the weather and have been sick since the 23rd. Updates to come soon... In the meantime, enjoy some Christmas reading:

Christmas Reading from Cathi Lindsey on Vimeo.

Christmas Reading II from Cathi Lindsey on Vimeo.

Christmas Eve eve

Tonight at bedtime, we had the usual reading of late (the story of the birth of Jesus, "Merry Christmas, Ollie!" and "The Night Before Christmas"), and then we sang some songs, mostly Christmas songs. As the girls were being tucked in, I reminded them that tomorrow is Christmas Eve. They got very excited, their eyes danced, and Lauren started jabbering all of the Christmas-isms she has gathered:

"A watch. And pink shoes. And pink princess dress. And Rudolph. And Santa. Cookies. Milk. Chips."

She's very succinct, that one. (I will explain the chip reference in an upcoming note.

File this under "things we swore we would never do"

Many years ago (1989, maybe?), I noticed the trend of affixing wreaths to cars. I was employed at my first full-time job, situated next to a very affluent neighborhood (Mountain Brook), and I kept seeing all of the luxury cars decorated with wreaths for Christmas. As I schlepped back to the office after lunch each day, I vowed repeatedly that I would never decorate a car for Christmas.

Never.

Absolutely NEVER.

Abby Cadabby

Watching Abby in CGI (and high definition):

Decorations

The Christmas decorations/displays are taking more of a beating this year.

Before:



After:



Courtesy of Grace-bug.

More partying

Partying with Grammy:

Christmas parties

Tis the season for Christmas parties. The girls and their cousin, Hope, had a good time partying at PawPaw and Miss Eva's Christmas party! I'm not sure their house will ever be the same again.

Here they are enjoying the outdoor decorations:




Taking a ride in the sleigh:



Thanks, PawPaw & Miss Eva, for a wonderful time!

School party

The whole class:



Story time:



Presents for the classroom:





Book exchange:



Yummy party food:




"G" for Gracie:

Dreaming of a pink Christmas

We have a full-blown pink theme emerging in the upstairs. First, it started with this:



Although we received this a few weeks ago (thanks, Bill & Kathy!), words still escape me whenever I see it. That there is a pink feather Christmas tree, an homage to the Lindsey patriarch, a larger than life character who loved Christmas decorations. I cannot do any of the stories justice, but I invite those who can to comment.

Next, we received this:



This is a fiber optic Barbie Christmas tree from Grammy. Naturally, we had to add embellishments, although I am not sure that the pink feather garland photographs clearly.

Then, we already had these, the girls' official stockings for Santa:



The table at the landing was simply begging for a couple of these:



Finally, our neighbor's daughter was making these wonderful wreaths, and Skip put in an order for the girls:



Happy Christmas!

Visiting Santa

Last Saturday we visited Santa. Although the girls do not look particularly happy in the following pictures, they are not crying. They were hesitant, but otherwise very anxious to see Santa. The concept of asking for presents and having them delivered by Santa is finally sinking in fully this year. One of the gifts the girls have requested is a watch. We prepped them, pre-visit, by explaining that they should ask Santa to bring them a watch for Christmas. So, in the midst of trying to prevent tears and/or a full-blown hysterical melt-down, I could hear Lauren's tiny voice saying, "Watch... a watch... watch... watch," as she was sitting on Santa's knee. Gracie looked around nervously from Lauren to Santa to Lauren to Santa, which is her way of saying, "Me, too!"

The first present

The first present(s) arrived by mail today (thanks Uncle Bill & Aunt Kathy!!!), and has been placed under the tree.

Untitled from Cathi Lindsey on Vimeo.

Photo shoot

We survived the Christmas card shoot. Some hurdles:

1) Arguing over props:




2) A few tears were shed:



3) And then, the moment I wanted to conk their heads together: