We didn’t have any SNOW for Christmas, but we sure did have a Whirlwind!!  The holiday went by entirely too fast. 

 

On Friday, the day dragged on and on.  I actually got to leave the lab around 1:00, so I went down to Russ’s building to kill some time before picking up the kids.  They were due to exchange presents after naptime, so there was no sense retrieving them early.  Russ enjoyed the company and distraction during a long afternoon too.

 

I left to go fetch the kids around 3:00.  They were just waking up from their nap, and Liam got to exchange a couple of gifts with his friends, and with his caregiver, Miss Anna.  Miss Anna gave Liam and Jaxson matching outfits.  They were really nice, so we planned to don them for Christmas Eve church service. 

Then we headed home to finish up some laundry, and get the beds made for the family.  Russ arrived shortly after we did, and we had a quick dinner of Hot Dogs and beans simply because we had a few last minute Christmas tasks to do.

 

Saturday morning, we managed to get breakfast done, and all cleaned up before Grandma & Grandpa arrived.  They came through the door with widespread hugs around 11:30 or so.   It was so good to see them, and Liam was quickly telling Grandma, “You play cars with me?”  Grandpa shared some snuggle time with Jaxson, but soon caught a brief nap on the couch after his long drive.  After a while, Grandma and the boys started making some cookies with my acquired collection of cookie cutters (I’m so glad Mom reminded me that I had them!).  Dad and Russ ventured out to get a couple of things, and a few dozen oysters!  That evening we had a nice dinner of Oysters, Salmon and Roasted Potatoes.  Unfortunately, we discovered that Oysters will explode if left on a hot grill.  Luckily, I’d steamed some on the stove, so all were not lost!  I was worried that I’d cooked too much Salmon, but we all must have been hungry because there was only a fin left for the next day’s lunch!  That evening, after the boys went to bed, we watched Murphy’s Romance with James Garner and Sally Fields.  It was a pretty good movie with a lot of wit, and you can never go wrong with Sally Fields.

 

Sunday morning we had a nice start with a simple breakfast.  We visited and played with the kids, and Mom and I began some preparations in the kitchen for Christmas Dinner.  While the kids were napping in the afternoon, Russ and Dad “helped Santa” put together the train table in the garage.  It was a good thing they started early, because the endeavor resulted in at least one trip to Lowes for supplies.  Mom and I struggled with a couple of pie crusts that nearly drove us crazy.  I thought it was just my inexperience all this time, but we truly think that the recipe in the Betty Crocker cookbook must stink, because mom seldom had trouble rolling out pie crusts.  With her help though, the pies got made, and though probably wouldn’t win any blue ribbons at the county fair, looked like they’d taste all right.

 

We had an early dinner of pot roast that we’d gotten going in the crock pot.  It was really tasty, and we were glad that it got done in time for us all to get ready to go to the Cornerstone Presbyterian Church around the corner.  We were all a little bit nervous about going, seeing that none of us had ever attended this church before. It was a nice service though with lots of caroling and scripture.  Russ wasn’t all that thrilled with the sermon though, as it seemed a bit castizing for the Christmas season.  I tended to agree, but the both of us figured that we’d go to a regular Sunday service before nixing the whole church going deal all together.  The boys did pretty good during the service, and didn’t cause too much of a commotion from our perch in the back row.  I knew a couple of the performers too, as I used to sing with them in Musica.  It was nice to see them again.

Once home, we did what we could to get the kids in pajamas and wound down for bed.  Liam set out cookies for Santa and some carrots for the Reindeer.  When asked what he wanted to leave Santa to drink, he replied, “Iced Tea.”  So be it.  Milk tends to make on sleepy anyway, and we all know what a long trip Santa makes!  Once the coast was clear, Santa’s elves worked to bring in the Spring Rocking Horse, the Train Table (we had a dickens of a time getting the track to all lay out in the right way!!) and the rest of the gifts.  Dad had to rearrange some of the furniture, just to fit it all in the living room!  Ack!  I guess we got things all set by about 10:00.  By this time, though we were all pretty tired, so it didn’t take much to entice us to bed.  Unfortunately, Jaxson’s cold took a turn for the worse that night, so we were up frequently, trying to get him to relax enough to go to sleep despite a chest cold and stuffy nose.  I ended up sleeping upright with him down on the couch for most of the night. 

 

Luckily the adrenaline of Christmas Day kept me awake well into the evening.  Mom, Dad and I were all up and around by 8:00 or so.  Liam had made his way into our bed during the night too, so he was snuggled in next to his dad, and it took a bit to get them both out of bed.  Jaxson slept for a bit longer on the couch too.  Soon, Liam had made his way down the stairs and quickly noted the missing cookies and half eaten carrots. Then he went straight for his new Dump Truck and noticed the Train Table.  We soon stuck him on his new Horse, and he took it for a few bounces with white knuckles on the reigns!  Before diving into the rest of the gifts from Santa, we went downstairs to find what Santa had left in the stocking by the fireplace.  Liam was delighted with his Pirate Band-Aids, his many cars, and his rubber band jets.  Jaxson was awake by now, and took his turn on the Horse, and watched his brother with wide eyes as he tore through the stocking.  Then we opened the gifts from Santa.  Liam had a dandy time, and even enjoyed helping his little brother open a few gifts too.  The new toys lasted him for the rest of the morning while we ate our breakfast, and got ready for Kate and Rich to arrive.

 

Kate and Rich arrived right around 2:00, and Liam was soon inviting them to play trains and cars and such.  Kate helped with dinner, and Russ got the turkey in the oil for frying.  I got the table set, and assisted with the green bean casserole.  Soon we all sat down to a delicious and traditional Christmas dinner. 

Once we digested a bit and got the dishes put away, we sauntered to the living room to exchange presents.  Before starting, though, I handed out the (now-annual) Christmas trivia game.  It was a dozen multiple choice questions and the winner got an extra gift.  The competition was fierce, and the brains were a’tickin’.  Russ won, with Kate close behind so they split the gift of lottery scratch-off tickets.  It was great fun!  That got us going, and we all took turns opening gifts.  Among the exchanges, Mom got some nice sweaters and a pretty Lapis ring, Russ got a library of books, Dad got his share of books and a pair of Wellies, Kate got a red coat and a book about Toto the dog, Rich got a MOON tie and a couple of gift certificates, and I got one of my chosen Byer’s Choice dolls, a new coat, and a Jo-made QUILT!  The boys got even more gifts, and both of them spent a few minutes playing with each item before moving on to the next!  We had made a pretty big mess by the time the sun had gone down, and it was time for pie.  Then we put the kids to bed and relaxed by the fire.

Tuesday morning, we spent a lazy time enjoying our new treasures.  I made an appointment with the Doctor for Jaxson because he had another rough night with his cold.  It was a good thing I did, too, because he had an ear infection.  As soon as he got some meds in him, he began to get better, much to my relief.  Kate plucked out a few Christmas carols on Russ’s keyboard, and we all had some good laughs at her techno versions of our favorite classics.  Kate and I went to CVS to print out some pictures and get Jaxson’s prescription filled.  We were gone longer than we expected, but it gave us a nice time to catch up on topics.  Mom was a big help with the boys, and Russ and Rich had some nice time sharing plans for some story writing and Dad couldn’t resist using the Flight Simulator.  We made some pizzas for a late night dinner, and watched the movie, Invincible about the Eagles football player, Vince Papale.  It was pretty good, although I must admit that I fell asleep in the middle.  Dad went to bed early, and Mom started reading one of her new books. 

 

Wednesday morning came all too soon.  I was up and around early though, as I wanted to make sure everyone had a big breakfast before heading back home.  Russ returned to work too.  After breakfast, Mom and Dad said their good-byes, and Rich, Kate, the boys, the dogs, and I all went around the block to the playground.  That jaunt is always fun, and the time would have been all well, had not Kate tripped on the steps up the slide and injured her knee.  No blood though, so she could not get one of Liam’s new Pirate Band-Aids.  Once we returned, Rich and Kate headed back North as well. 

 

I was sad to see them all go.  The house was a mess, but it seemed like every time I picked something up to put away, it enforced the emptiness of the house.  So, the boys and I went to visit Daddy for lunch.  After lunch, I tried to take a brief snooze on the couch, but soon found myself itching to get the toys better organized, and the kitchen cleaned up.  At the least, I knew I needed to get some diapers in the wash!  So ends the family time together.  It was a good visit, and I feel like our new home is getting that lived in feel now.  Nothing like the presents(presence) of family to warm the home and heart!

Thursday night we watched Survivor as it is nearing the finally. The boys License plates for their wagon came in. We were also watching Josie the Boxer for our neighbors down the street. Josie was a great house guest all weekend and we very much enjoyed her company. We have also been calling “Santa” every night to check on progress at the North Pole before bedtime.

 

On Friday morning we got a hold of a Husky who was loose with no collar or lead. We thought it was ironically the parents of the Lady whose Boxer we were watching. They live right around the corner from us. I happened to have their number as an emrgency number for Josie. I thought we had Montana their dof. Well when Bob came over with lead in hand he knew immediately it wasn;t Montana and we both looked up to see Montana running down eh fence line behind us. I made some signs while Erin showered.  

 

We were off and did our usual round of errands. A lady called who was the owner of Bo the Husky we had in our backyard. She went to get him and was most appreciative and took down the missing dog signs for me. We went on to the Post Office and Library as I had books in and we got Liam some Christmas related books and movies. We got some gifts for Chinese Auctions at both our offices. We then headed to Lowe’s. We found something for Dad and also Liam picked out a Snowman for the yard. Erin and I put it together in the balmy sunny weather. Liam named him Turk. We powered him up by the post lamp.

 

Friday night Erin and I commenced wrapping more presents. While Liam napped we got a jump on helping ole Saint Nick out. I talked to Noah a while. He has had a rough time lately with school and just being a teenager. I tried to help and give advice without making it a complete all out lecture. That evening we watched Talledega Nights with Will Ferrell. It was really funny as was Sacha Baron Cohen who plays Borat currently.

 

On Saturday we awoke early to go to the Base Theater for a birthday party. My co-workers daughter Abigail was having her 3^rd Birthday party there and the kids were going to watch Cars the movie. That is a big favorite of Liam’s. He really enjoyed watching it and having cake in the lobby.  Erin was starting to feel worse so I headed home and dropped her and Jaxson off while Liam and I ran a special errand and did a little grocery shopping. The house was quiet as everyone slept but me and I worked on the computer.

 

For dinner we had crab legs and watched the Season finale of Little People Big World which is one of my favorite shows. After the kids were in bed we continued to wrap presents while we watched.

 

On Sunday morning Erin felt a little better so we did some yard work. I restacked my woodpiles segregating the pine from the Oak and then helped Erin with the leaves. We burned some more this weekend and we have a pile decomposing to lie under mulch for landscaping next spring. Liam loved playing in the leaves but alas with three out of four of us with colds I spent another afternoon working on the computer while everyone slept.

 

On Sunday evening I spoke with Noah again. He broke up with his girlfriend Kayla after over a year but almost immediately regretted it. I feel bad for the kid right now. He seems pretty down and his quick decision and then regret isn’t helping him in his funk. Everybody has those days or weeks but when you are a teenager they seem to magnify in your mind. I hope something happens soon positively for him as we love and worry about him right now. 

 

We watched the big Survivor finale as Yul barely defeated Ozzy and poor Becky was an embarrassing, can’t start a fire hardly, third with no votes. Erin had a rough night with her cold so she stayed home on Monday and I got the boys off to daycare. It will be a long week with the anticipation of family coming in and Santa Claus arriving at the house but with things to do each evening and a busy workweek it should pass pretty quickly. I think we are almost ready for Christmas. A couple of items still to come in and a little wrapping to be done and we should be all set.

‘Tis the Season!  And we’re finding time to experience it to the fullest!  I believe most, if not all, of our shopping is done.  The company parties are over, and the Holiday decorations have been hung.  Feels good.

 

It is a good thing we had several tasks marked off our list because the two-day weekends are always just TOO short!  Saturday we took a slow start to the morning.  It’s always nice to wake up, get some breakfast, and then snuggle on the couch and watch cartoons.  Although, the cartoons don’t seem as good now, as they were when we were kids.  Too much fighting and yelling.  The best we can find usually, is Jimmy Neutron.  He’s really good, and his friend, Carl, always cracks me up.  Sure, they fight the usual evil-doers, but he uses his brain, and not some super powered karate chop.  (I’m such a fuddy duddy, I know.)

 

We didn’t linger too long, however, because we wanted to go see Santa!!  Of course, we needed to let him know what we wanted for Christmas, and to tell him – in person – that we’ve been very good (despite all those phone calls stating that we aren’t eating our dinner, or are making big messes, or refusing to go to bed or take a bath!).  So we got all spruced up to go see the Big Guy.  Liam was slightly upset that he didn’t have a “costume” like Jaxson’s (thanks to our friend, Jodi), but was appeased when I let him wear my Santa pin.  We headed to a less visited spot called Clements Island.  The Island has a little museum, and a nice refurbished one-room school house.  It’s a bit of a trek North, but we figured it’d be a great meeting location on a busy Holiday Saturday.  We were correct in our planning.

 

 

We arrived just a few minutes before 1:00, and a few minutes before Santa was due to arrive.  It gave us just enough time to make a candy cane reindeer, and Liam got an image of Santa painted on his hand (with Sparklies, no less!).  He was one of only about a half dozen kids there.  Soon, we heard the jingle of sleigh bells, and just as Liam was at the museum door, in comes the Jolly Guy himself!  Liam’s eyes grew wide, and we could almost hear his heart pounding!  Jaxson even flashed a droolie smile.  Liam let the gentleman pass and make his way to his Throne in the museum.  We were just about to follow him in when we ran into a bit of a problem… the bear. 

 

  

 

We’d seen the bear.  We knew the bear wasn’t alive.  We knew he was just part of a museum exhibit.  Even the nice museum volunteer, when right over to it, and gave it a good pat.  We could even go touch the bear ourselves.  It’s just that the bear didn’t look all that trustworthy, and Liam decided that he didn’t want to go 5 feet near the bear.  Unfortunately, the bear was between him and SANTA!  So finally, with a little prodding, and some gentle coaxing, Daddy scooped Liam up and told him to bury his eyes in his shoulder as they took a less traveled route around the bear to Santa.  Mission accomplished.

 

 

Liam and Jaxson sat right up on Santa’s lap.  When Santa asked, “What do you want for Christmas?”  Liam broadly replied, “PRESENTS!”  Liam even snuggled with Mrs. Claus too, just for good holiday insurance.  Jaxson did his best not to get too much drool in Santa’s beard.  

 

After the visit with Santa, Russ finished up some Holiday shopping in the Gift shop.  Then he joined us all, and we went over to the old school house to see the trains.  The nice Conductor let Daddy and Liam take a turn driving the trains, while I oogled at the inside of the actual school house, complete with and old pot-bellied stove right smack dab in the middle of the room.  Liam was getting sleepy, and was more than ready to head back home.  Tearing Daddy away from the tracks was another hurdle!

 

 

The kids were tired, but we needed to swing by the grocery store to get a few things for dinner.  That evening we planned to host the former home-owners for a long promised steak dinner.  We had a bit of a frazzled start as our 16 year old microwave decided it was just NOT going to bake those potatoes.  It groaned and began emitting an ominous smell, so we transferred the taters to the conventional oven.  (Had to call Mom to find out long to cook them!)  The Dankos arrived right around 5:30, and I was glad we had some nice appetizers to tie us over while the potatoes baked.  We all sat down together around 6:30 and feasted.  The conversation was good, and I think the Dankos were pleased at the way we’d decorated “their” home.  They told us all about their home plans too, and even Ashy had a good time romping with their greyhound, Nancy.  Liam just about wiggled out of his jeans to have the attention of their son, Michael, who is 13.  The poor kid probably gave a big sigh of relief once they departed for the evening, but was a great sport and incredibly patient with Liam.  It was a nice visit, and we hope to get the opportunity to visit them in their new abode soon!

 

 

Sunday morning, we knew we should have gone out into the yard to rake and burn leaves.  However, we decided that venturing out to get a new microwave was a good diversion.  We came home after the brief trip out, and Russ started wrapping presents for Wyoming while the kids napped and I did a little baking.  I made a nice Whole Grain Applesauce Butterscotch cake to take to work just to be nice, and I also made some Gold Cookies with Pecans (they ended up tasting like Pecan Sandies) for Russ to take to work for his Cookie exchange.  I didn’t get any pies baked, but maybe that’ll get done next weekend.  I thought it would be nice to bake some for our new neighbors.

 

Sunday evening arrived much too soon.  After an easy dinner of burgers and fries, I began my usual routine of setting out clothes, washing diapers, and getting milk ready for the week.  Had a couple of nice phone calls from the siblings over the weekend too.  Everyone’s been checking in to see who got what for who off the posted Wish List.  It’s a nice way of keeping touch during the holidays.

Aunt Katherine sent the boys gifts down (ducks) as well as a Santa for the house that Liam enjoyed me getting out.

Well the Holiday season kicked in to full gear as Erin and I attended both of our Company Christmas parties this year. Last year we did not do either as Erin started at Greenfield after the party occured. We did go to the owner Will's Open House. While eating breakfast we noticed that Belk, the local department store was running a huge sale. Things were marked off 50 % with an additional twenty %. Erin ended up getting a very pretty $80 dress for a little over twenty. I bought pants that fit. That never happens. A nice pair of 50 dollar Haggar slacks for 16 bucks. The boys were really good while we shopped.

 

Friday night we went to the Brome-Howard Inn for the Greenfield Engineering Christamas Dinner. Erin's little company is now up to nine employees. We all had very nice conversations as everyones spouses were along. Erin had the delicious duck and I had a wonderful Salmon. The service was a bit slow butthe conversations over dinner more than made up for it. Erin and I had interviewed here while looking for a weddering reception spot back in 2002. It was nice to get dressed up and go out. Erin looked beautiful as always. Our friend Auntie Sue was nice enough to come over and assist her daughter Jenna watching the boys.

On Saturday we ran to get Groceries in the morning and a few more sets of lights for the house. In the afternoon we commenced the job of getting the lights up for Christmas outside. I also got some more leaves raked from the side yard in the back behind the fence for burning later this month. By the time this was done it was time to get ready for the Sabre Christmas party at the Hollywood Fire Hall. The Hoffmans showed up and the girls, Heather, Amy, and Jenna all came over to watch the boys. Erin and I ordered the girls pizzas and we headed out.

The Sabre party was decent. Looked to be a few hundred people there. The food was really good this year. The biggest factor was they cut out speakers and aimed them away from the tables so people could talk while the music played. We stayed unti about ten and headed home for an afterglow with the Hoffmans. The kids had brought along a fun mindless game called Apples to Apples. We enjoyed it so much we all played in the Dining Room until 1:30.

 

Needless to say on Sunday we were all tired. Erin and I tag teamed fixing breakfast. After that we talked to family on the phone to put out feelers about Christmas shopping. We then got on-line and finished up the majority of our shopping. We still need to get the kids stuff. We then watched a blue man group DVD with Liam. During the day Jaxson and Liam both acted like they were coming down with something.

 

They both now have colds but Liam bounced back quick. I stayed home with them Monday. I was able to get Erin's Christmas shopping done. Jaxson and I had a rough night on Monday night as well as Erin being sandwiched between our hacking. I am at work Tuesday and Jaxson at daycare. I took some Airborne last night and medicine before I went to bed but ut is a cold alright.

 

Next weekend we are having the Danko's (former homeowners) over for dinner and hope to FINALLY get ahead on the leaves. Who knows we may even take a jaunt around to Anne Marie Garden and Flat Iron Road to see Christmas lights.