Christmas!!!!

Those pesky stockings are always falling, or maybe they are always being taken down to be played with:)
Daddy had to work on Christmas Eve day, so we busied ourselves making sugar cookies, doing Christmas stickers, wrapping a few straggling presents, cooking, and just having a good time together.
The kids were so helpful and both wanted to try rolling out the cookie dough. Another moment that started out just like this one, ended in disaster for The Colonel's toe. As Natalie got to the edge of the dough; that heavy marble rolling pin slipped right out of her hands, rolled across the table, and fell right on Stephen's toes.
Through tears Stephen told me that he tried to stop it but just couldn't. I felt the same way- a deer in headlights moment. Poor toe, it kept re-bleeding for days. The night before The Colonel had a big mishap and knocked over a barstool Natalie was sitting on. Natalie and the barstool both landed on top of him and he ended up with a mouth full of blood. It looked like his teeth went through his lip. He also has a random bruise on his EAR--I have never seen a person with a bruise there. Poor kid, he is just as clumsy as him Mom. At least the rolling pin incident wasn't his doing. Showing off their artwork. The HEAVILY sprinkled ones are The Colonel's of course!!
All tired out waiting for the Christmas Eve party to begin. I love how he fell asleep with his hand on his chin.
We decided to try something new for our Christmas Eve dinner and we made a duck. We marinated it in orange and fresh ginger. It turned out perfect! Earlier in the day Stephen seemed a bit distraught at the thought of eating duck--but once he tasted it he couldn't get enough. Both Natalie and Stephen devoured their dinner. They even liked the mushroom and asparagus risotto. Natalie even tasted the cranberry and balsamic sauce I made to go with the duck. She said it wasn't too bad:)

Writing her letter to Santa. She was to shy to ask him in person for a few other things she wanted.
Love this one.


For the first year since we have been married we decided to do David's family tradition of exchanging all the gifts on Christmas Eve. This tradition has its roots in Mexico where David's Mom grew up.

It seems like we always do Thanksgiving with David's family and Christmas with mine. Years ago we adopted the big Christmas Eve meal--my family liked that one but we have never done the Christmas Eve gift exchange. I have always felt hesitant because it seems so wrong to me. But this year we were alone for Christmas, just our little family, and so I thought it would be the perfect year to do it. It isn't very fair to poor David to never do it.

It turned out to be very pleasant. Santa's gifts on Christmas morning were the only things under the tree and they were every bit (and maybe more) anticipated! Of course we were up very late opening gifts and the kids actually slept in the next morning. It was a wonderful and relaxing day.

This is the gift Natalie got for Stephen. A motorized bug. It was a HUGE hit. But got lost many times that night and the next day.

The penguin theme was still going strong. As you can see Stephen is in LOVE with this penguin. He ended up with three new penguins that night and several people made sure to use penguin wrapping paper for him.

Among the penguins were these two (and a long haired penguin dude) that were meant to complete the kids penguins from our Sea World trip in the summer. Natalie pretended to faint when she realized that David went back and got these to surprise her with for Christmas.

Blue Sparkly stuff from Mommy.

Natalie was thinking the same thing and got me blue sparkly stuff too. She (and David) also got me some pretty topaz earings and a butterfly necklace that has opals (a fav of mine) and topaz. The topaz reminded Nat of the blue sparkly too. David told me Natalie wanted to get me a 1000 dollar ring but he was able to steer her another direction:)

This is the best, an impromtu hug.

Opening her Cake Boss book from Daddy. She is SO excited to have all his recipes!!!

This cracks me up.

More hugs!!!

Looking for that FAST bug.

Everything all cleaned up and ready for Santa to come.

Of course they have to set out the cookies and milk.

Put out the reindeer food and get one last update from the Santa radar.

Then off to bed. The Colonel climbed into bed with all his new penguins and his new grinch under the covers with him. I didn't get a picture because he came and climbed in bed with us during the night. This is Natalie the next morning. David and I were up waiting for the kids to wake up. Natalie slept with her penguins and of course her cancy cane from last year--like in the Grinch movie. She also wore her new Christmas hat to bed and called it a "nightcap." I love it. That of course is a reference to our favorite Christmas poem, The Night Before Christmas. Natalie had that memorized as a three year old. Special memories.

Christmas morning they gathered all their Christmas stuffed animals to take down with them.

Natalie's face at seeing her stocking and the eaten cookies and empty milk is priceless.

Stephen has wanted chocolate penguins from Santa all year long. In the summer he talked about Santa stirring the chocolate to make them just for him:)

Love the serious looks as they check out the movie Santa brought--oh and the gloves too cute. She wore them to open her gifts.

This is SO Stephen. Love his little personality. Hard to imagine we could have one as cute as Natalie and yet here he is--just as cute and with as much personality!!

Christmas Day was the BEST. Relaxing and wonderful. The kids played and played with all their new stuff. Then in the afternoon they watched Natalie's new Cinderella II and III (she's been planning on asking Santa for those all year too) while David and I snuck out in the back to work on one last gift. It was raining the night before so we couldn't set up the trampoline we got, but Christmas afternoon it was dry. Of course we still froze our keisters off, but it was fun.

They are in love with jumping!! They have bundled up every day and gone out to jump. We can't wait for a warm day to really enjoy it.

And another nice dinner to end a perfect day.

All tuckered out. I love this picture. So funny how kids can fall asleep.