Last week, brought the much anticipated week of Christmas! Our festivities started out early on Christmas Eve. Grandie and PopPop were nice enough to allow us to hold Christmas Eve at our house, starting about five years ago. Mom and I have always appreciated them passing the torch to
us, but it makes even more sense with you both getting older. Grampa and Grandma also started joining us in this tradition a few years ago. It has been a fun, relaxing, but crazy time each year!This year started with Grandy and PopPop arriving around 11:00. Mom and PopPop work extremely well with each other in the kitchen and each year they prepare eggplant parm for Christmas Eve night! This is one of the many foods that mom introduced me to and it seems to get better each year.
JD, you helped Grandie make her Russian Tea Cake cookies shortly after they arrived. I have probably mentioned many times what a good baker you have turned into, largely due to Grandie's guidance. While you did this PopPop, Adam and I shared a drink in the Den. We talked about how each year you both change so much and how fun it was to see JD so excited. JD, at five years old you are really at the pinnacle of Santa stuff and Christmas involvement.
After a few hours it was time to open presents! Adam, you were so sick on this day and JD was recovering from a cough/cold combo. You did your best to have fun, you even smiled and tried to run around but it was a tough day for you. You would not let me put you down all day, unless you were sleeping. We were truly attached!
JD was excited to get his very own kids digital camera! JD, you started taking a few pictures and unfortunately we had a bad batch of batteries, but it was fun while it lasted. You also got you own set of
UNO cards, and the board game, "Sorry!" You really enjoy boardgames, you like to think about your moves and find out what type of moves other people are preparing to make.While PopPop and Mom put the finishing touches on dinner, Grandie, you and I played Sorry for a while. We also spent some time in the kitchen. It was fun to hang out and talk with everyone while the meal was being prepared. JD, you were very happy with your gifts from Grandie and PopPop but it didn't take you too long to ask, "When are Gramdma and Grampa coming?"
They arrived in the late afternoon. We decided to open presents upon their arrival so that you and Ad wouldn't have to wait any longer to open your gifts. JD, you got some Transformers and a remote control helicopter, amongst many other things. Adam, you recieved a four wheeler that you could actually ride on top of! I have to say, I like the helicopter the best, its real fun to fly and pretty easy to maneuver.
Dinner was great! Eggplant, and Chicken parm, pasta and other yummy side dishes. I think I'm still full from eating the my portion that night! We had some sort of double chocolate cake muffins that Grandie made for dessert too!
After dinner it was getting pretty late and we wanted to make sure we had everything set to go for Santa. I should mention that we were tracking Santa ALL DAY on the Internet. JD, kept asking where he was and how far away "That" was. All of us went outside to throw "Reindeer Food" that Donna sent up to us. Grandma, Grandie, PopPop, Grampa, and the rest of us were outside in the cold weather throwing out what was essentially glitter and oatmeal! It was so nice that your grandparents were able to be a part of this for you. I know how much it meant to them and it might just be one of those things you remember as you get older!
You were both off to bed shortly after. JD, you fell right to sleep. This was in great contrast to the night before where it took you about 2.5 hours to fall asleep. You were really trying to, too! You said, "Dad I'm just so excited I don't know what to do. I think I might throw up!"
The grandparents stayed until about 10:00. We had a great time all day long and I could tell you both did too. Adam, I have never felt as bad for one of my kids as I did on this day for you. You were miserable and really wanted to take part in the opening and playing but your body had other ideas. When we're young and our parents tell us that they wish they could take on our sickness for us, I'm sure we don't really understand what they mean. On this day, I wish I could have taken on yours..
The next day, I was the first one up. That's right not you guys...me! I lay in bed waiting for one of you to awaken and finally I heard Adam stirring. I know how you like your time before rising Ad, so I gave you a good 15 minutes. You slept about 15 hours straight, which isn't really that uncommon but given your cold and stuff.. Anyway you seemed a bit better in the morning and off you went to wake up JD. He actually THANKED you for waking him up and then we all went in to get Mom!
When we arrived down stairs we noticed that Santa ate the cookie we left him and drank his milk. We also noticed two piles for presents with Adams stocking on one pile and JD's on the other. You each had three Army men hanging off your stockings and Adam grabbed as many of them as he could hold. You tackled your stockings and then it was time for the bigger gifts.
You each got a brand new NBA style basketball as well as a cool motorcycle and other stuff. JD, you were looking for a box that might contain an iPod and after opening a few you found it! This was the gift you wanted most. You aren't like most five year old kids when it comes to music, so I think Santa new and appreciated that. You have not taken it off since you've opened it and you picked all of the songs yourself!After opening Santa's gifts we exchanged gifts with each other. Mom and I and Adam and JD switched presents. We had some coffee and cookies while we opened gifts. We took some time to play with our new gifts from this morning and last night and then we were off to Nana's house.
After we arrived here the Cranney's were not far behind. It was so nice to see Meg and her family, it had been a while. After Grammie and Grampie arrived, Nana thought that it would be best if the kids opened first and then the adults followed. Typically we all go one by one, but there were TONs of gifts this year and you kids are getting older. Nana thought that it would be nice to let you have at it! JD and Ad, you got so much stuff from Nan and Grampie here as well and G and G and the Cranney's. Walkie Talkie's, lots of sports stuff and mostly outside toys and games.
It was very well done for so many kids and fun for me to spend time with Grammie and Grampie. Grampie and I got to spend some time chatting, mostly about family but also about how it was nice to have a basketball team to cheer for again in the Celtics. We agreed that it had been almost 20 years and it took some getting used to.
After presents and catching up Nana prepared an great ham dinner. Mom helped Nan in the kitchen from the time we arrived until the end of the evening. I know that Nana appreciated this very much and it helped the meal move along nicely.
Shortly after dinner Gram and Grampie had to leave. Grammie isn't feeling well these days and they agreed it would be best
to hit the road a bit early. This was kind of tough for the rest of us as we are more accustom to both Grammie and Grampie being very involved in the ongoings, but what is best is best, I suppose.Later in the evening all four kids played the piano and threw around some of the new footballs. JD, Liv and Adam had a dance party upstairs in my old room. This seemed to last quite a while. David cuddled with Nana before it was time for them to take off and I was able to spend time with my sister and Grampie B.
It was a controlled whirlwind of a Christmas like it is every year. After the Cranney's left, and Ad was in bed, JD and I hooked up Nana's old Nintendo 8-bit. It was old but we eventually got it to work.
The next day I went out all day with my friends from Millis and you guys had fun playing with Mom. You mostly spent time trying to beat the dragon in Super Mario Brothers! It was great for me to see my friends as always and I was happy that Adam started to perk up just a bit on this day.
We came home the next day and took down our Christmas decorations. You were both reluctant to see the tree go, but it was time. Christmas was over and as nice as it is to decorate the house at the beginning of the season, for me, it's just as nice to get it back to normal at the end.
On Saturday night the Patriots were challenged to be first team in NFL history to go 16-0. There was one other chumpy Dolphins team to win all of their games but it was in a 14 game season. I went with Chris, Tara, Chad and Ash to Chad M's house to take in the game. I have to say, it was one of the best games of any sport I had ever seen. So much fun to watch it with the guys too! To top it off, they won the game and set ton's of personal and team records.
New Years is coming next!
