Let's Review Christmas...

This Christmas I finally did something I've wanted to do since we moved to Kentucky and had a wonderful family room in the basement. That is to have a small tree that the kids can decorate however they want. I found a cute little 4 foot tree at the dollar store. I also purchased a Santa tree topper and two strings of colored lights. Claude helped me set it up in the basement. When Hayden and Bailey arrived, they had their own tree to decorate.

Hayden even decorated the Santa tree topper. The kids tree was a success.

Hayden and Bailey each received a Christmas Eve gift from their mom and dad and a shared gift. They each received new pajamas to wear on Christmas Eve and the shared gift was a book "Charlie Brown's Christmas".

Cookies had to be decorated Christmas Eve as well so that plates could be prepared for Santa and the reindeer. We used the stencils and sprinkles again this year to decorate Christmas symbols on the tops of the cookies.

Hayden and Bailey took egg nog and cookies out for Santa and carrots out for the reindeer. We had snow from the week before on the ground and it was cold enough through the week that snow had not melted. So it was a little chilly on the Mini's making sure Santa and the reindeer would have a treat.

Hayden helped me ice a cake for dinner the next day. 

Then it was off to bed for a good nights rest before Christmas Day. During the night we would have snow and on Christmas morning when I opened the door to let Papa and Tiny in there was snow coming down. We were having a real 'white Christmas' in Sadieville, Kentucky.

I realized after all was said and done I forgot to take my picture on the stairs of who was here for Christmas. I've done this for years. I'm not sure why I forgot but the fact is, there is no picture this year of everyone on the stairs.

We told Papa the kids would be up about 7am. I knew he would arrive before that. I awoke at 6am and stepped out into the living room to be sure all was ready for us to start Christmas morning. I found my Christmas present sitting in the middle of the living room with a bright red bow on it.

A bit of history is in order here...this summer we found that the rocking chair that was my mother's parents, then my mothers and then mine was in very bad condition. It was rotten on the rocker pieces and the legs. Claude brought it inside, took it apart, and assessed the possibilities of fixing it. He knew it had great sentimental value to me. He wrestled with all kinds of possibilities of fixing it and keeping as much of it as possible. I finally told him it was okay to throw it out. I knew it was a worldly possession and it was okay to dispose of it. Claude purchased me a new rocking chair, white in color, to place on the patio. That was my wonderful gift this Christmas.

The other funny Claude tells me about was Michael laughing at him on Christmas Eve as he made the bow to go on the top. The chair is from Cracker Barrel and they provide a red ribbon and show you how to put it on the chair. Claude carefully did this just like he was told and Michael got a great deal of joy at watching his father-in-law create this bow and place it just so on this white rocker for his honey.

I went back to my bedroom and got ready for Christmas day. Then I went to check on whether Papa had arrived. Sure enough he was in the driveway waiting to be sure we were up so he didn't wake anyone. I motioned him to come in and he brought Tiny inside. She does hate the snow.

It wasn't long before Hayden figured out there was someone in the living room. His instructions the night before were to go to his parents bedroom first thing in the morning. Finding us in the living room made him hesitate in the hallway. I assured him it was okay if he came in and sat with Papa, Tiny and me.

Hayden ran in and cuddled up in my arms. Then he looked up and said, "Where are my cousins?" Bless his little heart. For all the last years that he can remember, we have had Christmas at our home and at least some of his cousins have been here. They always arrived during the night after he went to bed on Christmas Eve. We never thought to explain they weren't coming this year.

Eventually everyone awoke and we all gathered in the living room. Hayden and Bailey started us out with emptying their stockings and opening a present from Santa to them.

Hayden got a Star Wars habitat to raise a frog from a tadpole. I'm not sure what Bailey got. She is still at the point where it takes forever for her to open presents. She opens one and plays with it for a while before remembering there is another present to open. All the rest of us finished presents and much later Miss Bailey finally finished opening her last present.

After the stockings, it was time to begin the present opening. We decided to start with a special gift. Hayden made a series of pictures from the Star Wars movies. He did these just for Claude. They have been watching Star Wars together when he visits and Claude has helped explain which character is which. After he made them, Andie helped him find a box to put them in. When the Marx's arrived on Christmas Eve, Hayden had carefully carried that box in and put it under the tree. It was the first real present under the tree. So Claude opened the gift made by little hands with lots of love as the first gift opened on Christmas Day.

Tiny even got a gift. Actually, I've given her this same toy each year for the past 3 years. She always loves it.

Hayden got Bailey a unicorn pillow pet. She was so very excited and he was overjoyed at her happiness.

Here are a few pictures of the opening of other presents.

I gave Claude a flying lesson in a Cessna airplane. He really didn't just get a piece of paper.

We had lots of fun opening presents. Then the kids played with them. While they were playing Andie headed back to their bedroom for something. When she came out she said, "Were we supposed to open that box of presents in the closet?" I asked, "What box of presents?" Then I headed to the bedroom to check out this box. It was the box of presents Nissa gave me to bring back from Michigan to give to everyone. When I brought the box back from Michigan, I didn't want to take it downstairs and then bring it back up to put under the tree. So I stashed it in the guest bedroom closet. So, we had another round of opening presents from Michigan.

The kids played with toys and we started to make Christmas phone calls. We shared the silliness of the box of Christmas presents from Michigan with Nissa. Then when we were talking with Jacob I remembered I had Jake's gifts in my craft bag. While Andie talked to him I hurriedly ran to my bedroom, got the envelopes and took them to Claude and the Marx's to be opened. Geez!!! I must be getting old or something. For a bit thereafter, I was asked if I thought of any other presents I should have remembered to bring out. Such silliness.

Andie got a bright pink pig from Nissa. Miss Piggy was Andie's nickname long before there was a Muppets Miss Piggy. Bailey received a barn for her horses to play in. She promptly took Andie's pig and introduced it to the barn. After all, that is where a pig would feel most comfortable, right? Hayden and Bailey got really cute towels from Nissa that were hooded and had places for their hands to go. Bailey used hers to cover up her unicorn pillow pet. It was fun to watch everyone enjoying their gifts.

One of the gifts Hayden and Bailey received was eggs they could clean off and find bones on the inside. We gave each of them a cookie sheet to help with their paleontologist duties. Claude even sat with them to give a helping hand. Hayden did get all the bones out of his dinosaur egg and was able to make a triceratops with the bones.

There was time to visit and catch up a bit.

Claude and I got Hayden and Bailey each a tent. Bailey's was a princess tent and Hayden's was a pirates tent. Michael was good enough to put them up for the kids. It turned out that Hayden's tent had flaps that would hang over the door. Bailey's did not. Bailey really liked going inside and closing the flaps. So I found some lace fabric I had and made her flaps for her tent as well. These pictures are of the tents and the last one is of me inside the tent hand stitching the lace flaps for Bailey's tent door. Bailey is in the tent with me.

After quiet time on Christmas Day, it was time to play in all that good snow outside. Everyone but Claude bundles up in winter gear and headed out into the back yard.

Hayden needed some type of vehicle for his Darth Vader character. Hmmm...what to do. We headed to the toy closet and found that Hayden was perfectly happy with one of the plastic storage tubs. Darth Vader fit inside perfectly and the lid closed to protect him from the snow. Hayden would push that plastic box vehicle down the hill, then up the hill on the empty lot with all of us following him. Bailey would try pushing the wheel barrow.

We were joined by a neighborhood dog. Hayden seemed to enjoy playing with the dog around. Bailey...not so much.

Snow balls were made, tossed and even buried in the Bourbon barrel planters.

Michael enjoyed tussling with the kids in the snow.

Bailey and I shared a moment on the swing on the back porch.

After our romp in the snow, it was time for some hot chocolate, a TV show and some singing of Christmas songs while I played the piano. This was a great treat for me. I love playing the piano while my family sings. How fun that Hayden and Bailey now can sing while I play Christmas music.

Before bedtime, Hayden figured out that my stuffed Santa Claus fit nicely on the rocking horse. Then he proceeded to have Santa ride his 'sleigh' across the family room floor

Sunday morning was time to play with their gift from Papa. He got Hayden and Bailey coloring books that are 3-D. They put on their 3-D glasses and colored away. I got home from Church and found them totally enjoying this unique gift. They let me wear their glasses and look at their artwork. Such fun!!

Before the Marx family would head home, Hayden needed to watch one more Star Wars movie with Pa (Claude). They snuggled in the basement and watch the movie on the big screen. After the movie was over, Andie caught this cute picture of Hayden and Claude.

It was a great Christmas. We got to see all of our kids during the holiday. I was left with a puzzle to complete. But...more about that in another post.