Merry Christmas...

All pictures are now in. I'm sitting in front of the television with my hubby and my father. My father has been very, very sick and we brought him out to stay with us while he heals. I must also include Tiny in this little group. She is Papa's little dog and adds her own bit of fun to the evening. There has been a series of snow flurries today so there is a covering of snow on the ground. It is an nice time to snuggle inside a warm home and create and post the Christmas Blog. Away we go...

The festivities started Friday late afternoon when Jake arrived first followed shortly by the Marx family. The Mini's came dressed in their reindeer stocking hats Andie made last year. Hayden was wearing a T-Santasaurus shirt and Bailey was sporting a blue tail with white polka dots.

Bailey actually plays with this deer all year. She pretends it is Bambi. The train only comes out at Christmas. Clever Bailey used the reindeer to pull the train.

Hayden brought a game we enjoyed playing together. We had to fudge on some of the rules because Gramma can't move as fast as Hayden. But it was great fun.

I love when the kids enjoy the Christmas tree.

Bailey wanted Christmas singing so we headed to the basement. With a little help from Ma (me) Bailey was able to play and we sang. Bailey and Hayden danced while I played and they sang. Great fun!!

While we slept, Chippy made his appearance Friday night. Chippy is an elf that comes to your home each morning. He observes your behavior during the day and reports back to Santa at night. Then he reappears the next morning somewhere else in your home. The kids love looking to see where Chippy will appear. They were delighted he was hanging from string across the kitchen on Saturday morning.  Andie and I were delighted he remained hanging all day on Saturday and did not fall down.

Bailey was able to really help Claude fix breakfast with her enhanced capabilities by wearing that blue polka dot tail.

Claude patiently sat as a king while Hayden made him the tallest crown a king could ever want.

Hayden snorkled in the whirlpool tub. I mean really, this tub is a lovely feature in our home and it is only used for the kids to play in like a pool.

Bailey found the glass tree full of chocolates. Christmas is all about eating more sugar that you should ever eat. Well, maybe Halloween is a close rival.

Bailey already used my hands on the piano. Thus, it is only fair that she use Pa's (Claude's) feet for walking.

Then it was time to decorate cookies for Santa Claus. Now, I made these at least 3 other times this Christmas. They are very simple. It actually comes from a recipe I had to decorate the top of a cupcake. I needed cookies, not cupcakes. I simply made sugar cookie dough from a sugar cookie mix, rolled the dough out and cut it into 2 inch circles. Bake and cool.

The decoration is made with red sugar for the hat, marshmallows cut in half for the trim on the hat and the beard and miniature M&M's for the nose and eyes.

To get the sugar on just part of the cookie, I put the sugar in a little dish, held an index card so there was a gentle curve to it with one hand and sprinkled the red sugar with the other hand. Then I cut five marshmallows in half. Ideally the red sugar would curve so four halves of marshmallow would serve as the fur trim on Santa's hat. The next half a marshmallow would be placed at the edge like the fur pompom on the bottom of Santa's hat. Then two and one-half marshmallows make up the beard.

The eyes would best be done with the blue or green M&M's. The nose should be the red M&M. However, when working with children, I find it best to let their imaginations go to work. Andie, who is an adult with children, made one with yellow eyes to be like a Star Wars character. Hayden recognized her effort right away. Bailey, sweet Bailey, used two M&M's for the nose. Curious about this I inquired of our little darling why two noses. She simply pointed at my face and noted I had two nostrils in my nose. Question answered...Bailey made her some with two noses which were really the nostrils. Hayden loved combining colors for eyes and nose and not holding with tradition.

Sandi and Bailey hands

Since Christmas fell on a Sunday this year and since Church started at 9:30am on Sunday morning and since I was playing the organ and had to leave our home at 8:30am, we determined to open all presents between family members on Saturday evening. We would put cookies and eggnog out for Santa and carrots and apples out for reindeer Saturday night. Then we would open what Santa left on Sunday morning before Church. Let's just say that Hayden and Bailey had no problem with this plan. It also allowed us to have Papa with us for the opening of presents.

Papa and Tiny

Me (Sandi)

Bailey opening light saber from Hayden. Hayden and Andie in background.

Jake opens twisties from Nissa.

Jake opening NASA shirt.

Michael opening card from Hayden

Claude holding flag Hayden made.

Hayden holding painting he made of an angel. The body is his foot print.
The wing is his hand print. The hair is his finger print.

Now we could play with the new toys.

Michael and Hayden in light saber battle. Claude and Bailey watch.

Michael and Hayden make Hogwarts Lego game.

Sandi and Bailey making puzzle.

Evening was coming to an end. Time to get the treats out for Santa and those weary reindeer.

Hayden signing the note to Santa.

Bailey setting out carrots and apple for reindeer.

After a good nights rest, we were up and ready to find out if Santa made it to Eagle Bend.  But first we kept the tradition of a picture on the stairs of everyone in our home on Christmas morning. This year we had an extra treat. Andie and Michael were taking pictures of 'Flat Caitlyn'. Caitlyn is the daughter of Chuck and Amy Grenfell. Chuck is a friend of Michael's from college. We added 'Flat Caitlyn' and the picture taken of Chuck on our stairs in Maryland when he had Christmas with us before he ever met or married Amy. Neat!!

From Top to Bottom: Claude, Jake, Bailey, Andie, Michael holding Flat Caitlyn and Chuck, and Hayden.

Santa did indeed find Hayden and Bailey. They enjoyed opening their gift from Santa and their stockings.

Off to Church we headed. We had a nice Christmas program. Afterward we asked one of our friends to take a picture of all of us in our Sunday duds.

This last weekend Aubrey and Paul returned from Christmas with their dad. They opened their presents on Saturday evening. 

It's been a good Christmas covering three weekends of family visits. Merry Christmas 2011!!