Christmas Morning

Our house usually is up and {reluctanctly} going at about 5:30 am.  We used to think it was bad that Joseph woke up religiously at 6:30 am. Abigail has upped the ante.  Marc wanted to make sure that we  didn't have an extra early morning on Christmas so on Christmas Eve he gave Joseph a digital clock to keep by his bed, with the firm instruction, "Stay in your room until the clock says 6:00."  At 12:36 I was awoken by a frantically whispering Joseph by my bedside. "Mom, mom. It is past 12.  12 comes after 6!"  He thought he'd slept right through Christmas!

We all ended up surviving the night, though, I think waking up every hour to check the clock! 

 Joseph had a LEGO Christmas! 

 All week before Christmas, Joseph has been slipping his artwork into our stockings so we had lots of treasures on Christmas morning.

 Abigail was having so much fun trying to dive into all of the presents, we pulled up her high chair so she could breakfast through some of the gift opening.

 Grandma Charlotte sent a book that has her voice recorded reading to the children.  I confess I love getting to hear my mom's voice everytime I push the button as much as the kids do!

Joseph got right to work building legos!

Abigail climbed onto her favorite perch to play with her new little music box.

Joseph also took some photos of his completed legos. Pretty neat shot, I thought.

After gifts and playing and breakfast, and a phone call to family in Missouri, we headed off to church and then to Grandma Donna and Grandpa Lincoln's to spend the afternoon with Grandma, Grandpa, Rachel, Elizabeth, John, Gwen, and Lucy eating and chatting and playing even more. There was even a little voluntary napping from my children who had been up most of the night!

A very merry Christmas!

December 25, 2011

Christmas Eve

This was our first year to stay home for Christmas. 

What did we do?

We played.

At the Oliphant Family Christmas party on the 23rd, Aunt Joyce and Uncle Dave gave Joseph a race track, so the morning of Christmas Eve was like a Christmas morning preview with "some assembly required" and lots of playing. We also took a brisk walk to the library and stopped at the elementary school playground. Joseph put me through the recess obstacle course; I didn't do too badly!

We relaxed.

 

We cooked.
This summer in our garden, Marc planted pie pumpkins.  During the day on Christmas Eve, Joseph and Marc cooked a couple pumpkins from our garden that we've been saving.  Then I turned the pumpkin puree into pies!

We enjoyed our neighbors.

• We invited Bob over for our big meal at lunchtime--burritos with homemade beans, fresh salsa and guacamole.
• Our Philippino neighbors invited us to their celebration that begins after midnight mass. We passed because of the kiddos, but they brought us a big bowl of the delicious soup they traditionally eat at midnight.
• We had a playdate at the park with our Egyptian neighbors (one of Joseph's classmates and her family). They later stopped by with a traditional Egyptian dessert, kanafeh, fresh from the oven.  
• On our walk home from the park, one of our neighbors was setting up his observatory (apparently this size is too big to be called a telescope). He invited us back when it was dark for a viewing. Joseph (in his jammies) and Marc took him up on it while the sugar plums were already dancing in Abigail's head.

We celebrated the meaning of Christmas.
We sang Christmas songs, Joseph read us the Christmas story from the children's scripture reader, and we drank egg nog by candlelight.  Marc's family also stopped by to carol to us and bring us a heaping plate of Grandma Donna's homemade goodies.

December 24, 2011

Merry Christmas!

We have tried to simplify. Marc and I are not exchanging gifts. We spent less than $5 between the two children.  How is it possible that our tree can look like this? Joseph says thank you to all those extended family members who are not buying into the simplify hype!

Merry Christmas! 

December 23, 2011

Oliphant Family Christmas Party

Marc's entire family was here for Christmas this year. His parents hosted an Oliphant Family Christmas Party--complete with a delicious dinner, acting out the nativity, singing carols, and opening presents-- which kicked off our Christmas weekend.  Gwen already blogged about the party, and since her pictures are far superior to mine,  I intended to send you to her blog until I realized it is a private blog. So instead, I'll "borrow" her pictures.
About an hour before the party started, Abigail took her first big tumble and got an ugly goose egg on her head.  Everyone was very sad about it (I had both Joseph and Abigail crying in my arms), but our little girl is tougher than she looks.  She cheered up and had a wonderful time at the party (she begins kicking her legs in excitement the minute she sees Grandma Donna and Grandpa Lincoln's house), even if we ended up being a little later than we expected.

Uncle John, Joseph and Lucy

Joseph the Shepherd

John and Gwen as Joseph and Mary with Lucy as Baby Jesus



Aunt Joyce makes a dramatic angel!

And Missy and even more dramatic star.

December 23, 2011

Christmas Break

For eleven whole days, this guy is all mine!  Can't wait!

December 17, 2011

Caroling

The highlight of my Christmas season this year was the Kigin's caroling party we went to last night.  The weather was warm, the food was delicious, and the Christmas spirit was abundant. I had a couple favorite moments:  when Joseph wanted to sing a solo and then proceeded to belt out a Kwanzaa song he learned in kindergarten. Makes a mama proud--and gives her some great laughs!  My other favorite moment was watching Colleen Kigin join an elderly lady up on the porch as we sang to her. Colleen hugged her and sang with her--brought tears to my eyes. That Colleen sure knows how to show love to all around her! I feel lucky we got to be in her path of love last  night. 

**All photos in this post are courtesy of Colleen Kigin
The Oliphants have been friends with the Kigins forever! Apparently the caroling party is a long standing tradition, but this was my first year. The Kigins take this very seriously: booklets with words to all the music and flashlights to see by, and antlers or Santa hats for all (they even had Abigail's size, but she wasn't interested). 

Joseph popped a Reeses peanut butter cup into his mouth right before this picture.  Love that boy!

I love this candid shot that caught us all adoring little Abigail.

We caroled throughout the neighborhood--to people the Kigins knew and people they didn't. Sometimes people came out of their houses and waited on their porches for us to make it to their house.  And one mother and her three-year-old joined us after we stopped at their house. Joseph got to ring the doorbell at the houses, ring the jingle bells, and give out candy canes.

And, of course, Joseph made friends everywhere we went.

December 20, 2011

National Christmas Tree

We visited the National Christmas tree and Santa's workshop. Even though our kids don't believe in Santa, it is fun to sit on his lap and go through the Santa's workshop--complete with a toy conveyor belt and naughty-or-nice-o-meter.

Merry Christmas!

December 19, 2011

Kindergarten Holiday Songs

Joseph's kindergarten class sang a "selection of holiday songs" at the local grocery store.  They sang a Christmas "Las Posadas" song in Spanish, a Hannukah song, a Kwanzaa song, and finished with Jingle Bells. Joseph sang his little heart out.  I had several people comment on what a "performer" he is; indeed.  Many of the children didn't know the words or shyly sang here and there. Not Joseph! He knew all the words and his whole body was into the music.  The  hilarious moment was when they were singing Jingle Bells and Joseph led his whole section in the wrong verse.  The music teacher was no competition to Joseph!  It ended up sounding kind of like a round--very cute!

This is the best picture I could get of him while juggling Abigail. 

Here's a video. It really doesn't do it justice, but you get the idea.

December 19, 2011

Botanic Garden Train Display

One of our favorite D.C. Christmas traditions is the Botanic Garden. The poinsettas, the train display, the lights, the artistic creations out of plant matter (acorn cap cups for fairies anyone?). It is magical.

This year, we went on a Saturday so Marc could go with us. It was a little more crowded, but worth the wait!

December 17, 2011

Ready for Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

December 18, 2011

Christmas Dates

This year Marc and I have gotten to go on several Christmas dates. Thanks to Donna, Rachel, and Elizabeth for each taking a babysitting night! 

On December 1, we went to see A Christmas Carol at Ford's Theater.   We really loved it--beautiful, intimate venue, fantastic music, and of course a timeless message. At the end, the cast took collections for a local organization, Miriam's Kitchen, which I thought was a fitting way to honor the meaning of the show.
We forgot our camera to snap a picture, and the photo we took with my old-school flip phone is terrible. But it was a perfect night, I love being the city at Christmas with all the decorations and twinkling lights.  And we capped off the night with our first trip (of many yet to come) to Fro-Yo. 



Then, on December 8, we went to see the National Tree, Santa's Workshop, and just walk around downtown.

Santa's List

The toy workshop

 We enjoyed walking around the city (see the White House through the gate behind us?)  And then came home for hot chocolate with Elizabeth who had kindly our little Christmas angels.


On December 10, we went to see Handel's Messiah performed by the National Philharmonic at Strathmore.  It was pretty amazing--stunning venue, great seats, beautiful voices, and an unbelievable piece of music.

I had been at school for almost 12 hours that day, and Marc picked me up from my building and we headed out.  We were in a rush and stopped for dinner at a taco truck in Silver Spring at a gas station we passed. That is so perfectly "us"--all dressed up and eating tacos and pupusas and drinking atol de elote.  Aunt Rachel watched the kids, and she & Aunt Elizabeth even took them to the ward Christmas party.