Christmas 2010 Highlights

I was going to do this two weeks ago, but I'll have to make do with only being 5 days late... If you're celebrating OLD Christmas. (It's on the Old calendar. Ask any Russian.) I should have a New New Year's Party... just for laughs. I don't have that much energy though.

Christmas was, for the most part, uneventful. I forgot to take pictures of the children with their presents... you'll have to wait for the tree pictures. They're not on the computer yet.

Savannah is completely and totally enthralled with "Little House on the Prairie". She wanted a bonnet for Christmas. Grandma Stahr made her one. (It didn't make it to the list until three days before Christmas...) She loves is, and is currently disappointed in herself for leaving it at someone's house the other day. I finished her skirt on New Year's Eve - she's worn it no less than 7 times since then. She was thrilled with the oatmeal under the tree... She loves Instant Oatmeal, so it's a treat to have it. It was gone two days later.

Margaret's skirt was under the tree... if it wasn't in the wash, she'd still be wearing it. She also got a bonnet for Christmas. She wasn't thrilled with the pajama bottoms I made her... they didn't have a shirt to go with them.

LeGrand got a toy gun for Christmas - He and Andrew went outside to shoot "nuns", and I'm really glad that it didn't take the batteries long to die. His other favorite toy was his "Ractor" that has really fun bouncy tires. He's only taken the tires off more times than he's actually played with the tractor, but it's been an adventure finding them. He loves to play with the Little People Nativity - they fit nicely into the LP bus that he has... he takes them to "Basketball games" and the Wise Men make super bus drivers. Sometimes, all the shepherds have a party on the roof of the stable with the angels. It's fun to watch LeGrand play pretend with the Little People.

Caroline wasn't all that interested in much this Christmas - except for the paper. She loves the little bug puzzle from Aunt Sheila - it's been a big hit around the house.

I took back all of the presents I got for Andrew and exchanged them for the right sizes and types... teach me to shop with a cold! And Andrew gave me some amazing Cast Iron. I find it funny that I'm thrilled by the thought of Kitchen Ware - but the bread pan makes pretty great meatloaf!

Perhaps one of the greatest things of this season was seeing the Radio City Rockettes and their beautiful interpretation of the Christmas Story. Read from the Bible. In Oregon. In a Public Performance. I was moved to tears, and very touched to have such a simple reminder. (The box seats weren't bad either! I may never attend another performance in any event without wanting that treatment... the free popcorn and sodas were a hit with Margaret and Savannah... as was the "free closet" that we had to hang our coats in.)

Christmas Eve was at our house this year, and dinner was a spectacular success. We had marvelous appetizers and home made napoleons for dessert. And I will freely admit that I broke the cardinal rule of entertaining and tried out at least three new recipes on my guests. And then thanked my lucky stars that none of them turned out like "Skurvy Pie" (that's a different story for a different day... Someday I'll post the recipe and reasons NOT to make it.)

And now... I'll close. I have dishes to do, laundry to wash fold and put away, a Christmas Tree to take down, two bedrooms to clean, Savannah to motivate in the scholastic direction, LeGrand's hair to cut, and photos to pick up before my client arrives. And sometime today, I hope to have time to breathe.