Pajama Party Christmas

After spending precious time with Sid and Marcia, Wade and I took our two whippersnappers to Blackwell to spend the remainder of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with Papa and Grandma Ward. And Uncle Omar, Aunt Ann, and Cousin Molly. Oh, Cousin Molly. How Henry loves you...and all the rest of us too.

In Cushing, Marcia surprised the family with a Kindle Fire. (Thank you, Marcia!) And boy is it flaming hot! We are all in love. Especially the men in my life...who are ADDICTED to Angry Birds. Sam, who is only two, already has it mastered and enjoyed teaching Omar his tricks. 

 

 

Henry planted himself on Grandma's lap to work on his slingshot technique.

 

 

 

 

Don't let his dimple fool you, he can really be quite mean.

 

 

Christmas morning...Henry was over the moon excited to discover what Santa brought

 

 

He got his dragon

 

 

And Sam, his dinosaur and groceries

 

 

And Rock'em Sock'em Robots...believe it or not, Henry came up with this request all on his own.

 

 

 

After breaking in the critters, groceries and robots, it was time to delve into the stockings

 

 

 

 

Sam wasn't quite ready for stockings...he was still having way to much fun growling and imagining he was akin to his dinosaur

 

 

 

Although, once he came to undestand there may be candy planted deep inside his stocking, he quickly changed his mind. Mmmm...more groceries!

 

 

Rock'em Sock'em!

 

 

Baby Molly must have been a good girl too. Santa showered her with new books, bath toys and a pink piggy.

 

 

We're not sure if she enjoyed the pig or the tag more?

 

 

 

Grandma and Papa surprised the boys with their first (notice I said "first") basketball goal. Was it cruel to have been relieved that we couldn't fit it inside our car to bring home? If we had brought it home, it would likely have taken the place of my coffee table...at least for the first few weeks that followed. As it stands, I now have time to make a spot for it in the playroom or better yet, the garage. 

 

 

As far as gifts go, Cousin Molly outdid herself. Truly. The boys are already hard at work on your new doll house, Molly.

 

 

 

 

 

Because a boy can never have too many dinosaurs

 

 

Or Disney

 

 

Assisting Molly with her gifts

 

 

A carpet picnic in the piano room

 

 

 

 

Molly and Henry were inseperable. Everywhere Molly crawled, Henry ran. And everywhere Henry ran, Molly crawled.

 

 

 

 

 

Poor Sam was like the middle child. Picnicing on his own and careful to squeal anytime he felt he was being neglected with too little attention.

 

 

 

Lucky for us, Sam still naps. And even luckier for us. So does Papa. What they don't know while napping, can't hurt them.

 

 

We all love to hear Grandma play. After eight years of lessons myself, I had hoped to be able to play at least half as well. But alas, I sadly have little to show for my eight years.

 

 

Distracted with his balloon. Or perhaps working on his lungs...preparing to sing alongside Grandma.

 

 

La, la, la, la...

 

 

Or, perhaps not

 

 

 

Move over Beethoven

 

 

 

 

 

On December 25, the boys woke to a white Christmas (okay, a white dusting), and that night, they bid Christmas farewell...wearing the same pajamas they had started the day in. It was a good day.

 

Let the Good Times Roll

Christmas Eve morn with Papaw and Mamaw Shaw

 

Notice Sam's look of frustration...and that bottom jaw...darn wrapping paper

 

And his brow just became increasingly furrowed

 

While Sam continued working on the wrapping paper and tape, Henry begged me to assemble Hungry Hungry Hippos. We had to play several rounds before Henry would open a second gift.

 Finally, Sam reached the Jumbo Farm Animals

Gift Numero Dos. The castle Henry had been eyeballing at Wal-Mart for the past six months. Thank you, Mamaw and Papaw. The grin still hasn't left his face.

And while the blue knights defended Camelot, Sam rearranged tree ornaments

Henry was careful to thank his Mamaw multiple times for her generosity...and her love

 

The next series of pictures explains perfectly, the challenge of photographing two toddlers simultaneously

 

I love Sid's expression here. Can you tell he's given up?

After finally throwing in the picture towel

 

A Crafty Christmas

Yes, I'm FINALLY getting around to updating you on the last half of December. The month was full of excitement, imagination and wonder. And the season, certainly merry.

 

Unfortunately, my brain failed and I forgot the boys' cards the day of their Christmas parties...which also happened to be the last day of school until after break. I suppose the cards and coloring pages can go into their scrapbook instead. Apologies, teachers. We were thinking of you, and had good intentions!

 

Here are a few of my favorites from the evening...

 

Blue Christmas Elf by Sam

 

 

Rudolf by Henry

 

Henry's Christmas card to Ms. Amanda

(The gray shape in the upper right corner is a Christmas tree...just in case you couldn't tell.)

 

 

This night may have been my favorite. Just the four of us, at home, with homemade Santa cookies, hot chocolate, and a "carpet picnic".

 

 

 

For this not-so-crafty mom, craft night was bound to be kaotic and messy. We had paint smeared on our faces and hands, glitter in our hair, and salt dough in every crack and crease from head to toe.

 

Sam's sweet hand

 

 

Henry's hand, which he proudly spread over the entire plate

 

 

They each selected their own paint colors and glitter. Such artists.

 

 

Sorry, Papa Bo...much like Henry and Sam's teachers, these cards didn't make it to you either. Sigh.

 

This may have been Henry's favorite book under the tree.

 

 

Papa and Grandma Shaw were with us the evening we read about the birth of Jesus, which made the night extra special. Sam volunteered to pray...passerbys might have thought he had the gift of tongues. He was ecstatic to pray, and spoke so fast, you could hardly make out a word. Sid calls him a Dutchman.

 

Can you tell that by the end of the month I was running short on calendar activity ideas?

 

 

Other books that lay wrapped under the tree...

 

 

 

 

 

December 23: Bake a birthday cake for Jesus

 

This was actually Henry's idea. He was determined to bake a strawberry birthday cake for Jesus. His first choice was a "moose cake", similar to what he had on his birthday. Unfortnately, I didn't have the strength or tools to recreate this birthday masterpiece...

 

 

 December 24: Attend a Christmas Eve service

 

Christmas Eve we packed the car and headed to Cushing to share breakfast with Sid and Marcia. Then, we galivanted to Blackwell to spend Christmas Eve with my parents. The boys were overjoyed to spend time with both sets of grandparents on Christmas Eve. It was a wonderful Christmas indeed.

 

December 25: Merry Christmas!



 

This Christmas, Henry's wish came true. Although sparse, we did get a white Christmas. For whatever reason, Henry is convinced that snow means Christmas. This means that if it snows again in February, it is Christmas again. Perhaps we should leave our tree up until April, just in case?