Christmas 2009

Christmas was especially lively this year. 3 boys ages 6 and under is pretty exciting. I can't imagine what it will be like next year. The 2009 holiday season has been the year of new traditions. In addition to our new, get our tree and then have a family meal at the Waffle House tradition, we all decided to change up our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day traditions. Instead of having a big to do at Gigi's on Christmas Eve, complete with full meal and opening all presents, we decided to keep it low key and move the festivities to our house. It didn't hurt that Tucker was singing in church and Jennie was leading the Sonshine Time singers.

So, we all went to watch and then came back to our house where we prepared a hodgepodge of appetizers including gumbo, mini pork loin sandwiches, popcorn, jalapeño dip, chips and salsa, etc... Then, keeping one tradition consistent, we all opened one gift from Gigi, pajamas, and then the boys got to open up a gift to everyone which turned out to be a game that everyone in the family could play. This year, the game was Don't Break the Ice. Everyone got a turn to knock out the ice cubes and the first person who lost...you guessed it, daddy. We even had a special guest. The boys' pseudo uncle Andrew came over. He being low surgeon on the totem pole was on call and had no family in town. We were all excited have him join us. I think the boys thought that was part of their Christmas.

After this, it was time for Daddy to read Twas the Night Before Christmas and get the boys to bed. They were all pretty willing considering Santa Claus couldn't come until they were nestled all snug in their beds with visions of...you know the rest. After this, and several hours of preparation, Momma grabbed her kerchief and I grabbed my cap and we settled in for a...ok, I'll stop with that.

The next morning, it happened again. That jolly old elf didn't forget our boys and had brought lots of things for them. Tucker got his LEGO Indiana Jones II game for the Wii and Houston got a Lightening McQueen bike. Poor David got some great stuff too, but as soon as he picked something up to play with, The Bomb would come over and relieve him of it. The biggest surprise was the basketball goal Santa left in the carport. We could not figure out how he could have gotten that to our house that night. I mean, it was pouring down rain and that goal is extremely heavy and almost impossible to maneuver, especially when wet. Must have been some more of his magic.

Soon, Gigi and Poppa arrived and Momma made pancakes and sausage biscuits. After we finished and Tucker finally asked for the 100th time if we could, we moved into the big room to open all the gifts. Lots more things for everyone highlighted (in my unbiased, humble opinion) by the powder blue cruiser bike that Daddy bought for Mommy. Now she could take a bike ride with all three boys if only someone had a little bike trailer that David would fit in we could borrow (ah hem!!).

Then, it was a day full of shooting baskets, throwing washers, flying a helicopter, watching Toy Story, playing Wii, pushing trucks and trailers back and forth across the floor and for Momma, never sitting down. She was busying around preparing the full meal for that night. Gigi and Poppa came back over and we had ham, turkey, broccoli casserole, hash brown casserole, etc...the works. It was fine, but as usual, yours truly ate too much and was miserable for an hour or two afterwards. Why don't I have any will power?

It was really a good Christmas. It gets hectic at times and Daddy really has to work on his patience, but we all realize these are good times we are in and to see the smiles on these boys' faces really makes it all worth it.