Christmas Morning 2007

We have had a lovely morning here at home with the kids. We are making some new traditions the four of us that I am really loving. As a kid my dad always read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas on Christmas eve and I have such special memories of those times. Of course SJ and I are continuing that with our kids. A few years ago we started giving them special Christmas Eve PJs which is essentially a first gift the night before Christmas. The last thing SJ and I do before we got to bed is to hang two Christmas Pickles. They are glass ornaments that look like pickles and they are to be hidden deep in the tree for the children to find on Christmas morning. Traditionally only one is hung and whoever finds it gets an extra present. Me, I can't handle disappointment tantrums on Christmas for a number of reasons so we hang two. When all the presents are opened we sit down for a Panettone French Toast breakfast complete with "Bucks Fizz" (mimosa). This year I put the "pickle gifts" on the table as decoration and then when the kid were done I sent them off to find the pickles on the tree. It was a nice way for SJ and I have to have some quiet time at the table while the kids were hunting for those pickles. Whoever is the first to find a pickle gets to choose which (wrapped) mystery gift they want. The second to find it gets what's left. They are always equal gifts. We will continue this breakfast tradition from now on.

I am in the midst of preparing an English Trifle for Christmas dessert and have made my first custard. Hope its good...

I am hoping to be better about posting pictures and news as I know I have been delinquent lately. Don't miss our Winter slide show below!

Winter Fun!

We have been blessed with 2.5 feet of snow in the past two weeks. I happen to love snow so I see it as a good thing when so many of the people around me are cursing the white stuff. The kids have had a ball! Last week they made their first snowman of the season. We also made our family trip to the Boston Ballet's Nutcracker and then later that evening we went caroling with about 30 of our neighbors. There was hot cocoa and cookies for the kids and beverages a bit stronger for the grown-ups. I swear the kids nearly rolled up and down the street over the snowbanks. Mid-way through the street we were invited into a home for mulled wine and appetizers. The end of the evening was capped off with "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", "Grand Old Flag", and "Happy Birthday" as my friend's husband was celebrating his birthday that night and will soon be deployed. In case Miss Darcy is reading this- a big thank you to you for organizing such a fun fun fun night!

First this then I'll get to the good stuff...

We have had a lovely few weeks since Thanksgiving with us first being in birthday mode and then Christmas mode. Usually I find this time of year to be totally hectic and nearly impossible to manage as I said here last year, but for some reason things this year seem to be joyously under control.

Before I share all that other good stuff, I'd like to start with a quiz.

Based on the following 3 pictures, can you guess what happened last night at our house?








Yep, L tossed her cookies at 11:15 pm last night a swift 60 minutes after my eyelids closed and proceeded to puke every half hour until 6:30 am today. SJ and I sat with her in shifts but really the only one who got any sleep was her brother B. I am now waiting for the other other shoe to drop...who's going to get it next????? Much to SJ's amusement I greeted the morning by walking around the house humming Christmas songs and liberally spraing this....





I have mixed feelings about who will be next in the house to fall victim b/c I could stand to lose 5 lbs but really hate throwing up. We'll see what the fates have in store for us!