Christmas 2013 in Review

We had a great Christmas!! The kids and I have been enjoying the break from school and activities, and it has been so peaceful-- especially since they have so many great new toys and projects to keep them busy! Plus, they have been getting along really well lately. I mean, they always get along. Better than most siblings, I'd say! But they do still disagree about things sometimes. And recently, they have both been pretty agreeable. It's been awesome! But back to our Christmas...

Our elf, Max, left the kids a letter on Christmas Eve morning. In it, he said they could each give him one big hug, since Santa would be picking him up that night. Anyone who knows about the Elf on the Shelf knows that you CANNOT touch the elf, or he loses his magic. So this was a very, very big deal. Niko was actually nervous! Still, they were happy to give him his hugs.

That evening, after dinner, we went out front to scatter the reindeer food that the kids had obtained at various holiday events. The idea, of course, is to attract the reindeer (and Santa) to our house. Of course, we knew he would come, anyway, but this was fun. It was actually snowing a little bit while we were out there!

Back inside, the kids got into their jammies and I took pics of the tree.

We also set out cookies and milk, then Niko left this note he had written (100% on his own-- I didn't even see it until he was done!)

We read "The Night Before Christmas" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" at bedtime. Both kids wanted to leave their blinds and curtains open so that they could keep an eye out for Santa's sleigh. Sadly, they never saw him-- both fell asleep before he came. Oh well-- maybe next year!

At 6:15 on Christmas morning, Niko came into our room to use the bathroom. He then came over and stood just inches from my sleeping face. When I (grudgingly, tiredly) acknowledged him, he blurted out, "I just can't help it! This night is just TOO LONG!" hahaha! I pulled him into bed with us and we chatted very quietly until just before 7, when he couldn't take it anymore. He went to get Maya while we got ready. Then we all went downstairs, I got some coffee, and it was time for presents!

They had a blast. They seriously LOVED each and every gift they received this year-- it was so nice! And it was made even better by the fact that they could both read the tags well enough to tell us who each gift was from. Gus and I just sat back and relaxed! They would go and get presents, then take turns opening them. We took a break for breakfast, and then got back to the present opening. I can't say it enough-- it was so nice. Just mellow and happy, sitting by the fire and watching these big kids go to town. We cleaned as we went, so it really wasn't too bad. They spent the afternoon trying on new clothes and playing with their goodies.

One of my gifts from my parents was this awesome portable hammock. It's really a backpacking hammock, and it holds up into this nifty carrying case, but it is sooooo nice! It is obviously too cold to put it outside this time of year, but I have BIG plans for relaxing on the deck this summer. Oh yes. It will be awesome! In the meantime, I've set it up in the front room, where it's toasty warm. And this is how I enjoy it... Yes. See how I'm not alone? Both kids love the hammock, but Maya thinks it's the greatest thing ever. She will climb on while I'm there and pretend she is the pilot of a plane or boat. So she takes me places (I think this time it was Hawaii?). Silly girl. She has also been known to climb in it all by herself and announce, "This is the life!" to an empty room. haha!! She is clearly my child (since the movement of the hammock makes Gus sick).

Since Christmas, we've just been relaxing, for the most part. We went to have lunch with Gus at work, and ran some errands. Gus brought home a new chicken, Barbie Q. (a Rhode Island Red), to add to the flock. She's a little younger than the others, and they were very mean to her on her first day. I guess that's normal when you add a new chicken... there's a pecking order, after all. But Barbie spent last night in our basement in the little travel cage that we have for Corky (the parrot), since the other girls won't let her in the coop. They just need to get used to her, and Gus has a plan for that. In the meantime, though, isn't she cute?