Christmas Memories 2011

I already miss it! 

Settling into bed the night before Christmas Eve and dashing out of it nineteen minutes later when I remember that I forgot to prepare the ham.

Pajama day at preschool.

Spreading reindeer food (oatmeal, sprinkles) on the lawn.

Watching and singing along with the Elmo’s Christmas Countdown movie.

Matching kid pajamas on Christmas morning. 

Covering the toy shelf with a table cloth to put party food on top. 

Green, white, and red paper garland on the stairs.

The one time of the year I can wear candy cane striped socks and an apron with a reindeer on it without worrying about the fashion ramifications. 

Tracking Santa on Nomad throughout the day.

Trying out new recipes (wontons!).

Sam being passed from one warm lap to another for three days of celebrations. 

Matthew enjoying the day with his nine-year-old cousin Jack as this is the first year their interests synched up (sports and Star Wars).

Sammy playing in piles of wrapping paper.

The way the adults call wrapping paper, wrapping paper paper after what Matthew called a wrapping paper fight a couple Christmases ago.

Matthew sleeping with his new football jersey.  

The playbook wristband Bob bought for Matthew and then took the time to draw real Patriots plays inside of it. It was one of his best gifts this year!

That our house looks like a toy tornado tore through it.

Matt presenting his grandfather with the gift of Shark’s ticket something he planned on his own for weeks. 

Matthew asking Bob:

                If Tom Brady’s dad drives him to school?

                If Tom Brady shares a bagel with Wes Welker?

                If Tom Brady sleeps in his jersey?

    If Tom Brady wears jammies?

Even More Mattisms

Then the caterpillar turns into either a butterfly or a mom.

Me: I think that you mean moth.

I am not hungry anymore. My belly is sleeping.

We saw the jacket that you wanted but it was too many dollars so Dad put it back.

Sammy’s Jedi mind ticks are making me open my eyes!

I am not a cookie (in response to being called a smart cookie).

Hey what is the idea? What is the idea down here? (Instead of saying, what is the big idea?)

Me: The secret ingredient is nutmeg

Matt: Did you say nothing?

Me: Nutmeg.

Matt: Oh! Nutmeg.

Mom, remember that you are supposed to be quiet now because I am sleeping?

Me: Do you remember what the secret ingredient was called?
Matt: Egg ham?

(Upon leaving a family Xmas party) Everyone likes me there!

Making Cookies

Making Christmas cookies is one of our favorite holiday traditions. This dates back to the early years of our relationship. Of course in those days the jars of sprinkles lasted a lot longer. Years even!

”This cookie will be the one for Santa!” Matthew announced holding up the cookie with the most candy, chocolate chips, and crushed candy canes on it. 

Santa Visit

When Matthew was two- years-old we went to an amusement park called Santa’s village one summer. There in the middle of thing was good ole Saint Nick. Matthew’s face crumpled into tears as he had not been expecting to see him there that day. The idea of a man always watching and sneaking into his home while he was sleeping frightened him. 

This year he could not wait to see Santa to tell him the things that he wanted and even donned his own red hat for the occasion. He stood a cautious distance away upon our turn in line. 

Santa:  Are you Santa or am I Santa?

Matthew: I am!

Santa: Then where are your reindeer and your sleigh?

Matthew: I don’t know?

Santa: What would you like for Christmas?

Matthew: Bat Castle.

Santa: What else would you like?

Matthew: I don’t know?

Speaking of people who are round and jolly, Sammy sat on his lap without any fuss and enjoyed wrapping her fingers around his soft and bright beard hair. 

Her first and his fourth trip to visit Santa was a success!

5 Months!

It was here a minute ago

Was up all night getting her hair to look like that

For as long as we knew she existed we were counting on our fingers how old she would be by Christmas. We knew that she would be five months before we knew if she was going to be a girl or a boy, if her name would definitely be Samantha, or whether she would be a Sam or Sammy. Now it’s Christmas time and Sammy is rolling both ways, putting toys in her mouth, crinkling paper, trying to sit up on her own, sticking out her tongue by way of a greeting (a lot!), eating bananas, peas, and sweet potato, and laughing at the age of five months. What this baby lacks in sleeping through the night skills she makes up for with her sweet personality.

Snowmen At Night

The books

Cutting out Darth Vader alarm clock

Story hour with Sammy

Our Snowmen | Lego Star Wars At Night

We first heard the book Snowmen At Night during my blissful stint of unemployment during story hour at Borders one Thursday morning. Matthew and his friend Celia were Sammy’s age and sat on our laps while Melanie and I drank hot cocoa meant for the children old enough to do a craft after the story. After story hour we would often lay out a blanket in the history section and let the kids roll around while we chatted over our second (paid for) cups of cocoa.

Nowadays I am at work on Thursday mornings and Borders has closed. We still have our happy memories and a collection of books leftover from our Thursday morning story hour days. Determined to give Sammy a similar experience, we did a Snowmen At Night story hour in our home, followed by a craft. She fell asleep and Matthew was sidetracked cutting out things from the magazine he wanted instead of creating a nighttime scene for his snowman. Things didn't go exactly as I had planned but it was still an enjoyable time!

Barn Photo Shoot

I do not dislike horse but I never imagined I would spend a cold December morning watching my four-year-old ride one. My mom and horse enthusiast asked me to come to the barn to take pictures of her horse Hunter for her holiday card. I took approximately four unfocused pictures before Matthew was fitted for a helmet and hoisted up onto the horse. He was led around the rink; his face serious at first before gradually relaxing into a smile. After two laps around the rink he helped brush hunter and fed him a carrot. I asked if he had fun on the horse and he told me that it was “so cool and awesome”.