‘Tis the Season y’all, and I wish my house would just magically appear decorated like this lovely gingerbread house. Sadly that is not the case, and instead I spend the better part of a week making things merry. One thing I’ve learned from my MANY moves is that the Christmas items you have in one house don’t necessarily go in another house. I find places to put some of my favorite items, but for this house in particular, nothing seems quite right. So, since we’re selling this one and moving, guess I’d better just scrap it all and start over right? *John dies a little inside when he reads that….serves him right for his “love” of moving:-)*
But, you know what does NOT change from house to house….the children’s love of all things Christmas. Visiting Santa is no exception and for the second straight year we went to the magical North Pole recreation at the Cherry Creek Mall. Because Santa loves Neiman Marcus too, and Mrs. Claus desperately needed a new Gucci purse. Now, this simulation of the North Pole has really been elevated to the next level. When I was a kid, Santa sat in a chair made of candy canes next to a fake Christmas tree. Maybe there was a plastic reindeer. These days, it’s a full interactive experience with elves to guide you through the “exhibit” and a room where actual snow falls from the ceiling. You know, because we live in Colorado and never see snow. But, look at the pure joy on these little faces…..(I know you can’t because the photographer sucks).
Now, the purpose of going to visit Santa is to be sure you give him your list of wants and to reinforce that you belong on the “Good” list for the year. No one takes this more seriously than Reese. She spent a good portion of an afternoon revising her list and laying out her argument for her most desired gift….a hoverboard. In the end, even though she said it is not our opinion, Santa and I (in conjunction with Reese’s pediatrician) decided that a hoverboard was a terrible idea.
I’ll give you one guess as to what’s on Walter’s Christmas list. He sat in the pantry and stared at those cheese balls for 2 hours. I should confess that I am the one that created that monster.
The month of December also brings back our very naughty elf, Crystal, who manages to make messes and mischief all month long.
I love throwing parties, and have always wanted to throw a Santa Brunch for the kids and their friends. So, even though it could not have been a busier time, I decided to make it happen before they were too old to care and I was forced to sit around and eat all of the snowmen and reindeer donuts myself. So, we invited a few of our neighborhood and school friends to come over on a Saturday morning in their jammies for some food, some games and some cookie decorating. It was super fun because of the kids mimosas. I hope to make it an annual tradition, even if it just means me and the dogs watching Hallmark movies in our jammies with an open bottle of Prosecco. Brunch comes in many forms.
Seriously….look at that face. The Christmas joy doesn’t get any better than this, and because mom was smart enough to have the cookie decorating OUTSIDE, there were zero tears.
With about a week to go before Christmas, I found myself with not a single gift purchased and no plan for food and drink. So, what did I do? Took a nap with Cooper of course.
That same day, after my nap, GP showed up to teach Malory how to play cards. By the looks of this picture, I fear for his safety. I am happy to report that several rounds of slap jack were played, and no one got hurt.
Remember when I said that I had no plan for food or drink for the masses?? Well, I procrastinated for at least 5 more days after that. And, that is how I found myself shopping on Christmas Eve Day, along with 600 of my closest friends. Seriously, this is a picture of the checkout lanes at King Soopers. You can’t even see the checkout because I am a full 10 people back, and I chose the shortest line. If KS were a smart company, they would serve Mimosas in line.
But, I made it home with supplies just in time for the girls to get busy making cookies for Santa and his crew. (Does the look on Malory’s face scare the daylights out of anyone else? Clearly not Reese).
Meanwhile, all of the peoples descended upon the house and we commenced with the traditional Feast of the 7 Fishes….except that we’re not Italian and it may have been more like one fish, 3 shellfish, and some crackers. Whatever.
Afterward, the kids talked Nana into a game of Lolz, which is where you put a plastic speculum in your mouth and then attempt to say phrases that are written on cards. It’s a favorite in our house and after multiple cocktails, is a sure way to get a giggle fit out of Nana.
Off to bed we went, so that Santa could come and bring Reese something besides a hoverboard. One of the things I am most thankful for in life is that my kids sleep late. Truth be told, I made them that way from birth, but I relished the fact that they did NOT get me up before 5 to see what Santa had delivered. Instead, I got to enjoy a cup of coffee and scroll through Facebook laughing at all of my friends who’s kids had been up for hours…..
When the kids did finally wake up around 8, we leisurely opened a few gifts. Malory was not amused by the boxes and boxes of clothes she received from me and her dad. Each time she opened a new box, she said “I do NOT need any more clothes.” Thankfully, Aunt Sarah came to the rescue with her most desired gift from her list….a pug stuffie and a Unicorn stuffie, combined in one! A Pugicorn if you will. Note: I have rented a storage space to house all of the stuffed animals we have ever owned. I am saving them for Lee and Sarah’s future children because they do not listen to me when I request no more. I will have the last laugh.
I have no photo evidence of Reese’s face when she realized that she did not get a hoverboard. Santa came through with another of her long-desired items, a hermit crab. Three actually. Papa took quite a liking to the little buggers and spent the better part of the day researching hermit crabs on Google. He’s a wealth of knowledge.
Meanwhile, this year I decided to give Jackson fewer gifts and instead take him on an adventure. The little man has long been a fan of Harry Potter, and a few months back I saw a segment on the Today show about the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child show on Broadway in New York City. Each time I’ve been to the Big Apple I’ve thought about how cool it will be to take my kids there for the first time, and decided this was a perfect opportunity. So, I bought show tickets and booked a flight and hotel for January. And because of his intense FOMO, John decided to come along. This picture of Jackson opening the gift cracks me up, because John could not look more disinterested. “Oh look, my cuticles could use some attention.”
Later in the day, our cousins arrived and we opened more gifts. Charlie thinks he received the best gift of all in the form of a bone from the standing rib roast. He carried it around all day and growled if anyone got within a 20 foot radius. I sometimes feel the same way with a glass of wine.
After Christmas was cleaned up and the the recycle trucks had cleared our driveway, we still had one more celebration to attend. Our Fort Morgan family hosted us for an annual Bagna Cauda feast. If you don’t know what that is, well I’m not surprised. I grew up in a valley filled with Italian families, and they have a special dish that is designed to clear out an entire room and ensure that no one will get within 15 feet of you for days. But, boy is it delicious! In essence, it’s a gravy made with three HEADS of garlic, several cans of anchovies, and a few sticks of butter. Oh, and a solid half gallon of heavy whipping cream. Sounds healthy, right? Not to worry, vegetables are the vessel that gets said gravy from the scalding skillet to your mouth, and then french bread is used to catch what drips off your chin. Mix it with a glass of red wine (or three) and it’s pure heaven. And something you want to eat once a year.
While we were there, we also exchanged Christmas gifts for the kiddos. My niece and nephew are teenagers, so buying for them is pointless. I am not nearly cool enough to pick out something for them, so they get cold, hard cash. But, my littles still love getting gifts from Aunt Jodi, who spoils them rotten. Malory received an awesome kitchen Play Doh set, and all 5 kids went right to work cooking dinner. It just proves that you never outgrow Play Doh. They stayed like this for two hours….
Last up for the month and the year….New Year’s Eve. 2018 was a year that won’t go down as one of my favorites. I won’t go into detail here, but suffice it to say that I was ready to wash my hands of it and move on. I read several articles on the Internet in the last days of December about foods that are good luck to eat around the new year to ensure that the upcoming year is a good one. I think the idea is that you eat one of these foods at midnight on NYE or on January 1. But, I wanted to leave nothing to chance….so I decided to eat ALL OF THEM. 12 grapes at midnight. Pomegranates in my mimosa. Smoked salmon on my bagel. Black eyed peas and collard greens. Noodles for dinner. A round cake. 2019 is bound to be fantastic, and my pants are bound to be tight:)
