Once we got home we had our traditional feast of the appetizers and decorated the tree. The placement of it in our little window bump-out is spectacular for outdoor viewing, but slightly less ideal for squeezing round to add ornaments while also baby wearing. Margaret was the only one who stuck around to help to the end and every once in a while she would ask if she could have certain ornaments for her tree upstairs. (We let her and the boys each have one of our fake potted trees that generally go on our front steps--because Chris refuses to ever be rid of them--but didn't this year due to a lack of electricity out there and our unwillingness to bother about it.) When I walked by her room later I realized that Margaret is a Spectacular Tree Decorator. She had taken some red ribbon and looped it around and then carefully placed each ornament so that no one section was overfull. It really was a masterpiece of odds and ends.
We stayed up entirely too late to get everything set up for Christmas morning and then the kids were up dark and early as usual. Everyone had a wonderful time opening presents and I don't think we had a single flop. Excepting of course for the licorice "candy" that my darling husband put in my stocking. I generally think that licorice is one of the worst tasting things in the history of all candy making endeavors, but this must have been even worse. I can't say for sure because he wouldn't let me try any after he taste-tested it. Chris can generally eat literally anything and keep a straight face--a skill that came in very handy at the beginning of our married life--but I wish I could show you the face he made when he put this candy into his mouth. Alas, I was laughing so hard all of the pictures I took are blurry. It was probably the high point of Christmas for me. Isn't it sweet of him to try to find stocking candy for me that didn't have any processed sugar in them? He's a keeper. A keeper who got what he deserved for trying to give me licorice.
We usually let the kids open their stockings and get their present from Santa first thing, then break for breakfast and coffee, and then take turns opening the other gifts--one or two more from us and then the grandparents' and aunts and uncles'. It takes a surprisingly long time, probably because we are always losing children who want to go play with their new treasures. The big boys ended up with quite a lego haul from one grandma and spent the rest of the morning assembling them and then guarding them from toddler attack. There's also been a fair bit of shooting practice going on between John, who received a bow and arrow set, and Henry, who got a slingshot. Weapons are always a big hit at our house.
Now we just need to teach Henry to police his tiny paper ball ammunition.
Margaret was a darling telling me over and over again how much she loved each of her gifts and how they were each the best one. Chris thinks she's spoiled but obviously she's got a dear little grateful heart. Yes, on Christmas Eve when the children were exchanging their secret santa gifts with each other, she may have yelled at John that the gift he bought her was "stupid," but that was clearly an anomaly. Also, she didn't realize that it was a necklace making kit which she now thinks is amazing and not at all stupid. I also explained to her that even if someone gave her a bag of poo, the polite thing to do is to thank them and think of something nice to say--"oh, what a distinct scent that has, how lovely it will be in my garden." You know, in terms she could understand. Based on her Christmas morning behavior, I think the lesson sank in.
David got a pretty epic beeswax candle making kit from Santa since he's been attempting to make his own lately so we need to make some time to work on that with him. He generally prefers kits and projects that require actual parental oversight. He tried to sit down with the Santa that came to the law school's winter/end-of-semester/definitely-not-favoring-any-one-religious-observance/holiday party and ask him for all of the different individual components of TNT.
That one just cannot be trusted.
He's just overflowing with scathingly brilliant ideas. Like the Minecraft playing coupons he distributed to his brothers as gifts, the result of which is that they now think they can cash them in to play whenever they want. Try explaining to very excited eight and five year olds that, no, they aren't allowed to go on a twenty- four hour video game bender just because they have an unauthorized coupon giving them permission. It doesn't go well.
We were going to do our own first ever family nativity play after dinner last night, but the kids were done and most of them crashed early. Maybe we'll get to it later this week. We've got a lot of big plans for the rest of the twelve days of Christmas including seeing some Christmas lights, making and eating gingerbread houses, our annual book and sketch pad getting days, making Christmas for the animals, and visiting family. The family visiting also includes a ND game watch and celebrating my birthday--luckily not on the same day. I mean, I enjoy ND football as much as the next person who prefers never to watch football on television, but I'd rather not spend my birthday doing it :)
And best of all, daddy will be home to participate in everything all through Christmas. It's so nice to have Chris back on a student schedule!
Well, merry Christmas! I hope you all are thoroughly enjoying yourselves! We sure are!