NYE 2013

We (just Blip and I) went over to Rebecca and Cody's for a little while to celebrate the New Year.  I still wants Blip in bed on-time and I like to be home before the majority of the drunks start making their way anywhere.  Mike had to work (like normal), so it was fun to at least stop over to see our friends for a few minutes...and only a mile from home. Perfect.

While we were there we got a visit from the cops...Mike and his partner stopped by and the kids were thrilled to get to see the police car.  Who wouldn't be?

Blip and I were home and fast asleep before the New Year...some day we'll be cool and have plans to party all night long. haha

Christmas Day

Christmas morning was THE best growing up.  Whoever woke up first would wake everyone else.  There was always a covert mission from our bedrooms, down the hall, and to the Christmas tree to make sure Santa had come.  We used hand signals like we were a SWAT team trying to safely take Santa and his elves into custody for entering the house and leaving gifts.  Once the arrival of the gifts and stocking was confirmed, we all piled into my parents queen sized bed.  Some of my best memories are of the six of us kids crammed into that bed with our exhausted parents. 

We giggled and tried not to breathe in each other's morning breath until my dad had enough.  He's get up and we'd all follow suit.  We'd make it down the hall to the living room.  Stockings came first.  Always.  And they were never a disappointment.  They were always overflowing with fun little treats and gifts.  Always an orange, a toothbrush, and I'm sure other necessities we didn't know we needed.  After going through our loot, we'd all take a seat.  My dad would start handing out gifts one at a time in whatever order he chose that year.  We waited and watched as each person opened their gift and then moved on to the next.

My parents made breakfast after the gifts were all opened.  One of the best memories I have is of my parents dancing in the kitchen on Christmas morning in their pajamas.  They twirled around more time than I can count in that kitchen…and my mom would giggle and call my dad "Richie".

These are the types of memories I hope my children remember when they are grown…I want to make the holidays special and memorable.  I want them to know the true meaning of Christmas, but also the spirit of Christmas.

This year for Christmas Even we met my parents and Raelynn for dinner at Olive Garden.  I wasn't sure Mike would be off work, so I made plans to spend the evening with my parents.  Mike ended up having the night off, so after dinner we drove out to Mike's parents' house.  Mike stopped off at Starbucks to get himself some caffeine…and for some stupid reason rolled Blip's window down while we waited in line.  When we got to his parents' house Blip had no hat.  It wasn't in the vehicle.  He had to have thrown it out the window at Starbucks, but we went by there on the way home and couldn't find it.  Mike always rolls down Blip's window…and it drives me insane.  I always told Mike that Blip would toss something important out the window, so please keep it rolled up. Nope.  Oh well.  At least it was just a hat.

We visited with Mike's parents and siblings and their kids for a while before heading home.  I changed the baby into his new jammies before we left.  Blip went down easy, so Santa could come by and leave a few things at our house.  I remember our Christmas tree looking like Santa left his entire bag at our house, so when  the tree at our house looked like Santa didn't have anything left to leave…I was a bit disappointed with my self-enforced budget.  I guess with one child it would be hard to talk Santa into leaving his entire bag anyway.

We (we meaning I) stuck to a strict 5 and 1 gift program…Something you need, want, read, wear, play…and one gift from Santa.  I was so strict on my own rules that I only did four gifts from us…and it still took forever to open the gifts.  We had such a good time!  Blip went through his stocking (so pretty much I went through Blip's stocking), and then we started opening the other gifts.

For Christmas we got Blip a Step 2 roller coaster, Mike Wazowski backpack, a box of books, and two Tonka Trucks.  Santa brought Blip a kitchen complete with accessories including a chef's apron and hat to go with the kitchen.

We took an intermission for breakfast and then finished up opening gifts.  This year we spent the afternoon at my parents' house eating, doing our white elephant gift exchange, and just being together.

Christmas Eve

I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but holidays and birthdays are a big, huge deal in my world.  My mom always made those special days something to really cherish.  We were treated like (un-spoiled) royalty on our birthdays and holidays, especially Christmas, were ALWAYS something to look forward to.  So that makes each of my mom's kids love the holidays and our birthdays. We are a small group of people who look forward to their birthday each year.  That part is also because my mom was only able to celebrate 49 birthdays…so we all know how important each and every birthday truly is.

Christmas was a big runner-up to the birthday.  In reality…the birth of Christ was obviously more important than our measly birthdays, but growing up...I definitely felt like my birthday was EVERYONE'S favorite day of the year.  It probably still is.  Amiright?

Anywho…growing up our family tradition for Christmas Year Eve was awesome.  It did the SAME thing EVERY year.  I can't remember a year we didn't do it.  We ALWAYS went OUT for pizza (unless Christmas Eve was on a Sunday..then we had homemade).  I can remember for sure going to Pistol Pete's at 43rd and Olive, but a lot of years we met the Cahill's at the Peter Piper Pizza in Maryvale…like 51st Ave and Indian School Road.

After pizza we drove around neighborhoods looking at Christmas lights.  My mother would Ohhh and Ahhh at the fun light displays.  She was like a child. I wish I could have appreciated her innocence, but it wasn't until I had my own child that I 'got it'.  It really took me until I was 33 years old to understand what Christmas meant to my mother.

We always ended up back at our house reading the Christmas story from the Bible and opening our one gift allowed on Christmas Eve.  I always hoped for some special surprise, but we always opened a box containing new pajamas and new slippers.  We were hurried to bed, so Santa could make his rounds, but we were usually too excited to settle down quickly.

This year for Christmas Eve we met my parents and Raelynn for dinner at Olive Garden.  I wasn't sure Mike would be off work, so I made plans to spend the evening with my parents.  Mike ended up having the night off, so after dinner we drove out to Mike's parents' house.  Mike stopped off at Starbucks to get himself some caffeine…and for some stupid reason rolled Blip's window down while we waited in line.  When we got to his parents' house Blip had no hat.  It wasn't in the vehicle.  He had to have thrown it out the window at Starbucks, but we went by there on the way home and couldn't find it.  Mike always rolls down Blip's window…and it drives me insane…I always told Mike Blip would toss something important out the window, so please keep it rolled up. Nope.  Oh well.

We visited with Mike's parents and siblings and their kids for a while before heading home.  I changed the baby into his new jammies before we left.  Blip went down easy, so Santa could come by and leave a few things at our house.  I remember our Christmas tree looking like Santa left his entire bag at our house, so when  the tree at our house looked like Santa didn't have anything left to leave…I was a bit disappointed with my self-enforced budget.  I guess with one child it would be hard to talk Santa into leaving his entire bag anyway.

Santa 2013

This year we were lucky enough (again this year) to sneak an early visit with the Big Guy at Ms. Lori's preschool Christmas party.  Blip wasn't quite as thrilled this year as he was last year, but he still didn't cry, scream, or act a fool.  He was moistly curious…

Ice Cream Sundae

After dinner we decided to make ice cream sundaes.  

Blip had no idea what was going on, but he seemed pretty happy to be a recipient of what we made, and he had a good time helping.

A Live One

At the end of last year Mike decided he was NOT storing our Christmas tree any longer.  I was sick and tired of talking him out of getting rid of it year after year, so I gave up.  This year, with Thanksgiving being so late, and our last minute trip to the North Pole on December 1st, and then a few days after that was our annual Sisters' Disney Holiday Trip/Raelynn's birthday trip…put the first available moment for purchasing a tree at nearly the middle of the month.  I *almost* decorated the house BEFORE leaving for Disney, but reality hit hard when I hadn't packed yet and my plane was leaving in 3 hours.

We bought our tree a day or two after I got home from Disney.  After leaving it outside so the branches could fall (and to rid it of spiders! Yikes!), Mike's dad came over to help get it up.  There was an issue with the size of the stand, so Mike made an exchange (or something…I dunno…I was at work).  Whatever happened…the tree was up on Thursday when I got home from work.  I called and asked my dad to come over and help me put the lights on the tree Friday after work.  I had never done it before, so I knew I would need help to make sure it didn't look ridiculous. At least the first time.

My parents (and Raelynn) brought pizza dinner, and then they helped Blip and me decorate our beautiful Christmas tree.  It really is a pretty tree.  My favorite part of having a Christmas tree is getting out each of the special ornaments we've purchased on trips or for certain memories…I love to look at the bottom (or the box) to see what I wrote and remember what happened surrounding that purchase or gift.  I think someday we will have a tree upstairs too.  A smaller tree…maybe just for all of our LE ornaments.  Or maybe all of our Disney Ornaments.  Or maybe all the regular ones will just become less and less.  Guess we'll see  when it happens.

Blip seems intrigued with our Christmas tree.  Every time we come down the stairs he says, "Wow!"  It makes my heart happy.  I thought last year with Blip was awesome, but this year, so far, is even better.  He wants to be so involved in everything.  Some days that's good…some days that's bad.  Some days that's very bad. haha 

All of our "regular" decorative ornaments are not glass, so Blip can't hurt them.  I placed the special ornament above his reach. So far we've had no real issues with Blip vs. tree, but the living room/dining room is gated off, so he's only in there when we are.  We have been spending a lot more time in there than normal…so he's been able to play/practice on the stairs quite a bit more than normal.  He's pretty good on them, but I'm still not comfortable giving him free rein of the stairs…or the living room.  The gates will be up until we are done with babies, I'm sure.  

It's fun to have bedtime stories by the Christmas tree at night. I have left the majority of our Christmas books near the tree, so that's where we sit to read them.  I also keep the Blip safe Nativity on the coffee table near the tree, too.  It depends on the minute if he's interested in Baby Jesus…or touching the tree.

I absolutely love having a little one during the holidays.  It seems to make everything seem that much more special.  I have left a few things to introduce next year (like the advent calendar)…when he understands a bit more.  I honestly didn't decorate a lot.  I felt strangled by the time this year, so hopefully next year won't be as suffocating. 

We've all been sick for the last few weeks off and on.  I am hoping we are all well before Christmas…that still gives us a few days to get over whatever's ailing each of us.  If not, at least we'll be confined to the house together.