Christmas, 2014

I hope you had a lovely Christmas! Ours was really great. There were houseguests and hubbub, and two things arrived: Santa, and new teeth. Both caused a lot of distress. On Christmas Eve, we made it out to a lovely walkable street with lots of lights and a festive atmosphere.

Penny had asked for Nana and "Dindad" to come for the holidays, and they arrived just in time for Lulu's birthday.It sure was nice to have them. After seeing the lights, we had a quiet Christmas, apart from squealing Lulu who is getting four top teeth at one time. My one year-old is finally getting more teeth. It's a Christmas miracle :)!

We talked about Santa coming. Penny took lots of photos, just like me. She seemed uneasy. We left a cookie for him, and a carrot for the reindeer. She wasn't happy. Every time we said "Santa" she would give a high pitched whine of "I don't WANT Santa," and when we told her he'd be coming when she was asleep and that she wouldn't see him, it made her even more uneasy. Intruders!

She woke up three times Christmas Eve night, not out of excitement or anticipation but pure anxiety. She didn't mention Santa, but I knew she woke up thinking about him and wanting her mama. Eventually, on Christmas morning, she found the gifts and then Christmas started to look a bit more traditional.

There were presents from near and far, and of course there were boxes, which also charmed them (especially when paired with a good game of peekaboo).

It was a Christmas so different from last year, when we had no friends or family around, when we had just brought a newborn home from the hospital. I remember singing 'Silent Night' to them before bedtime. It was very dark, and sweet, and personal. This year was filled with parties and laughter, fun and family. It was a really festive Christmas season, even if Santa himself didn't bring much joy, everyone around us did. 

Happy 2015 to you! Thanks for stopping here. I hope you'll do so in the new year, as well.