It's Christmas!

Christmas Eve:

Because Saturday Allen and Sahar had all the Baker's over to their place, we stuck with just the Charlotte Bakers for Christmas Eve.  And because I'm an anal retentive perfectionist who wants everything done my way and would prefer to do it myself than ask anyone for help, I spent the entire day getting ready for dinner.  After breakfast, the kids helped me make rolls, then cake, then the mashed potatoes.  Then I did dishes, made a second set of rolls because they first ones turned out flat, talked to my family via Google Hangout for like 45 minutes while we waited for Hannah to log on.  Anyway, you don't care about the nitty gritty details, but the point is: I spent all day cooking and cleaning, but I did it!  I had all the food cooked, the dishes done, the table set (with the china that I had to dig out of a box), and well-dressed children when the family arrived at 5:30.  Worth a full day of stress?  Yes.  Because I'm an anal perfectionist.

I know this is a little tacky, but check out my center pieces (we had two tables for dinner, plus a food table--I combined everything for the breakfast table. ) Total cost: $3--I win

The kids wanted to practice playing Bingo before the real game later.

So we ate.  Then we cleared the table, which was easy because the sink was empty!  We played traditional Robins-style Bingo, of which I took no pictures.  Cleaned up that mess.  Then we had a little Christmas pageant.  This may or may not be my favorite part of Christmas and I take it super seriously.  As in, this year, I printed out a script with stage notes; the kids and I practiced for three days; and I made them memorize a few things.  Rex was the angel and had three lines and Alice was Mary and had one.  They mostly knew their lines.  Because I was once again stage managing (remember, I take this super seriously), I failed to get any pictures.  But the kids did great.  Worth three days of practicing?  Yes--in fact already planning next year's already.

Mary and the angel

The angel got to stand on a stool--I think that's why Rex wanted to be the angel.

Finally, we had dessert.  Mine did not turn out as well I had hoped--actually none of the food did, even the second batch of roles, but the dishes were all done when everyone arrived.

Then the kids opened their Christmas Eve package from G-ma and G-pa; played with their Boeing toys for a while before asking to go to bed--seriously.  They asked.  And they didn't even demand stories--they just went to bed.

Look--they're both looking at the camera and almost smiling.  I win.

The men then sat around while the women folk loaded the dish washer and returned the house to normal.  And the family left.  I finished cleaning up, made the french toast casserole for the morning, put out the presents then fell asleep on the couch at 10:30.

Christmas:

7 am: I wake up.  No children.  Roll over.  Greg gets up and brushes his teeth.  Still, no children.  We both attempt to go back to sleep.  Fail.  I read for a while.  

8:15 am: I hear Alice get up, but my little plan to keep the kids in their rooms for just a few more minutes so Greg and I could sleep longer worked--she discovered her stocking next to her door, and was eating the applesauce pouch I'd, I mean Santa, had left her.  Still no Rex.  We had a mini photo shoot while we waited for Rex.

Good morning Princess!

Greg got bored of waiting for Rex so he got his stocking out too.

8:25 am: Greg finally wakes Rex up.

8:30 am: What is wrong with my children that they sleep in so late on Christmas?  We go to the living room and discover what Santa left us just as Allen and Sahar pull up--they were supposed to come for breakfast we thought that by 8:30 surely we'd be done opening presents because who sleeps in on Christmas?  Allen and Sahar made country ham, biscuits and gravy while we opened presents.

Our Christmas highlight--Rex's bike

that he refused to get off

and insisted had to be in the family picture

and opened his other presents while on the bike.

Rex made Alice a new sheet set for Christmas.  Notice how he is still on the bike.

Greg is also a member of our family.

He finally got off the bike, but notice how close he still is to said bike

Alice took her life into her hands by touching the sacred bike.

Sahar helped Alice tuck her new baby in.

And I lost track of time here, but then Grandma and Grandpa came over with more presents and breakfast was ready.  So we ate.  Cleaned up a bit, then everyone else headed out for Maurine's while the kids and I finally got dressed.  We left at 12 for a day of loafing with the cousins in Greensboro.

Yes, we had to bring the bike to Greensboro with us.

Alice was very proud of herself--she got into cousin Cora's make up.

Alice and Cora playing.

Christmas +1: 

Because Christmas is a holiday, I refuse to clean on Christmas.  So the house still looked like Christmas morning when we woke up the next day.  Greg was off hunting so the kids and I called for another PJ day and spent the morning rolling around in the wrapping paper and playing.  Around lunch, Greg got home so we headed outside to enjoy more playing.  Then the kids watched TV while Greg and I slept.  Then Greg got in a fight with Amazon over them not exchanging the boots he bought me (he won).  I decided to finally do some dishes.  Greg took the kids to Home Depot to get something for his next project.  I stayed home and cleaned up finally.  Put the kids to bed, and that's it.  Christmas is over.  All the mess and magic is gone and I'm relieved that I don't have to worry about it any more, sad that I don't have it to look forward to it any more, and missing the special spirit that follows me around as I hum Christmas carols and put a little extra effort into my scripture study.  I guess I can just wait another 363 days to get all the stress and fun and anticipation back.

See still looks like Christmas morning--even down to the same PJs.

Santa brought Alice a swing.  She wasn't sure whether she should laugh or cry.