Photo by Lillian Hoyt
This was the Christmas that...
...Claire called candy canes "candy corns."
...our Elf on the Shelf (and all things related to Christmas magic) was so real to Ella that when he accidentally fell out of her lamp on the night of his arrival she burst into hysterical tears because she was petrified.
...you knew Claire was really impressed with the lights on trees and houses if she shouted "WOWIE KAZOWIE!"
...I didn't find the time to bake any cookies but I did manage to make homemade cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning.
...I made our family gingerbread house on my own for the first time without the assistance of my mother-in-law. It was a success (four years of apprenticeship paid off).
...Ella complained that I didn't give her enough creative input on the gingerbread house, causing me to buy another kit for her and Claire to do on their own. Between that, making graham cracker houses with the girls over the Thanksgiving holiday, and the gingerbread house-making party I helped with in Ella's classroom, I made and helped make more gingerbread houses than I can even comprehend this holiday season.
...during our two visits to Santa, Lucy took him in with interest, Claire was petrified for the third year in a row, and Ella declared "I love you Santa!" (to which he replied that she made his day).
...I introduced the girls to Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, which they loved. Now they like to run around and scream just like Macaulay Culkin and Ella is not so sure about New York City anymore (because there are bad guys there).
...we didn't get a white Christmas but we did get a blizzard that dumped almost two feet of snow on us the day after Christmas.
...Ella exclaimed that Santa knew exactly what she wanted when she saw her two main Santa gifts (Geotrax Airport and Police & Fire Playhouse), which made Santa feel good about the decision to hold off on giving her a Nintendo DS.
...Claire's favorite present was not one of her Santa gifts but the Olivia dress-up doll set I bought on impulse as a gift from mom and dad at the very last minute. I'm not sure why I'm surprised.
...Lucy was just happy to be in the middle of all the action.
(Pictures of all the action to follow shortly.)