Starting Christmas

How often do things go as planned, particularly on the holidays? Never. Here you are orchestrating the perfect -or even just acceptable- holiday and your whole day and plans get shot to sh... heck. It's a lesson learned in elasticity, or, rather, how flexible you can be and STILL be happy.

Wilder and I made it to Walmart yesterday by 8am to get last minute food items for Christmas dinner and the evening with friends. It was a bit busier than usual, but everyone was in the holiday spirit (though that honestly ranges from "run ragged" to "angel on speed") and it was a pleasant experience. Wilder went down for a nap and my conquering continued. I cooked and baked and cooked and baked and wrapped and wrapped and then, while in the middle of three different cooking projects inevitably Wilder woke up.

Sweet boy must be teething or going through a clingy phase, but the little dear hardly let me take two steps without him wrapped around my leg or latched to my hip. I was tired, busy, and in the middle of everything. I kept pausing, remembering that it's people, not things, that are the most important in life. If I don't get my potato salad made in time for dinner, who cares; my baby needs me right now and just wants to play trucks and wrestle on the floor. So we took turns playing and cooking.

I had planned on an early dinner, then hitting up one of the local Christmas Eve services with Anissa, followed by a holiday movie here and a slumber party so we could do stockings together and neither of us would have to wake up home alone on Christmas morning.

To make a long story a little shorter, only 30% of my plan happened AND it ended up being, as aforementioned, one of the best Christmas Eve's I've ever had! Instead of my planned on Shepherd's Pie we had total German fare. Brautwurst, homemade potato salad and steamed cabbage. We ate at nearly 10pm and sipped mulled wine for hours, chatting about religion, relationships, and politics, of course. Supposed me broke all the dinner conversation rules, but we had fun doing it! Ruth and Anissa went to midnight mass while I made my mother's famous Danish Puff. Anissa returned with her dog, Skippy, for a slumber party and we chatted by the cozy fire until nearly 3am. A hair of three hours later Wilder was up and proclaimed it officially Christmast Day!

Santa brought Wilder some fun trucks, cars and one of those rolly popcorn balls on a stick. Whatever that is... It's a classic toy, he just had to have one.

Wilder making faces at me while signaling "Move, Mom! I'm watching a Christmas movie!"


"All done!"
Opening the wonderful gifts from my even more wonderful family. Just two months ago Wilder could care less about wrapping paper, but now -officially 14 months old as of yesterday- wrapping paper is the end all.
Hooray! More wonderful books from Aunt Ruth Ann!



Sometimes it's not what IN the box that counts. It's the box itself. :)

More Christmas fun to come!

Brian, we love you SOOOOOOO much and I'll try to keep you posted throughout the day! All my love -and Wiley's too!