happy merry: a post on christmas

Monday, December 26, 2011 |
over as quickly as it came, it's hard to believe christmas happened so quickly.  the buildup to the day itself is half the fun, though, and we've really enjoyed our first holiday season with a toddler in tow.  ben is happy go lucky as always...content to stare into your eyes and smile coo....while emma usually requires a little more distraction. she's at a deliciously fabulous age....the occasional temper tantrum completely offset by her fierce curiosity about the world around her coupled with her sparkly attitude on life.  i know the two's are notoriously hard but so far, save those fleeting meltdowns, she's just a joy. they are both just little lovebugs.

it was totally magical to experience christmas through their eyes and i so look forward to christmases to come, especially after this one.  ben spent hours chirping and smiling and studying twinkly lights....i could see those little neurons firing and that little personality starting to come out.  he is such a chill little dude and we just eat him up. emma was willing to accept the concept of "santa claus" and frequently called out his name but i'm sure she still hasn't wrapped her brain around it. she was, in true form, more interested in "kissmas lights" {all things sparkly!} and "fosty the snowman!".  the overwhelming spirit in the house has just been happy and festive....dancing to holiday music, eating homemade yummies, and while they may not completely comprehend it yet, living in the magic of the season.



we spent our christmas eve together as a family and let the munchkins dive into one present.....holiday pjs and some stocking stuffers.  note to self, glowsticks are a hit! best target $1 find in a long while! ryan and i made and ate dinner together and emma played with the playdoh jackpot that adam and lee gave to her :)  haven't seen her sit still for that long in ages!


after both kids were tucked in and down for the night {which, might i add has happened pretty seamlessly & at the same time for the past few nights....a possible trend??}, ryan performed his first of many fatherly christmas eve duties.....toy assembly!

i dutifully handed him piece after piece of this pink kiddie kitchen that "santa" was to deliver and said my "thank the lord"s that i wasn't the one trying to figure out how to put this thing together!


i was so proud....he even read the instructions ;)  before long and after a couple glasses of wine daddy's handy work was ready to be admired!



santa hung streamers on emma's door and ate some cookies that she and her brother carefully selected for him....



i couldn't sleep later than 7 on christmas morning. in fact, i was literally pacing in front of emma's room asking ryan "when is she going to get up?".  he and ben talked me down from going in and waking her up. i was so excited for her to see all her goods ;)

she finally woke up and her reaction did not disappoint. she walked confused through the streamers into the living room where she stumbled upon the half eaten cookies and milk.  she finally eyed the kitchen and went beserk! her first order of business was to find a cup and announce "emma making coffee".  that's my girl!







one of her early morning gifts was a set of her very own {fake} makeup.  she is constantly in my bathroom asking "emma play makeup?" so this was the perfect little gift. emma played with her new beauty set and even treated her brother to a little blow dry ;)







after our family time, the grandparents and uncles/aunts arrived for brunch and emma and ben got spoiled to high heaven. they got more toys and clothes and goodies than they could ever need.  emma was very thoughtful and while i was worried she would get overly spoiled and just rip through presents one by one....she carefully played with each one as she opened....so much so that we had to encourage her along. ben slept through the whole thing....clearly not impressed yet ;)




like any obnoxious parent would, we captured about 8 million photos of the gift opening process...but i'll spare everyone the pain of having to look through them all ;)

after all the action, emma went down for a nap and we got some quiet moments with little ben.  and of course, more pictures ;) for all those folks that say "oh you'll never take as many photos of your second as you did your first"....i challenge you. seriously. i'm so photo happy i think i may put that comment to shame.





i mean, what's not to love??? i could just kiss that sweet little face all day! i seriously cannot get enough of this child. he is the sweetest little dude around. such a charmer, i tell you. and as a side note, why is is my 2 month old wearing 6 month old clothing? holy moly!

we headed to my parents for christmas dinner, playtime, and a few more gifts. we enjoyed a delicious meal stocked full of our family's holiday favorites.  those dishes that while i know the recipe and could probably recreate them will forever taste better the way my parents prepare them. we enjoyed one another's company, yummy cocktails, and the calm after the storm of christmas craziness. lots of warm fuzzy.

it was a good day. a great day in fact. and while there is fun to be had in the watching the gift opening, the moments really worth remembering were the funny comments made by my almost 2 year old princess, the quiet time snuggles with my little ben, and couch cuddling with my sweet husband.



the gift really worth opening is one i get to open every single day. the smiles, the laughs, the "mommy hugs! mommy kiss!".

from our family to yours, i hope your day was filled with the realization that the holiday spirit is in the everyday moments that fill our lives.  wishing you a new year filled with an abundance of those :)

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