Ho Ho Ho

Merry Christmas world!

It’s been a fun week for us. Since I haven’t really started working yet (a definite new year’s resolution — for Julie, not me), it’s just been rather jolly for a while now. We’ll sort it out sooner or later. Probably sooner, since things are really going to start picking up for me.

Last week was Lucy’s Christmas program for her little preschool. She wasn’t feeling the best that day, but she did great and had a wonderful time. The blustery weather surprised us and had us all on the edge, but we seemed to beat it out just in time for Christmas.

We got really tired of Gwenyth (see: Devil, The, in prior post) ripping her room apart after learning how to scale the wall in her crib. We thought we’d be smart about it and just put her in a big girl bed last night. It worked wonderfully. Though I’m thinking now that she was just so tired that she probably would have slept out in the cold on the rocks. Here it is now 10:45 PM on Christmas Eve, and she is making all sorts of racket down the hall. Poor Lucy is sleeping away in the next bed. Beelzebub, indeed.

We spent some time today doing the gingerbread house and playing Yahtzee. This is my typical work-day look, in case you’re wondering.

Today, of course, is Christmas Eve. We made the annual pilgrimage to Fajitas with the rest of the Elcock (sans Mikey and Ali). Every year we get there a few hours before closing time. And every year some sap looks at us with that look of “You’re kidding me, right?” as we all pile in and Charlene figures out which table should be “heavy shrimp, heavy cadillac” or “heavy chicken, light shrimp.” She always seems to get it spot on. Either that or we’re just typical Americans who just eat whatever is placed in front of us.

We took over the lawn outside Fajitas and did the cousin gift exchange.

Sean was explaining some pirate story to me and Aaron as Mason tore into his pirate set.

After the food, we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa Elcock’s house for some more food and some fun. Jana had a puppet nativity activity, which the girls absolutely loved.

There was reading, singing, dancing, and all kinds of fun.

After all of the festivities, Christmas began in earnest for the girls as Grandma and Grandpa stacked the gifts high and deep. My girls were thrilled. Christmas could be complete with all the loot!

I taught a Sunday School lesson yesterday and chose to focus on the wise men in the story of the birth of Jesus. The folks that were there were witness to my foot in mouth moment, and those that know me aren’t surprised in the least, I’m sure. But I came away from the lesson with a greater appreciation for the sacrifice that it must have been for them to do what they did. We don’t know for sure where they came from, but tradition tells us that it was from afar. And, in those days, pretty much anywhere outside of one’s village was afar. As we celebrate the birth of Christ, I am reminded of two things: 1. When the angel came to announce His birth, the first words were “fear not.” 2. Jesus beckons “come unto me” in many instances. I hope that I can find myself answering (as my girls often are as we are trying to get to church at 8 in the morning): “I’m coming.” Hopefully that’s what I’m doing. And hopefully I’m saying it with the proper attitude and spirit.

Merry Christmas.

More photos at flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/midder/