Christmas Part 3

Christmas Eve

We woke up Christmas Eve with the morning and most of the afternoon free to do as we please.  With all the hustle and bustle of the days prior, this felt like such a delicious treat, to be honest.  Just the three of us.

So the day really began like any normal day, with breakfast (waffles) and trains (freaking Thomas, of course)...

And then we opened presents, and it was lovely.  We spent too much money on that child this year, not going to lie.  We didn't mean for it to happen but we really got swept up in the excitement of presents and Santa and all that, it being the first year Gus would really truly get it.  Both of us were guilty of this, I mean at one point last month Dan even sent me an email at work with links to train sets that were on sale, (like this kid needs any more trains!), and then we spent time on the phone debating the various merits of each one.

Then one evening we were randomly at the Sears in Ridgedale, since Gus loves playing with the train table they have set up in the toy department, and they were liquidating ALL THEIR TOYS.  Everything was "Buy One Get One".  Every. Single. Toy.  We went nuts.  I mean of course we bought a lot of gifts for our nephews as well, but yeah.  I was rabid for the amazing deals we were able to get on Thomas crap, which never ever ever goes on sale and is so expensive (we're talking $20 for each train).

All this to say, (wow, such a tangent), I'm thinking next year we need to be a little more thoughtful about the whole thing, try to get a little less swept up in our emotions.  This year was all, "Oh he would LOVE this, we HAVE to get this for him."  It's not like he didn't love everything, but he opened a lot of presents, and I think by the end of it all he was getting pretty "meh" about it.  Anyway, lesson learned, next year we take more of a "less is more" approach.

Gus's favorite thing, by far, was this little set of 4 Thomas board books, in their own little travel case.  Yesterday I think I read "Stop Train Stop" eight times in a row while nursing Louie.  "Read it again Mommy, read it again!" 

(Diaper leak in the middle of the night, thus the strange pajama situation going on there.)

So we had a nice morning at home, playing with our new toys, trying on new clothes.  Dan went crazy this year, hit up my Pinterest page to see what sorts of things I was digging, and bought me a bunch of really awesome and funky jewelry from Etsy.  Like seriously, the guy hit it out of the park, everything was so thoughtful... including a locket with a spot for pictures of each of my boys, and another necklace with Gus's birthstone and a little "G" charm.  I plan to add an "L" and Louie's birthstone at some point when I don't spend most of my day nursing and burping and delicately plotting out little ways to get out of the house and help Gus burn off energy.   

But yeah, Dan went to a lot of trouble this year, more trouble than he should have.  I say it often, I'll say it again, he's just all around, an incredible guy.  A great husband and an even better father.  Lucky lucky lucky me.  Every day I am thankful for this man.

We went to church with Dan's family at 4:00 PM, and I horrified various members with my beastly pregnant-ness.  Seriously.  I saw the looks. Dan and I tag-teamed to keep Gus civilized with books and cut up apples.  He is REALLY not the kind of kid that just sits quietly for more than an hour.  Even when he's watching Thomas he jumps around the room and gets up and down from chairs and generally just acts like a lunatic.

Then it was off to Dan's grandparents house for a feast of epic proportions, not to mention presents and cookies and toys and family and loud noises and a singing snowman with gyrating hips that Gus REALLY got a kick out of.

Christmas Day

The morning of Christmas this year was so darn perfect.  You know how when you dream about being a parent someday and you think back on your own childhood, there are those certain memories that really have a lasting affect and you sort of idealize them, you can't wait to have those moments, to make similar memories with your own children...

Well, that is totally Christmas morning for me, it's just magical.  And comfortable, easy, relaxed, low-key.  A lovely little end-cap for the season, after everything that is crazy and rushed and stressful about the holidays you have this peaceful and perfect little time at home, under your own roof, just being with those closest to you in life.

I was up before everyone else Christmas morning, Dan had ended up in Gus's bed after the little guy called out for us at 5 AM, and I had been tossing and turning for a good part of the morning, nine months pregnant and no longer really enjoying sleep as much as I would have liked.  So I got up a little after 7:00 and turned on the Christmas tree, tidied up a bit, made a pot of coffee, and started on the cinnamon rolls I had planned to make.  The house was so peaceful, it felt gluttonous to have so much lovely time to myself to soak it all in.
   

 

Santa had been here, of course.  The stockings were stuffed and everything was all laid out in the living room.  

And my boys were up about an hour later, Dan was so enthusiastic about the Santa thing, I could hear him talking it up to Gus upstairs through the monitor as they got up.  So so so sweet.  

 

I actually followed through on one of my Pinterest craft ideas for Dan's stocking!  I even really had fun making this little book for him, I never do anything "romantic", I think I use the fact that I'm the female in our relationship as some sort of excuse to not have to... I mean he would never want me to get him flowers, you know?  Well anyway, I did this, and he liked it.

Oh, this is so incredibly ridiculous, but the pictures make me giggle.  Gus demanded Cheetoes at like 10:00 AM because I put a little bag in his stocking.  He loves them of course, and we never really give them to him, so it was quite the little Christmas treat.  He insisted I open the bag, then demanded a bowl, then lounged around on our bed feasting on them while I did my hair.  He looked like he was modeling for some sort of risque magazine spread, of the white trash Cheetoes variety that is. 

Then while Dan set up our new Keurig (woot!), Gus made us a delicious plastic lunch.

That afternoon we went over to my parents house for Christmas with my extended family.  Very low key, potluck dinner, lots of card games and football and some family gossiping.

After dinner, the men all congregated in the living room, watching football.  Or was it basketball?  Goodness, I so do not care.  

  
And this is so cliche, at the same time, the women are in the kitchen, doing dishes and cleaning up after the meal.

Gus and his great-aunt Martha.  She gave him the most kick-ass Thomas sing-along book for Christmas, which I hear on repeat all day long. 

 
Helping great-grandpa open up his presents. 

Finally, these pictures are from the day after Christmas, we went for a little walk about the neighborhood, since it was so beautiful.  Irrelevant to this post completely, but I won't have any other reason really to post them.  And they are cute, and are the last pictures I have of our days before Louie.

A caterpillar!  

Give it a kiss Gus!