Nap Time Ritual

Pappie in mouth

Bunny to the Left

Ratty to the Right

Blankie on Top

one quick little snuggle tuck

then those chubby little fingers will peek out from under the blankie 

and wave nite nite.

We do it everyday!

Christmas 2012

The girls were good this year!

Mary Margo asked for a baby carrier.  Check!

Dottie asked for Bracelets.  Check!  

Mary Margo had to test them out before she would let her little sister have them.

Dottie says - Christmas is GREAT!

Mary Margo asked for a sparkly microphone.  Check!

Dottie thinks she will like it too

Dottie quickly spotted the left over oreo by the fireplace.

She did NOT want to share her findings with her sister

But she changed her mind.

At Nana and Dodaddy's, Mary Margo had the biggest pile of presents.

 And Dottie just had one.  Not really.

 Dottie and Do-Daddy  opening presents together.

Sweet Dottie taking some time to reflect on the day.

 Presents are all open,  Now it is time to play games.

 And cook monkey bread with her new cookbook

And there is always time to play with cousins just my size.

Merry Christmas from the crazy "fancy Farmer"

She got new boots from nana and do-daddy.  When asked if she was ready to go to the barn this was her reply "I can't go to the barn.  I don't want to get my boots muddy"

What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.

 

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

I would say less than 30 minutes after we opened all our presents and unstuffed our stockings I made a very interesting observation. 

 The girls had wondered out of the living room leaving everything that santa had brought them.  The new legos, dolls, candy and even the SPARKLY microphone had been abandoned. 

Here is what I found....

Dottie playing with the circa 2002 travel tetris game.  

She loves the robot jingle it plays and shakes her little bootie until it stops then she holds it up to you and grunts until you press the "start" button again.

And Mary Margo playing with her kitchen that she has had for years.  

She doesn't really play with it much anymore....to the point that I have considered taking it out of her room.  

But Christmas morning she found it to be lots of fun.  She even took parts from the doll house (that she has NEVER played with) and made "popsicles" for us.

She is sporting the new rain jacket I randomly purchased a few days before Christmas.  It was one of those "I saw it - she needs it - I will wrap it just because it's Christmas time" kinda purchases.

Then I spotted Dottie wobbling down the hall not with her new baby doll santa brought but with "little baby"  Mary Margo's doll that is never clothed and has 5 years of dirt on her little cloth body.

Christmas does mean SO MUCH more.
I am so thankful for all my many blessing and I am most thankful for this small pause in the day to realize what really matters.

Santa was very nice to bring all those new shiny toys but at the end of the day all we really need is the love of family and each other.
The "old dirty worn out" toys or the "barely even played with" toys are just as wonderful.

My hope is that everyone had a pause in the very hectic week we call Christmas to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.


And just for the record the girls did eventually get back to the new toys. : )

Christmas Eve Wrap Up

Christmas Eve is a day of hanging out around the house and getting ready for Santa.  We started with a big breakfast with all the fix'ns.  Mary Margo helped me make the biscuits, grits, and eggs.  

We stayed in our pj's for the better part of the day watching Christmas Movies and being lazy.  I introduced Mary Margo to White Christmas or as she likes to call it "Christmas White".  

Homemade Biscuits

Reindeer Food

Oatmeal, Glitter, sprinkles, and crushed candy canes.  

Or just whatever you can find in your cupboards. 

She was so excited to make this and I was so excited to get rid of these candy canes from the Christmas Parade two weeks earlier.

After the Christmas Eve Service!

Acting silly before spreading the reindeer food, eating a wacky dinner of shrimp and pasta, getting in our pj's, putting out cookies and milk, and then snuggling into our beds to anxiously await Santa Claus!  

MERRY CHRISTMAS!