christmas, part 2

10 AM: Breakfast is somewhat cleaned up. I only half finished reading the newspaper.

10:45 AM: We're playing with toys from our stockings. We have Usborne dry-erase travel cards, which will be great for Church. We start putting together a few Mixels Lego sets, although Wesley gives up and it goes, half finished, into a Ziploc baggie. 

10:47 AM: Mom gives up and puts the gummies in a high cabinet. I don't have the capacity to let him eat whatever he wants. Sigh. I'm sure I'm creating bad habits for his self awareness as he gets older.

11 AM: Shane arrives and we tear into gifts. I have to try very hard to get Wesley to let other people take turns, and do one gift at a time. I seem to recall I was a good little gift opener when I was a kid... the Twinings had a good system. Not sure my child would tolerate such a protocol. 

Gift highlights.... Wesley got an LCD "Boogie Board" which is a technological step up from his magnetic drawing board. Thanks Grandma Gottula :-)  He also likes his Space Needle piggy bank slash gumball dispenser, weather books, baby radio boom box, and wooden Wesley letters puzzle (thanks Aunt Nicole). Laurel likes her wooden fruit to cut, pink BYU shirt, new dresses (thanks Dad and Aunt Nicole), shark movie ("Sea Level"), shark Legos, and new nightlight. Among many other exciting presents.

11:30 AM: Laurel has a Christmas accident. Too much excitement for a break for the bathroom.

12:15 AM: All done opening presents. The living room is a complete happy wreck.

1 PM: We Skype with Grandma and Grandpa Gottula. Laurel is excited to see Toby and "cut vegetables" for Grandma (with her new wooden vegetable set.)

2 PM: Wesley has a Christmas accident. Too much excitement to break for the bathroom.

2:10 PM: Ham goes in the oven for "dinner." Mom considers cleaning up, Laurel starts to watch her shark movie, Shane falls asleep on the papasan chair, and Wesley draws floods on his new digital drawing board. Most the the cookies we made last night for Santa are gone (culprit: me).

2:12 PM: I'm thinking about my Dad and how much I wish he was around for me to talk to this year. Shane's mom made a personal history of his grandfather, her father, and sent it for Christmas. I'm thumbing through it and I love all of the stories and pictures. It's absolutely precious beyond words. I'd love to do something like that to capture the life story of my father, but I am so very sad he isn't here anymore for me to interview. I need to write down his stories before I forget them. Mannheim Steamroller makes me think of him, luminaries make me think of him, chocolate and peanut butter chip cookies with M&Ms make me think of him. A friend of mine sent me a poem about Dad's first Christmas in heaven and I needed it today.

Of course I did have a wonderful Christmas plan to commemorate my father, but life got in the way and my time for craftiness was limited. Maybe by NEXT Christmas they will be done! It will happen. Or possibly by his birthday in March, or Father's Day, or his death date anniversary in August. I am cooking up a wonderful gift for my mother, brothers, aunt, uncle, and Grandma. 

This Christmas is a hard one for me. I'm glad the kids seem happy and it's somewhat business as usual. 

2:44 PM: Our lazy day continues. Now to make some mashed potatoes, green salad, and get the rolls in the oven.