Tidings of Great Joy

Christmas Eve, we ate tamales with the Asays and actually sang around the piano--some of us. A dragon played the bells.
So we have a chimney, but Benjamin wrote a letter to Santa and said, "Please, don't come down the chimney because you might knock down the candles. Come through the front door." That must have been what happened. Although with the change in his routine, Santa did forgot one thing. It seems he forgot to put something in "Pup-pup's" stocking. When this was discovered Benjamin just shook his head and said, "Silly Santa." But he did bring, "Grand Central Station" that Benjamin "so wanted" for which he had a picture that he carried with him for many days and that Isaac ripped and Dylan ate and I eventually had to tape until it looks laminated and Benjamin is very, very happy with his train station. We can hardly walk in our living room for trains. And because when I asked Benjamin if he would like to learn how to play the piano and he responded, "No I want to play drums. Marching band drums," Benjamin also got a marching band drum set (with gloves and a whistle) and Isaac got cymbals. Dylan has baby bongo drums. Pa-rum-pa-pam-pam. Come follow the band...! The boys would be so delighted to help their cousin Matthew play his new Christmas drum set...

Dylan loved the paper and Isaac loved trying to sneak him more paper and drinks from his sippy cup. (Basta!) Thank goodness under the Christmas tree was a baby doll for Isaac to haul about the house, hug and pat on the back. (And a bulldozer to ride and scoop with--to balance the cosmos, naturally).

And Eric may be far from his California surf and sun, but he can own the hills of Laurel View Court. He opened his gift and said, "Hope I don't break my neck on this." Which is what I thought he would say, so that 's when I handed him a gift bag with a full set of pads--wrist, elbow and knees! And we even had a bit of a "Better Homes and Garden Moment" for a brief moment. This flicker of magazine perfect life came to life because an exhausted Isaac napped during dinner so we could actually light the candles and put out Grandma's china on Grandma's homemade crochet tablecloth) without worrying where his hands (or china or candles or dinner) would land. But during the holiday, especially when we sat down at the table and looked around, we missed our mischievous, laughing Isaac and everyone else that we love lots and wished we could share turkey and laughs with! Happy Holidays all!