Christmas EVE

 Christmas Eve Day

Dear Lyla and Lottie, I remember someone once saying that Christmas Eve is the longest day of the year.  I would have to agree.  All that anticipation makes time stand still.  But oh what magic comes with anticipation!  Celebrating the holidays with you two is nothing but wonderful.  I knew that Christmas Day would be overtaken by presents and the like, so I tried to make Christmas Eve DAY more centered on Christ.  I want you to know that I celebrate Christmas to honor the birth of Christ our Savior.  I hope that one day you too, will celebrate Christmas for this reason.  That morning Dad had to go out to get stuff for Christmas Eve dinner, because he was doing his specialty, THE DEEP FRIED TURKEY  *YUM*!!!, so we had some time to burn.  A woman in our ward had spoke at the RS Christmas Party about doing A Night in Bethlehem where by candlelight they eat simple food on the floor.  I can’t wait until you loves are old enough to do that, but for now I decided to make some modifications.  Since we love crafts with Epsom Salt, I gave you some salt, glue and a big mason jar and let you go to work covering the jar with a shimmery coat of white.  After it had dried, we took it into the laundry room (only room in the house without a window), lit a tea candle in it, and sang happy birthday Jesus.  You just loved this.  You would sing right along with me.  We probably sang it 5 times before dad got home and asked what in the world we were doing in the laundry room.  I felt like it was a small way to honor the reason for Christmas in a way you would understand.  We will keep that jar for next year.  Then the fun was over and we had to get busy making treats for the dinner.  We made appetizer finger foods that were delicious! After that we needed to bathe you guys for the Eve festivities.  Instead of a regular bath, we filled a zillion balloons with water beads.  Then in the tubby we let you pop them!  You loved it despite the loud noise it made.  I think next time we’ll fill them with water first.  Nonetheless it was a fun bath for a special day.  Once we were all cleaned up and ready, we had a photoshoot and then took off for Grandmas!

                                                                                          

Grandma’s House

Dinner was a feast of all feasts.  Todd’s turkey was amazing as always.  After dinner we got right to acting out The Nativity.  Lyla, you made the most beautiful Angel there ever were.  I couldn’t get enough of you sitting on the chair so sweet holding to star.  You looked to die for in that fluffy white dress.  Lottie, you made a perfect Baby Jesus, even though you weren’t so happy when I handed you over to Mary.  The Nativity always serves as a nice time to sit and reflect on the year.  We’ve had a hard year, and a very blessed year.  I can’t believe I had two beautiful babies in The Nativity this year.  After The Nativity, Grandma read Jonathon Toomey and cried her eyes out like every year.  We then got right to opening pjs and secret santa gifts.  Your PJ’s had Minnie Mouse on them!  Your favorite!  You wore them proud and kept showing off your Minnie.  Christmas PJs are a tradition as old as I am.  It’s been one I’ve always loved.  It’s still kind of surreal to think that I’m the mom now and am the one to pass on the traditions.  My heart is full.  Lyla, your Secret Santa gift was a LaLa Loopsie.  They’re these dolls with big plastic heads and little bodies.  They’re the rage right now but I didn’t think you’d know of care too much about it.  Then I got worried because both your cousins were getting one.  Luckily your cousins already had one for you!.  The minute you opened it you said “a loopie loopie!!!”.  I was in shock that you knew what it was. You love your Loopie.   You’re so adorable.  Lottie you got some books and a shirt.  Nothing too exciting but you enjoyed opening the present!

Back at Home

We finished our family tradition of opening one gift bought especially from Dad.  He got you both stuffed Disney Animals because Lyla, you already had Minnie and LOVED her.  Lyla got Mickey and Lottie got Daisy (which you opened the next day because you fell asleep on the drive from Grandma’s).  Lyla you were SO thrilled and announced “MICKEY!!!” the minute you got the box opened.  That night you had to sleep with both Mickey and Minnie.  After you went to bed we went right to setting things up.  Dad was happy the car was the only assembly required but it ended up taking A LOT longer than he thought.  That was a last minute Amazon purchase that I bought because I worried we didn’t have any “WOW” gifts; the gifts you’re instantly happy to see (ridiculous I know).   I had a lot of prep too just getting everything set out.  I spent a lot of time and thought on your gifts this year.  I really wanted to buy things this year that encouraged creativity and interactive play, not just the hottest new toy (although we had some of that too!).  I bargain shopped for at least 2 months and had both families getting black Friday stuff for us!  I also filled out surveys, did some blog posts and all sorts of other things that brought in about $100 of free stuff from Amazon and Melissa and Doug!  So although this looks like a ridiculous amount of stuff, it was pretty reasonable.  It was so fun to set up the sensory table dad made you with fake snow in it!  Dad also made you the light box and we set out all the stuff for that.  I had spent a lot of time researching and finding the right kind of light box and sensory bin for our new adventures, and I think the outcome was perfect.  The magnet board is a cheap oil drip pan spray painted!  So many fun new toys.  I could just imagine you seeing it all the next morning and could hardly wait.