Christmas Day Shenanigans

So, we were awakened Christmas morning at 6:00 AM by children who couldn't wait to open presents. Daddy-O and I shuffled down the hall, plopped onto the floor, and prepared for the stampede of children rushing down the hall. They did not disappoint.

After opening presents, we realized our kids had enough electronic gadgetry and games, legos, Cabbage Patch Kids, building sets, books, and stocking stuffers to entertain them from now to eternity, and the grownups went back to bed. When I finally found it in me to open one eye, sometime around 8:30 am, I could smell something yummy cooking, but was too tired to care. It was 9:30 am before I was able to reopen first one, then the other eye. Daddy-O was in the corner of the bedroom, sitting in his reading chair and studying. "What is that smell?" I asked. Turns out he had been up since 7:30, and had made homemade cranberry sauce, vegetables, and had put a turkey in the oven. I love the fact that my husband can cook so well, especially since I am not good at any kind of kitchen activity except baking and being kissy-kissy.

We had a great lunch together, much more family prayer, and spent the day hanging out and generally just enjoying being together. We called all our family, and I got to talk to my Mema, whose Alzheimer's is pretty far along. She knew I was family, but I'm not convinced she knew which one of the girls (my mom, my aunt, my sister, or me) it was, what year it was, or how old I was. She asked me how I'm doing in school, and I said "great." She asked why I didn't just come on over, and I told her I live 10 hours away. "Oh, I thought you lived just over there. I wouldn't drive ten hours, either. I think I'd just stay put." I asked if she wanted to talk to my kids, and she said, "well, I'm not sure if I even remember who they are anymore." "They remember you," I said. She chatted with them for a while, asking about presents, asking about school, and asking how old they were, while my Aunt V. (who was there with her) gave her the picture we sent with our cards this year, so Mema would know who she was talking to. It was sad, because it's all progressed so quickly over the past year, and because I lived with her for a while as a child. But, she seemed happy, so I guess that is enough for now.

Our kids still have quiet time for 2 hours every day (nap, read, play quietly, no electronic games), and I laid on my bed with Short Stuff, turned on the Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert on PBS, and got some very special mommy snuggle time, followed by another 45 minute nap. It felt so good to just hold him in my arms, him running his little hands over my face and smiling at me as he fell asleep-- wow. Those are the times I love being a mom.

In the evening, we baked a birthday cake for the Christ child, gave the kids their baths, and tucked them into bed. Then, I played with my iPod. And Daddy-O grabbed the camera to get some happy-Christy-with-iPod pictures. I danced, I cheesed it up, I jumped on my bed, all the while with him snapping photos. Then I stopped to change playlists, and while I was looking at my iPod, he apparently took a zoomed in photo of... well... my chest. And looking at it in the review mode, he liked it so much that he geeked out and fumbled the camera, accidentally pitching it across the room. The battery cover part broke into about 14 pieces, the battery flew into our closet, and the camera, without power, was stuck in the open position on the bedroom floor. I wanted to be mad at him for breaking my camera, but was too flattered to get ugly, so I just got some super glue and started to work. 30 minutes later, and after using half a tube of super glue and a few strips of packing tape, the camera was again working. We have, however, placed a new camera on our shopping list, as it just feels way too ghetto to use a digital camera that is held together by packing tape.

Anyway, we really had a wonderful Christmas. It was the perfect blend of fun, reverence, family time, and celebration, and I'm just thankful to have my family. In spite of the things that sometimes don't go according to plan, they really are perfect for me, and I hope I'm perfect for them.