Michelle Smiles

Teaching my children to question authority, except mine.

Speaking of Christmas

January2

p1010747I do have a photo or 2 to share from our trip north.  We left on the 22nd at 9pm so that the girls could sleep in the car.  The plan was for me to take a nap when Steve got home from work.  That didn’t work out so well because I am always forgetting that I can’t get anything done with 2 toddlers running around.  Sabrina isn’t too bad but Tessa just won’t stay out of anything.  It is impossible to accomplish anything when I am home alone because she is at an age that requires full time direct management.  But she is so cute that I forget until the next time I think I’m going to get something done while Steve is at work.

p1010744No nap, Steve and I both a little tense because we are tired and trying to get things to fit in the car, and an overnight drive – recipe for a good time, no?  We had to change drivers every 2 hours because we were both so tired (have I mentioned that I can’t sleep in the car?) but the girls did great.  They both stirred every time we stopped but went right back to sleep.  We were having breakfast at Eat N Park in Pittsburgh by 8:30am.   Let the festivities begin (after a 3 hour nap at my MIL’s house because we couldn’t check into our hotel yet…)!  Complete with gingerbread houses.

p1010780Christmas the First. The girls had matching outfits for Christmas although you wouldn’t know it if you didn’t look at multiple photos because I couldn’t get a single photo of them together.  Sabrina was way too busy adoring her older cousins and basking in the attention of aunts, uncles, and Grandma and Pap-pap.  Tessa, while not disliking or afraid of folks who aren’t designated bottle sippy cup getters any longer, still greatly preferred the company of Mommy and Daddy (although she had taken to calling both of us mommy now and pointing to the one she wants).

Christmas day was fun.  The kids all had a great time tearing into their presents.  Sabrina really got the whole gift thing this year so she had a grand time asking what she could open next.  It took some convincing at first for to put some of the gifts aside to keep going but once she got in the grove there was no looking back.  With every gift she opened, she gasped and asked “For me?!?”  And then “Can I open another one Mommy?”

p1010803

The most popular gifts of the day seemed to be the musical gifts.  Sabrina got a keyboard and Avadar received a Barbie guitar that everyone wanted to play.  Sabrina and Uncle Pat had a jam session.

p1010834

p1010815

Tessa’s favorite was a cow lawn mower.

p1010869

p1010856

Tessa kept her security froggie with her all week.  She rarely let go of it.

p1010874

p1010801

Several dance parties were had by the kids.

Sabrina slept at Grandma and Pap-pap’s with her cousins the whole time we were in Pittsburgh.  When we finally told her she had to come to the hotel with us because we were heading to Ohio in the morning, she sobbed.  It broke my heart.  She sobbed that she didn’t want to leave.  I, of course, started sobbing too.  I hate that we are so far from so many who love our children.  I hate that family gatherings are special occasions instead of any random Sunday.  I hate hearing my oldest baby so heart broken.  I was ready to turn in my mommy card on the spot.

Christmas the second. We headed to Ohio on Sunday morning to spend a few days with my family.  We had dinner and did gifts with my step mom, sister, brother in law, and nephew.  It was a nice, quiet day.  (Don’t get me started on the Steelers game not being televised 100 miles from Pittsburgh.  Stupid Browns.)  Sabrina was over the previous night’s heart ache and enjoying a new group of people paying attention to her.  Tessa was still carrying froggie and sticking close to Mommy and Daddy.  We enjoyed a few days of hanging out in Ohio and watching it snow.  My sister enjoyed flipping me off every time I tried to enforce a rule with my child while she fed her sugar and painted her nails orange and green.  A good time was had by all.

p1010903

Sabrina definitely had the opening presents thing down by this point.

p1010905

And Sabrina was in heaven when Grandma Freida made cupcakes with her.

p1010912-1

Tessa was a fan.  This was her first cupcake since she didn’t eat her birthday cupcake.

p1010925-1

p1010959We drove overnight again to get home.  It went a little more smoothly than the trip up but still a couple of tired adults.  We arrived home around 4:30am.  We put both kids to bed and we fell into bed.  We all slept until 9am.  Christmas the third. We gave the girls their presents from us and from Abuela.  By this time, even Tessa was old hat at unwrapping.

See previous post for photos of their cottage and market.  But I think the biggest hit was the play remote my mom got Tessa.  Tessa is ALWAYS trying to steal the remote and press buttons so I suggested she might like one of her own.  She does.  And Sabrina is constantly stealing it from her.

There were some other popular gifts that I’ll share in the coming weeks because I know I’m always curious what is a hit in everyone else’s house so I know what to think about buying or skipping in the future.

posted under family, travel
14 Comments to

“Speaking of Christmas”

  1. On January 4th, 2010 at 8:33 am Alleen Says:

    Looks like a great time!!!

  2. On January 4th, 2010 at 8:50 am Melany Says:

    Aww! Looks like a great time. I can very much relate to the heartbreak of leaving loved ones far away. I can handle it fine… but the kids really do enjoy the relatives so much. 😉

    Loved all the pictures. The girls’ outfits are precious and Tessa is at that age that I want to squeeze her and gobble her up. Not that she would let me. lol

  3. On January 4th, 2010 at 3:11 pm carla Says:

    loooving all the pics and details, Michelle. They are both so frickin FEISTY looking (which is, IMO, the best compliment evah :))

  4. On January 5th, 2010 at 10:03 am Jen (from AB/JM) Says:

    The homerun toys in my house this year are, Tag Reading System & Tag Jr Reading System with lots of books (both girls love them, ages almost 3 and 18months), wooden table & chairs set, and the Transform N Go Little Einstein rocket. A lot of their new toys have yet to be opened because we are getting ready for a move. I am expecting Aryanna’s digital arts & crafts studio for the computer to be a hit as well, once we get her desktop up & running, or buy a new one!

  5. On January 7th, 2010 at 7:08 am Rhonda Says:

    WOW, what a fun time (though I’m sure you both were so tired)! The girls look adorable in their outfits. What a fun time just watching and laughing at the little ones as they bask in the Christmas festivities!

  6. On December 9th, 2015 at 8:49 pm Megha Says:

    Good page Alb but *sigh* once again Ultraflop is saved from a squashing and its Brooke who is gentitg it. This could go a few ways in my opinion:1) Brooke gets hit with the chair and then pinned, making her lose her job.. BOOO!2) Brooke ducks and Zombie gets hit, then Brooke makes the tag and the towers take out their frustration on Ultraflop with some super double team moves.. YEAH!3) Brooke escapes and Zombie gets hit, amid the confusion in the Towers Brooke tags in Sabrina and we get a team finish leading to a double 3 count in the middle of the ring from Team Ultraboobs! (this gets my vote)

  7. On April 28th, 2016 at 7:17 pm http://www.blrimages.net/ Says:

    you, my dear are a constant source of inspiration! i love love love your blog… i don't think i have commented before but i've been following for quite a long time….you rock!xokfrou-frou-foxes.blogspot.ca

  8. On April 28th, 2016 at 7:32 pm http://www.ionicbathfootdetox.com/ Says:

    There was a post suggesting EVs are similar to corn ethanol,not much net savings. The energy embedded in the battery is more than any realistic fuel saving. The unknown was at the recycle point of the battery. How about an electric trike.

  9. On June 4th, 2016 at 7:48 am car insurance Says:

    Not to be picky, but it would be great if we could switch from Conversation view and back quicker than through the settings screen.Usually Conversation view is great but there are cases when it doesn't work and you want to quickly switch.

  10. On June 4th, 2016 at 2:52 pm cheapest auto insurance Says:

    As.. ada bbrp downline yg bonusnya sejak awmit s/d hpai msh melalui rekening BSM ana, imanuddin (norek 1097044085). Sejak reformasi ke hpai, era digital., ana tdk pernah lg dpt rincian statemen bonus mereka.. shg tdk tahu berapa Rp hak msg2 mrk yg ana tunaikan.. mhn info dan solusi segera..

  11. On June 21st, 2016 at 4:02 am http://www.findingthefamily.com/ Says:

    The Ships’s Voyages…I feel know-how just makes it worse. Now there’s a channel to hardly ever care, now there would not be considered a possibility for them to find out….

  12. On July 20th, 2016 at 8:21 am http://bestquotes.myfreeip.me/american_country_insurance.xml Says:

    The Winnipeg Jets AHL affiliate is not the Barrie Colts, it is the St. John’s Icecaps. The Colts are a Canadian junior team in the CHL, which is actually where those two guys were probably sent because the Colts own both of their rights.

  13. On October 25th, 2016 at 2:40 pm como calcular los interes de un prestamo hipotecario Says:

    I got a lot out of Stephen King’s book, On Writing. Which is strange, because I don’t much like his novels and I consider him a much better storyteller than a writer.

  14. On November 13th, 2016 at 9:31 am http://www./ Says:

    as giddy about this as, say, my on-again-off-again co-reviewer Christopher Cramer—after reading my review, he texted, “I disagree with you point for point.  I am shocked.â€â€” was I felt the movie

Email will not be published

Website example

Your Comment: