Michelle Smiles

Teaching my children to question authority, except mine.

Christmas wrap up

December29

I love the Christmas season but I am truly ready for it to be over by a few days after.  We arrived home this afternoon and had our third and final Christmas.  First, we had Christmas in Pittsburgh with Steve’s side of the family.  Then in Ohio with mine.  Now at home with our gifts and the things my mom sent.  My children are spoiled (as am I).  Now I am ready to clean it up and put it all away.  I have a date with the tree tomorrow I think.

I didn’t take as many photos as I normally do this year.  I was too busy watching the girls have fun.  But here is our Christmas in photos (minus our little family celebration here because I didn’t even get the camera out).

First just a quick look at our present under the tree because they looked so pretty all wrapped (loved the paper this year – Hobby Lobby has great paper, huge rolls, not see-thru…for great prices).  My husband and children didn’t appreciate so I put it out there for my fellow moms (or at least my mom).

Decorating gingerbread men at Grandma’s.

The kids were instructed that they needed to dry before they ate them.  Sabrina decided that meant the candy was free game.

Tessa couldn’t help herself.

I arrived Christmas morning to find Sabrina looking ready for her close-up on Toddlers and Tiaras.

Tessa’s Christmas outfit from Grandma was much less ruffly but she wouldn’t model it for me.

I took even fewer photos in Ohio but here is some of the carnage.  It is a shame my children don’t have any toys.

Uncle Mike is bound and determined to see exactly how much sugar it takes to make my girls throw up.  Here he is giving them hot chocolate (after the 6 or 7 hershey kisses and cake and who knows what else).

Time was short.  The trip was great.  The drive was long.  As always, time up north leaves Steve and I terribly homesick.

Sabrina’s favorite gifts (so far…she hasn’t even had a chance to play with them all because we haven’t gotten them all out of the packages): Barbie, Mobigo, and Go Go dog.  Tessa’s favorites so far: her little laptop, car garage, and her furreal kitty.

Steve and I received a fabulous (although largely unintentional) gift this year.  The girls are both old enough to stay at Grandma’s with their cousins while we were in Pittsburgh.  We had more time alone than we’ve had in 4 years and it was lovely.  We had dinner and talked about adult topics.  We watched a movie in bed at the hotel.  We slept in one morning.  It was such a treat.  We’ve been talking about how badly we need some time away together and this wasn’t exactly that but it was a great start.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.

posted under travel
8 Comments to

“Christmas wrap up”

  1. On December 30th, 2010 at 8:39 am Burgh Baby Says:

    Fourth photo. Top-right corner. That cat’s glowy eyes just sucked out my soul. True story.

  2. On December 31st, 2010 at 7:18 am Martha Says:

    Love the holiday gift photo and that kitty in the fourth photo looks alot like my Truman boy, my Siamese who died Monday before Christmas.

    Bittersweet Christmas on my end :(.

    My Daughter Jamie loves her Tangled doll and Tower and her Unicorn Pillow Pet and of course her new bike with Training wheels. Though we also got her the walking dog she wanted so badly it doesn’t seem to be too favored. I guess you can’t win em all.

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