Christmas!

December 21 we started our family portion of the break. Ryan and I enjoyed the exhibits at the Art Museum and a fancy French lunch.

Saturday morning, as we have gotten into the habit of doing, we give Adelaide one big present from Mom and Dad before Christmas. This year, Snowflake the elf helped by bringing a note back from Santa reminding Ade to be an extra good girl because he has one extra Zook (a Skylander she desperately wanted at the last minute) in his workshop. Her present was the Giants game for her Skylanders for the Wii, which she has been obsessed with since I bought it before heading to London/Stockholm.

We also had Jenna, Jon, and Vivian over for dinner, and exchanged our gifts early together as well.

After several days of hanging out, it was finally Christmas Eve. During dinner we all watched Elf. Then, we sprinkled the reindeer dust outside, and set out the cookies, milk and carrots.

The summary

Before

 After

The details

Ade awoke just before 6am, and found a note where Santa had eaten the goodies we left out. He told her she had been so good to ask for his secret note after we were all done opening presents. Ade opened the big basket to look for something after opening one of her very first gifts and saw a secret wrapped present in the basket. I shouted for her not to look, since I had of course already read Santa's secret note. She smiled and whispered to me, "I'll bet that is Zook!" Sigh. She is always two steps ahead. ;-)

 STOMPEES!!!

 The F.A.O Schwartz dinosaur rock home from the outside...

 and now from the inside...

And, yes, it was indeed Zook.
 

Santa dog didn't disappoint.

After all of the excitement of her gifts were over, Ade was helping hand out gifts to Ryan and I, when she started moaning about her belly hurting. Sure enough, she threw right up. She threw up the last candy from her Advent calendar, the only thing she had eaten yet. I think being so excited that you throw up has to qualify as success ;-) This is Ade eating some pretzels on her giant stuffed teddy bear named Teddy to calm down.

  Christmas morning monkey bread (Ade and Ryan both helped me get it ready the day before, and it was DELICIOUS!!!)


Ade talked to grandma and grandpa on FaceTime and watched each other open some presents. (She got to do the same with Grammy and Grampy yesterday! Hooray for technology!)


After a LOT of playing and fun ... there was a CRISIS!!! Ryan got me a very cool steamer for steaming curtains, and clothes, etc. I played with my toy, and was cleaning up. I was even following the instructions, but I didn't realize there was still boiling lava water in the base, outside of the actual reservoir. And, I burned my hand. Like, severely. The skin instantly melted off basically. So, that sort of put a kink in the afternoon. Luckily, Ryan got some quick advice from Grampy the nurse, and I administered to it properly. (Agony, I tell you. Thank heavens for some leftover prescription pain pills that day...)

Then, we got ready for Christmas dinner at Jenna's house. Ade wore a dress Grammy had bought her last year that reminded me of a sugar plum fairy.

Since Christmas, we have just basically hibernated. ;-) We have read and played and hung out. Ryan went back to work on Thursday and Friday, so Ade and I had buddy days. On Friday we even went to visit him at his new office and have lunch:

I only have a few more days off, and I can't believe how this time has flown. Long holidays at home are really the best.